The incubation process for the creation of viable firms: the case of ARCA Consortium

The aim of this study is to demonstrate that academic incubators play a key role in firm viability. This study develops a new analytic systemic framework that reveals the processes and factors that determine the effectiveness of the incubation process supported by university incubators. We analyse the effectiveness of the incubation process in the incubator of the ARCA Consortium by means of a single case study with an embedded design. In this study, adopting a systemic perspective, we shift the focus from the firm to the context, shedding light on the systemic actions that create the prerequisite conditions for the achievement of the firms’ viability.