Strategy and business model development for business incubators: a systematic literature review and framework

Abstract Over the past decades, the business incubation literature has examined how and to what extent specific strategies and business models influence the performance of this entrepreneurial support mechanism. Although the literature profoundly impacts the understanding of how business incubators support entrepreneurs, the current literature is fragmented and lacks generalizability. In particular, an integrated overview of how to develop strategies and business models for business incubators remains incomplete. Since the performance of a business incubator depends on the development and alignment of its strategy and business model, scientists and practitioners are still debating the effectiveness of business incubators. This systematic literature review addresses the fragmentation and lack of generalizability of strategy and business model development by analyzing 41 research papers to summarize the existing literature. Building on these insights, this study proposes a dynamic framework to simplify the development of business incubation strategies and business models, aiming to improve performance. The results also suggest new research avenues and offer actionable guidelines for business incubator managers and stakeholders involved to provide a reference for improving support for entrepreneurs.