Satrupa Ghosh
In the past decade, corporate accelerators have emerged as significant actors in the startup ecosystem, fostering entrepreneurial growth and driving industry innovation. This burgeoning trend of established companies initiating such programs is increasingly prevalent worldwide, transcending sectors and geographies. Its significance within the business realm marks it as a subject of considerable academic and industrial interest. These programs, straddling corporate goals and startup aspirations, require strategic thought in their design. Thomas Kohler's research suggests that for businesses to remain innovative, they must utilize a blend of in-house and external ideas. Corporate accelerators offer a symbiotic platform, catalyzing growth and innovation for both the parent corporations and the startups they nurture.
This presentation explores the emergence and evolution of corporate accelerators within the UK's startup ecosystem, focusing on their design, objectives, and value impact. Through an in-depth examination of various corporate accelerator models, including both in-house and partnership-based approaches, the researcher has examined how these programs serve as crucial intermediaries in enhancing collaborative innovation between established firms and startups. The analysis, grounded in qualitative thematic research involving interviews with stakeholders from the industry, uncovers the strategic motivations driving the establishment of these accelerators and the challenges they face in aligning corporate objectives with startup dynamism.
The findings aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of corporate accelerators' pivotal role in the UK's innovation landscape and suggest pathways for future research and policy. This comprehensive analysis serves as a valuable resource for academics, policymakers, and practitioners in the entrepreneurship and innovation domains.
