Definition of incubator
Life sciences incubators empower entrepreneurs, academia, and early-stage companies to develop innovative products and solutions. They provide suitable spaces (often shared and on flexible terms), access to specialist equipment, and additional incubation services. While "incubator" sometimes refers to organisations or programmes, for our purposes, it must include a physical space.
Incubators are commonly located on science parks, university campuses, research institutes, or within innovation districts. They may also be found within large company facilities (e.g., Bayer and J&J) or converted industrial spaces. Some are part of wider networks, such as Kadans Science Partner or Superlab Suisse. They can be situated in city centres, suburbs, or out-of-town locations. While almost all incubators are housed in buildings, repurposed shipping containers have also been used.
On the map below is a diverse sample of 20 incubators we selected in Europe:
Common features of incubators
Whatever the location, there are certain shared characteristics among incubators:
