Facilities Management for Business Incubators: Practical Advice and Information for Design, Construction and Management of 21st Century Business Incub, Paperback/Mark S. Long

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Description Business Incubators/accelerators/coworking spaces can be key drivers of economic development. The typical business incubator is in a suburban setting in an area with a population of less than 500, 000. Universities or university-affiliated non-profits operate most incubators. The standard incubator has 15-20 companies when full and a "mixed profile" of University and non-university clients from many industry areas, including pharmaceutical, Information technology, medical technology, "biotech," and engineering - even retail. The model for most incubators has shifted in the past decade - economic development professionals are now relying on incubation, a "grow-your-own" entrepreneurial model rather than an attraction model, as the tax-incentive and relocation package concepts of the past have faded in their effectiveness to convince companies to move to new locations. Incubators are also beginning to "specialize" in various concentrations, such as "Clean-tech" or "alternative energy," to emphasize and attract specific industry sectors and to focus on the core competencies of associated research Universities. Also, many incubators/accelerators/coworking spaces are capitalizing on the resources provided by industry associations, such as access to specialized equipment and partnerships with leading scientists. Accelerators are defined differently, and many are concentrated in major metropolitan areas with ready access to capital and intensive programs designed to help businesses succeed in rapid fashion. Coworking spaces are gaining in favor by providing a solid environment for collaboration and business growth, with exciting programs and educational activities to assist in business formation and strategic direction. The commonality here, for this book, is the facility itself - the physical and operational strategy of business incubation is a process - a great business incubator involves programming, mentoring, education and many other efforts to insure small