The humble beginnings of business incubators date back to the 1970s in the USA and United Kingdom, where abandoned industrial buildings were converted to rent out to small businesses. South Africa (SA) was first introduced to business incubation in the 1980s when the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) established a number of business ‘hives’ and provided business space to entrepreneurs to operate their businesses. In their most basic form, business incubators provide a safe and nurturing environment for entrepreneurs to establish their small businesses. While in incubation, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are supported with a number of services which assist their growth and development until they are able to exit the incubator as sustainable and viable businesses. Global incubator models have matured significantly, and now include assisting with business idea generation, accelerating business start-ups and commercialisation processes, and identifying high-growth orientated SMEs to assist them with gaining market access. The establishment of business incubators was a government-driven initiative, and more than 33 SME incubators exist in SA. Most of the incubators are government-funded, and have focused on the establishment and growth of SMEs to act as a catalyst to promote economic development and alleviate socio-economic challenges such as unemployment and poverty. Despite these noble objectives, incubation in SA has not been fully utilised, and a high SME failure rate still prevails in the country. One of the reasons for SME failure may be ascribed to the lack of an enabling SME incubation environment in SA. When compared to other developing countries such as Brazil with as many as 400 incubators, it is clear that the SA incubation industry still needs further development. The purpose of this study therefore was to ascertain the best practices of global business incubators in both developed and developing countries, and how SA incubators could learn from these best practices to create a more conducive and enabling SME incubation environment. Background literature on business incubation with a specific focus on best practices in world incubators in both developed and developing countries, was reviewed. Some of the literature reviewed included Aernoudt (2004), Buys and Mbewana (2007) and Chandra (2009). From the literature review, four main best practice areas were identified, namely strategic focus, sources of funding, incubator services, and the role of government. The study followed a qualitative approach, and an interview schedule was developed to seek the perceptions of incubator managers on how the four identified best practices can be utilised to create an enabling SA incubation environment. A survey was conducted by interviewing 14 incubator managers (twelve government and two private) in SA. Data was collected over a six-month period, using face-to-face and telephonic interviews. Data was analysed using the content analysis, constant comparison, grounded theory and case study methods. The biographical profiles of the incubator managers and incubators were presented in case studies. An initial analysis was made to identify themes and sub themes within the four best practices explored, using the constant comparison method. Thereafter a provincial comparative analysis was made, as well as a comparison of government funded versus privately funded incubators. The findings suggested that there is a relatively high turnover in incubator management, and that they often do not have incubator management experience. A provincial comparison of SA incubators revealed that their strategic focuses are greatly influenced by the industry prevailing in the various provinces. All SA incubators provide pre- and post incubation services, but few are utilising virtual incubation. Most SA incubators are government-funded, and some use a hybrid funding model. It was evident that most SA incubators are aware of government policies and programmes available to assist them on local, provincial and national levels. A comparison of the best practices of two developing countries and three developed countries, as well as suggestions made by SA incubator managers indicated that SA has indeed followed best practices from both developing and developed countries, but there are areas of non-alignment which provide scope for improvement, to create a more conducive and enabling incubation environment. This study recommends that incubators should have an entrepreneurial focus, and reposition and align their strategic focus with government policies and instruments. SA incubators must pursue opportunities for virtual incubation as well as linkages with academic institutions, in order to offer value-added services such as research, development and commercialisation of the product ideas. Incubators in SA must pursue a hybrid funding model with a combination of government and private funding, and generate some or their own income. With regard to the role of government, it is recommended that the roll-out of more industry-specific incubators be privatised, and that an overseeing body for incubation be established.

Business incubators, as recognised in their contemporary form, have a history dating back to the 1970s in the United Kingdom and the USA. South Africa is no stranger to this concept of business incubation either: Since the 1980s the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) operated business “hives” as clusters of small enterprises. Business incubators are support facilities that empower and stimulate small-entrepreneurial businesses – from the financially vulnerable start-up period, until the time that the fledgling company is ready to operate more autonomously. Business incubators provide, as part of their services, affordable space, financial-management services, sound business advice and other development services. Incubation stimulates the development of small-entrepreneurial businesses and, to this end, helps stimulate the economy. Thus, for South Africa to invest in the development of small growing businesses, is to invest directly in its larger economy and to address its own development challenges like employment-creation, income-generation and the alleviation of poverty. It is in this context that this study discusses the development challenges of one of the rural areas in South Africa, Oudtshoorn, and aims to provide a viable strategy of business incubation for this area, in anticipation that in future lessons can be drawn from this and applied to other rural areas. Oudtshoorn is a town in the Klein Karoo, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The strongest sectors in Oudtshoorn’s economy are agriculture and tourism. These two sectors should provide the basis for an empowering business incubator to strengthen and enhance smaller businesses in the town. The study focuses on the development challenges of South Africa and, in particular, a rural town such as Oudtshoorn, the importance of investing in small entrepreneurial businesses so as to strengthen the country’s economy. the nature an significance of a business-incubation strategy for the Oudtshoorn area. Background literature on South Africa’s development challenges was collated as well as information gathered on small-business support and incubation in particular. Literature was retrieved from local institutions as well as national and international sources. Case studies of incubators in South Africa and in other countries were included to enhance the understanding of the importance of business incubation. In addition, the researcher’s close networks with the Oudtshoorn municipality, the local Red Door office and the different role-players in the small-business support sphere allowed for an in-depth assessment of support for such an incubation project and the critical obstacles it may encounter en route.

The diploma thesis focuses on business incubators and the impact they create on the region's competitiveness. The primary purpose of the paper is to analyze the activity of business incubators and to demonstrate, using real examples, positive contribution of their activity on the regional competitiveness. A method, I intend to use, is application of theory covered in theoretical part on my practical part. The basis for analyzing the particular incubator are information collected from the questionnaire survey, structured interviews and documents available.

Orientador: Renato Peixoto Dagnino / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T03:07:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fraga_LaisSilveira_D.pdf: 1426112 bytes, checksum: 94309c1850bf0482c2cc3c65c7b96885 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: A ideia de transferência de conhecimento sempre esteve presente na relação entre universidade e sociedade. Ela está na origem do termo extensão e segue presente em toda a sua trajetória histórica. A partir dessa constatação, esta tese tem como objetivo central compreender as origens e as conseqüências da ideia de transferência de conhecimentos na atuação das ITCPs, compreendidas na trajetória histórica da extensão do país. Reconhecidamente, a primeira ITCP surge derivada da ideia das incubadoras de empresas, mas, em cada local, elas se conformam a partir da reorganização da extensão incentivada pelo processo de redemocratização que havia passado o país, da mobilização da universidade diante do desemprego e, por fim, do aumento do financiamento no governo Lula. Esses fatores levam parte da extensão a um novo caminho que tem como centro a geração de trabalho e renda e a utopia da autogestão. Com intuito de compreender a ideia de transferência de conhecimento, dois referenciais teórico-metodológicos foram utilizados de maneira complementar: a Educação e os Estudos Sociais da Ciência e da Tecnologia (ESCT). No campo da educação, foram abordadas as contribuições de educadores que partem de uma reflexão teórica sobre a relação entre universidade, trabalhadores e trabalhadoras combinada com a prática educativa no âmbito da extensão. Os autores são Paulo Freire, Michel Thiollent e Orlando Fals Borda. Buscou-se compreender, por meio deles, de que maneira a ideia de transferência de conhecimento se relaciona com um tipo específico de tutela, via conhecimento, entre educandos e educadores. A partir dos ESCT, campo acadêmico multidisciplinar que surge no contexto do pós-guerra, buscou-se compreender a relação entre conhecimento tecnocientífico e o setor produtivo, principalmente, a partir da negação do modelo ofertista de conhecimento. Tendo como fundamento a assertiva de que a ciência e a tecnologia são construções sociais, aprofundou-se a crítica à ideia de transferência de conhecimento por meio de três ideias-força: o conhecimento não é neutro, o conhecimento não gera apenas benefícios para a sociedade e o conhecimento não se transfere. Por fim, com intuito de contribuir com o processo de reflexão-ação das incubadoras, apontamos algumas reflexões e sugestões para tornar viável o potencial das mesmas como aglutinadoras do processo de politização da universidade. Nesse sentido, apontamos alguns caminhos do que acreditamos ser fazer ciência (e tecnologia) politizada, como almejava Oscar Varsavsky, ou Adequação Sociotécnica com o povo, como preconiza Renato Dagnino. Nessa perspectiva, consideramos que as ITCPs como potenciais articuladoras de ações de ensino, pesquisa e extensão com vistas a produzir conhecimento e formar pessoas a partir de uma lógica para além do capital / Abstract: The idea of knowledge transfer has always been present in the relationship between universities and society. It is at the heart of the term 'extension' and has remained present since its inception. From this observation, this thesis aims to understand the origins and the consequences of the idea of knowledge transfer in the field of Technological Incubators of Popular Cooperatives (ITCPs) throughout the history of extension in the country. Admittedly, the first ITCP arose from the idea of enterprise incubators, but in each location, they were formed from the reorganization of the extension, encouraged by the process of democratization that Brazil had recently been through, the mobilization of universities against unemployment and, finally, the increase of funding during Lula's presidency. These factors took a part of extension in a new direction that has at its center the generation of work and income and the utopia of self-management. In order to understand the idea of knowledge transfer, two theoretical and methodological tools were used in a complementary way: Education and the Social Studies of Science and Technology (SSTS). In the field of Education, this thesis addresses the contributions of educators who have done a theoretical analysis of the relationship between universities and workers combined with educational practice in the context of extension. The authors are Paulo Freire, Michel Thiollent and Orlando Fals Borda. We sought to understand, through the aforementioned educators, how the idea of knowledge transfer relates to a specific type of tutelage, via knowledge, among learners and educators. From the SSTS, a multidisciplinary academic field that arose in the context of the post-war period, we strove to determine the relationship between techno-scientific knowledge and the productive sector, especially from the denial of the model of supply and demand of knowledge. Using as a basis the assertion that science and technology are social constructions, this body of work deepens the critique of the idea of knowledge transfer through three key points: knowledge is not neutral, knowledge does not stop at generating benefits for society and knowledge is not transferred. Finally, in order to contribute to the process of reflection-action of the incubators, we provide some suggestions so that their potential, as agglutinating of the process of politicization of the university, is viable. In this regard, we indicate some ways of what we believe politicized science (and technology) should be like, as Oscar Varsavsky aimed for, or Sociology-technical Adequacy with the people, as advocated by Renato Dagnino. From this perspective, we considered ITCPs as potential vehicles for teaching, research and extension in order to produce knowledge and train people beyond the logic of capital / Doutorado / Politica Cientifica e Tecnologica / Doutora em Política Científica e Tecnológica

University business incubators (UBIs) are organizations that provide new startup companies with a support environment. However, there are split opinions on the UBIs’ contributions to the startups and the regional economy and, consequently, there are also split opinions on  how to assess UBI performance. According to the resource-based view (RBV), a company’s competitive advantage results from the various resources the company has access to. The biotechnology industry is characterized by high research intensity, weak entrepreneurial and managerial skills of the entrepreneur, huge capital requirements, and long product  evelopment approval processes. Previous research has showed that these characteristics imply certain challenges for new biotech ventures. In this study, these industry specific characteristic and challenges were believed to affect what constitutes successful bioincubation and how bio-incubators’ performance should be assessed. The purpose of this report is, thus, to examine how bio-incubator performance can, and should be, assessed. An existing framework for assessing UBI performance is used as a basis for performing  emistructured interviews with 18 incubator managers in order to examine what performance indicators are perceived as robust for assessing bio-incubator performance. The findings show that the value contributions of bio-incubators mainly include space and network provision, support services, and coaching. The perceived value contributions, in combination with the perceived challenges, imply that it is particularly appropriate to assess bio-incubators performance in terms of Job Creation, Economy Enhancement, Access to Funds, and the Incubator Offer and Internal Environment. However, Job Creation and Economy Enhancement are closely related and are therefore suggested to be merged into a single performance indicator. Hardware and Services, on the other hand, seems to be less relevant for assessing bio-incubator performance as it depends on the incubator’s strategy. The study concludes that there are additional ways of assessing bio-incubator performance, such as shortened time to graduation, links with universities, and the flexibility of the incubator. Further research may include the entrepreneurs’ point of view or use the approach of this study to examine incubator performance in other high-technology industries.

<p>The purpose of this research is to analyze business incubators and the relevant factors that take place inside these organizations.</p><p>The methodology used was a case study approach, which investigates a real environment, in this case: NeoEmpresa, a business incubator located in La Paz, Bolivia. The explanatory approach is also considered in this research since the purpose is to explain the business incubation characteristics as well as understand the importance of knowledge transfer and network creation inside business incubators.</p><p>The findings propose that the most adequate incubation model strongly depends on the incubator’s main purpose and that the learning practices that take place inside an incubator involve knowledge transfer, more considered experience transfer, and networking as relevant factors.</p>

Within the field of development, participation has become the normative approach in the past two decades. For development projects to be sustainable, the communication must be participatory in nature. For development projects to be sustainable and to actually contribute to the development of communities, communication has to be based on the participatory approach of development communication. Dialogue, empowerment that leads to independence and cultural identity are some of the most important principles of the participatory approach. The importance of communication aimed at development first became apparent during the modernisation paradigm. Modernisation is considered an evolutionary shift from a traditional view to a modern society. Development is seen as synonymous with westernization, industrialization and economic growth. Universities are under pressure from both the government and the industry to help with economic development and deliver graduates that can make a positive difference in their field of expertise (Grimaldi & Grandi, 2005). A university business incubator (UBI) is a business incubator located within a university. University business incubators facilitate and develop conditions and support systems that ensure young entrepreneurs with new ventures will function successfully. Business incubators support these entrepreneurs by giving them access to affordable facilities and resources such as secretarial support and office furniture. The focus is on providing entrepreneurs with specialised support, training and assistance, including research and development, risk capital and networking opportunities (Lalkaka, 1990:25). A UBI uses the university‟s resources, personnel‟s time and knowledge toward economic development efforts, reaping the benefits from the commercialisation of the university‟s own research (Grimaldi & Grandi, 2005; Mian, 1997). The Netherlands Initiative for Capacity development in Higher Education (NICHE) launched a programme in South Africa in February 2009. BEEHIVE (Bridging Business and Education by Establishing a Hub of Innovative Ventures and Expertise) is the university incubator of the North-West University‟s (NWU) Vaal Triangle Campus, which started with the operational phase of the programme in May 2012. The name was changed in 2011 to Bhive for marketing purposes. Against this background, the following research question was investigated: to what extent is the communication between stakeholders of the Bhive UI participatory? The researcher used a qualitative research method in order to collect the data. A literature study was conducted to explore the premises of the nature of the participatory approach in development communication for social change. Interviews with different stakeholders were conducted to determine their perceptions regarding the Bhive UI. Lastly, the researcher observed the Bhive UI over a period of two years. The research findings reveal that within the larger paradigm of heteroglossia there is room for improvement. This study pointed out the various areas for improvement and offered theoretically grounded recommendations. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Muitos estudos analisam as características do empreendedor relacionando-as com desempenho (Lumpkin & Dess, 1996), com a descoberta de oportunidades empreendedoras (Shane, 2000), criação de novos empreendimentos (Gartner, 1985), entre outros. Em empresas baseadas em conhecimento a inovação é fundamental para a competitividade, refletido na capacidade de lançar novos produtos. Essa prerrogativa leva incubadoras a buscarem em seus processos de seleção empresas que apresentem potencial inovativo, analisando tanto o plano de negócios e a ideia, quanto as capacidades do time de gestão ou do empreendedor proponente da ideia (Aerts, Matthyssens & Vandenbempt, 2007). Assim, o objetivo geral desse estudo foi analisar a contribuição do background do empreendedor para a inovação de produtos em empresas incubadas de base tecnológica do estado de São Paulo. Especificamente, o estudo busca (1) identificar o background dos empreendedores de empresas vinculadas a incubadoras de empresas de base tecnológica; (2) Identificar o nível de inovação de produtos dessas empresas; (3) identificar a relação entre o background do empreendedor e a inovação de produtos nessas empresas; e (4) identificar a interferência do tamanho da organização nessas relações. Para alcançar esses objetivos, o estudo foi conduzido junto a incubadoras de empresas de base tecnológica localizadas no Estado de São Paulo, envolvendo 461 organizações. Um modelo conceitual foi elaborado, incluindo variáveis de input (características do empreendedor - educação e experiência), output (número de produtos lançados no mercado) e moderadora (tamanho da empresa). Um questionário foi aplicado aos gestores das empresas incubadas, resultando em 95 respostas válidas. Uma análise quantitativa foi realizada, baseado principalmente no método estatístico Regressão Logística. Como resultado, foi preliminarmente concluído que o background do empreendedor, particularmente, a formação técnica, tem uma importante associação com a inovação de produtos. Além disso, o tamanho da organização moderou significativamente essa relação, indicando que em empresas maiores parece indicar uma contribuição mais significativa da área de educação técnica - particularmente em disciplinas exatas, para a inovação em produtos. Já em empresas menores, além da associação significativa da educação técnica do empreendedor, a experiência também foi significativa para a inovação de produtos em empresas menores. Indicando que em empresas menores o conhecimento centra-se no empreendedor, enquanto que empresas maiores, o conhecimento é disseminado na equipe. Essas descobertas, a serem confirmadas em estudos futuros e considerando as limitações do presente estudo, complementam a literatura e abre novas perspectivas para instruir incubadoras a selecionarem melhor suas empresas incubadas / Many studies look entrepreneurial characteristics relating them with performance (Lumpkin & Dess, 1996), discovering new entrepreneurial opportunities (Shane, 2000), creation of new enterprises (Gartner, 1985), among others. In knowledge-based enterprises innovation is fundamental to competitiveness, reflected in their capacity of launching new products. This prerogative leads incubators to seek in their selection processes companies that present innovative potential, analyzing both, the business plan and the idea, as well as, the entrepreneurial or management team capabilities (Aerts, Matthyssens & Vandenbempt, 2007). The overall objective of this study was to analyze the contribution of the background of entrepreneurs to the innovative performance in technology-based Businesses Incubated Firms. More specifically, the study tries: (1) to identify the background of entrepreneurs of companies linked to technology based business incubators; (2) Identify the level of product innovation of these firms; (3) Identify the relationships between the background of the entrepreneur and the product innovation of the firms; and (4) Identify the interference of the size of the firms on these relationships. The study was conducted together incubators located in the State of São Paulo, evolving 461 organizations. A conceptual model was conceived, including input (entrepreneurial characteristics - education and experience), output (number of innovative products launched to the market) and moderating (firm size) variables. A questionnaire was applied to the general managers of the incubators, resulting in 95 valid answers. A quantitative analysis was made, based mostly on logistic regression statistical methods. As a result, it was preliminary concluded that entrepreneur background, particularly, the technical education, has an important influence on product innovation level. Also firm size moderated significantly those relationships, indicating that in larger firms it seems to appear a more significance contribution of technical education area - particularly in exact disciplines - to firm innovative performance. In smaller enterprises, in addition to significant association of entrepreneur\'s technical education, the experience was significant to product innovation, that indicate in smaller firms the organizational knowledge focuses on entrepreneur, while in larger companies the organizational knowledge is disseminated among the team. These finds, to be confirmed in future studies and considering the limitations of the present investigation, complement the literature and open new perspectives on the most adequated firms and managers to be selected to take place in Incubators

Submitted by Karen Britto (karenbritto@unipampa.edu.br) on 2018-05-22T13:28:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Émerson Oliveira Rizzatti - 2018.pdf: 3594638 bytes, checksum: b7f79d8069a1fc1a4aceeb745ba52d54 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-22T13:28:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Émerson Oliveira Rizzatti - 2018.pdf: 3594638 bytes, checksum: b7f79d8069a1fc1a4aceeb745ba52d54 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-23 / O ambiente competitivo internacional em que estão imersas as atividades produtivas está baseado na capacitação tecnológica, na inovação, na flexibilidade e nas mudanças constantes e aceleradas. Tal cenário exige mudanças nas estratégias dos agentes econômicos e um aumento na participação do Estado no apoio aos sistemas produtivos regionais visando sua inovação e o seu desenvolvimento sustentável. Por isso, muitos governos investem na criação e manutenção de incubadoras de empresas, buscando fomentar o empreendedorismo, dar suporte aos empreendedores nos anos inicias do negócio e incentivar o desenvolvimento tecnológico de regiões ao redor do mundo. No entanto, o êxito das incubadoras e das empresas nelas incubadas é inter-relacionado e influenciado por diversos fatores, com dimensões internas e externas, estáticas e dinâmicas, táticas e estratégicas, organizacionais e técnicas, que influenciam diretamente na gestão e que garantem a sustentabilidade das organizações. O presente estudo, de caráter exploratório-descritivo, objetivou investigar a influência dos Fatores Críticos de Sucesso (FCS) no desempenho de incubadoras de empresas do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Após a revisão da literatura, foram identificados 33 FCS para as incubadoras. Esses FCS foram transcritos como perguntas no instrumento de coleta de dados para a entrevista com os 19 gestores de incubadoras de empresas em funcionamento no Estado. Na entrevista, além de identificar a percepção dos gestores com relação ao nível de prática de cada um dos FCS, também foram questionados os valores de 5 indicadores de desempenho das incubadoras para os anos de 2012 a 2016. Visando alcançar o objetivo específico de analisar a influência dos Fatores Críticos de Sucesso mais praticados sobre o desempenho de incubadoras de empresas do Rio Grande do Sul, foi aplicada como técnica o cálculo do coeficiente de correlação de Pearson para cada FCS em comparação com os 5 indicadores de desempenho. Após a realização das quarenta análises, não foi encontrada nenhuma correlação com valor significativo, o que indica que não é possível afirmar, que as oito categorias de Fatores Críticos de Sucesso exerçam influência sobre os cinco indicadores de desempenho das incubadoras estudadas. Esse fato pode ser explicado pelo pouco tempo de existência das incubadoras, pois 37% delas tinham quatro anos ou menos de atividades na data desta pesquisa, ou seja, essas incubadoras tiveram pouco tempo de colocar em prática muitos dos FCS aqui questionados, já que, de acordo com Dornelas (2002) o tempo médio de duração do ciclo de uma empresa dentro de uma incubadora é de 2 a 4 anos. Por outro lado, pode-se dizer que, de modo geral, o desenvolvimento dos FCS das incubadoras gaúchas é ainda inicial, pois poucas se avaliaram como tendo processos bem implementados e maduros dentre aqueles que foram avaliados. Mesmo assim, a questão de pesquisa foi respondida e os resultados apontam que três categorias de FCS apresentaram os maiores níveis de prática nas cinco incubadoras com as maiores médias nos indicadores de desempenho, sendo eles: Localização, Pré-Incubação e Graduação. / The international competitive environment in which productive activities are embedded is based on technological empowerment, innovation, flexibility and constant and accelerated change. Such scenario requires changes in the strategies of the economic agents and an increase in the participation of the State in the support to the regional productive systems aiming its innovation and its sustainable development. Therefore, many governments invest in the creation and maintenance of business incubators, seeking to foster entrepreneurship, support entrepreneurs in the early years of the business and encourage the technological development of regions around the world. However, the success of business incubators and incubated companies is interrelated and influenced by a number of factors, with internal and external dimensions, static and dynamic, tactical and strategic, organizational and technical, that directly influence management and ensure sustainability of organizations. This exploratory-descriptive study aimed to investigate the influence of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) on the performance of business incubators in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. After reviewing the literature, 33 CSFs were identified for the business incubators. These CSFs were transcribed as questions in the data collection instrument for the interview with the 19 incubator managers that are operating in the State. In the interview, in addition to identifying the managers' perception regarding the level of practice of each of the CSF, the values of 5 performance indicators of the incubators for the years 2012 to 2016 were also questioned. Aiming at reaching the specific objective of analyzing the influence of the most practiced CSFs on the performance of business incubators in Rio Grande do Sul, the Pearson’s correlation coefficient calculation for each CSF was applied as a technique in comparison with the 5 performance indicators. After the forty analyzes, no correlation with significant value was found, which indicates that it is not possible to affirm that the eight categories of Critical Success Factors influence the five performance indicators of the incubators studied. This fact can be explained by the short time of existence of the business incubators, since 37% of them had four years or less of activities at the time of this research, ie, these incubators had little time to put into practice many of the CSFs questioned here, according to Dornelas (2002) the average time of the cycle of a company within an incubator is 2 to 4 years. On the other hand, it can be said that, in general, the development of the CSFs of the incubators in the State of Rio Grande do Sul is still an initial one, as few have been evaluated as having well-implemented and mature processes among those that were evaluated. Even so, the research question was answered and the results show that three categories of CSFs presented the highest levels of practice in the five incubators with the highest averages in the performance indicators, being: Location, Pre-Incubation and Graduation.

As mudanças advindas da globalização estão mudando a forma das empresas atuarem. As empresas lançam-se para o mercado externo atendendo a uma série de premissas tais como a busca por recursos, a busca por racionalização na produção, a busca por novos mercados e a aquisição de novas competências. Na literatura, encontram-se diferentes concepções para as formas de entrada nos mercados externos, ao mesmo tempo, em que novas teorias surgem, como a teoria metanacional e a teoria de born global. Esta literatura relata oportunidades às empresas de base tecnológica (EBTs), empresas que podem ser definidas como aquelas que realizam esforços tecnológicos significativos e concentram suas operações na fabricação de novos produtos.. Neste trabalho, a caracterização da internacionalização de empresas de base tecnológica incubadas considerou 3 dimensões: o perfil empreendedor e o empreendedorismo organizacional, o financiamento e mecanismos complementares de apoio e desenvolvimento tecnológico e cooperação. Os dados coletados atingiram o objetivo de caracterizar estas empresas, tendo elas atuação internacional ou não. As proposições P1 de que as empresas de base tecnológica não se preocupam com uma atuação internacional e P4 de que As empresas que possuem financiamento e mecanismos complementares de apoio contam com a internacionalização de suas atividades não foram comprovadas. As proposições P2 de que O empreendedor que possui experiências internacionais, aprendizado e redes de contatos no exterior possui empresas com atividades internacionais e P3 de que As empresas com preocupações quanto ao desenvolvimento tecnológica e cooperação no exterior possuem disposição à internacionalização de suas operações foram comprovadas. / The globalization are changing the way companies act. Companies throw themselves to the foreign market given a series of assumptions such as the search for resources, the quest for rationalization in production, the search for new markets and the acquisition of new skills. In literature, there are different approaches to the ways of entry into foreign markets at the same time, in which new theories arise as the theory metanational and the theory of born global. This literature describes opportunities for technology-based firms (NTBFs). NTBFs can be defined as those that \"carry significant technological efforts and concentrate their operations in the manufacture of new products\". In this work, the characterization of the internationalization of technology-based companies incubated considered three dimensions: the entrepreneurial profile and organizational entrepreneurship, funding, and additional mechanisms to support technological development and cooperation. The collected data to reach the goal of characterizing these companies, being them internationalized or not. The propositions P1 that technology-based companies do not bother with an international performance and P4 that Companies that have complementary mechanisms of funding and support have the internationalization of their activities were not proven. Propositions P2 that The entrepreneur who has international experience, learning and networking with overseas companies have international activities and P3 that Companies with concerns about the technological development and cooperation abroad are available to the internationalization of their operations were proved.