The Impact of the Incubators’ Role on the Firm’s Development in the Biotechnological Sector. An Empirical Analysis of the Piedmont Reality

In the 80’s – combined with other factors as the soaring demand of chronic diseases studies and the necessity of obtaining more specific drugs – numerous biotechnological firms have been established. In this contest firms business incubators become relevant and they can offer non financial important assets (Abburrà L., Grandi A., Grimaldi R., 2003). These structures are in general tied to national or local public institutions, universities or research centres, no profit institutions. Incubators are often in scientific and technological parks. These structures are geographical poles in which connections between firms and institutions are stressed and where are relevant the advantages coming from the presence of venture capitalists operating in the high tech and knowledge based sectors. Our research empirical reference is formed by some European biotechnological clusters chosen because of their equivalence to the Piedmont ones (Turin and Ivrea). The elements in common are especially the following: an excellent scientific platform, the availability and the ease access to capitals, start up biotechnological infrastructures, a strong start up and spin off high tech and high risk culture and the presence of business incubators. The research proposal has the objective to answer to three main questions: is there a relation between sources or findings and typology of research? Is there a relation between typology of research and typology of institution involved? how do public institutions decide to financing the researches and how do they choose for how many time to support them? To answer to those questions has been necessary to empirically verify two main topics. The first one is related to the research of quantitative relationships between research findings, typology of institutions, typology of research and pipelines progresses.