Resumo

Recent incubator literature has shown that, in last years, incubators have not been able to meet all incubator needs, especially by providing infrastructure and managerial support. Therefore, the incubator's offer of value based on the provision of networks emerged, especially in the external networks. However, little is known about other types of networks, those internal to the incubation processes, mainly in how they born and develop.

Considered the contexto of the incubators, it is questioned: what are the main factors that influence the formation and development of networks of incubated companies? To answer this question, the main objective is to identify the critical factors that influence the formation and development of the interorganizational networks that have emerged within incubators of technology-based firms in Brazil.

The theoretical foudation presentes business incubators and their value proposition. Thus, three generations of incubators can be identified, in wich, in the first moment, they offered infrastructure value for the suvivor of the companies. Subsequently, the valor offer began to focus on business suppot and, more recently, the networks.

The study is characterized by its qualitative, exploratory-descriptive approach and using multiple case study methods, in which two busness incubators (CIETEC / SP and INCIT / MG) were investigated, each presenting two incubated company networks by the top-down model (Education and Information Technology Network) and bottom-up (RETIC and GEPSS). To carry out the study, 13 semi-structured interviews were accomplished with the managers of the incubators and networks and startups associated to the network. As an analysis plan the content analysis was developed according to the precepts of Bardin.

The results pointed out seven critical factors for the formation process of the networks of incubated companies, in which three of them made this process difficult (entrepreneur action, mediation, business and entrepreneur characteristics) and four facilitated the process (leadership, shared space, network creation, facilitation). Already in the network development process, there were six difficulties (business and entrepreneur characteristics, entrepreneur action, network management, financial, incubation termination, orchestrator dedication) and a facilitation (broker).

As results, this study found the critical factors of entrepreneur action, mediation, business and entrepreneur characteristics, leadership, shared space, network creation, facilitation, network management, financial, incubation termination, orchestrator dedication and broker, as well as their direct and indirect relationships.

Bollingtoft, A., Ulhoi, J. (2005). The networked business incubator: Leveraging entrepreneurial agency? Journal of Business Venturing, 20(2), 265–290. Bruneel, J., Ratinho, T., Clarysse, B. & Groen, A. (2012). The evolution of business incubators: Comparing demand and supply of business incubation services across diferente incubator generations. Technovation, 32(2), 110–121. Petrucci, F. (2018). The incubation process of mid-stage startup companies: a business network perspective. IMP Journal, 12(3), 544-566.