شبكة المعلومات العربية التربوية

The study aims at looking into the Technology incubators in terms of the goals for establishing them, their role in supporting startups, the reasons of their success in nurturing fledgling businesses with particular focus on the incubators at the University College of Applied Science and Technology and the Islamic University. The study also aims at identifying the problems and obstacles facing the technology incubators in order to provide proper recommendations to enhance the role of the technology incubators in supporting the startups targeted by this study The researcher gathered information from different resources via interviews and questionnaires and analyzed the data by using the descriptive analytical method. The main research subjects were 150 hosted start-ups. The researcher used the census method in data collection process as questionnaires were distributed among the subjects; however, 125 (83.%) questionnaires were retrieved. The study concluded that technology incubators are widely believed as a vital key in nurturing and developing startups. The participants in this study agree on the constructive impact of the incubator on the output of the hosted startups. The incubators supported the creative and pioneer ideas to become real and successful ventures and connected them with the market. Furthermore, the incubators proved to have a significant role in promoting the scientific research, providing technical and managerial guidance for the hosted startups; as well as, building the capacities of the entrepreneurs. The study provided a number of significant recommendations. First, the study suggested supporting the technology incubators for its vigorous role in creating jobs, fighting poverty, and Economic recovery. Second, it is essential to follow a systematic methodology in selecting creative ideas to increase the chances of admission to the incubators. Third, the services provided for startups should be increased; whether these services are managerial, financial, commercial, consultancy, secretarial, or logistic. The services provided should be tailored according to the specific needs of each startup. Fourth, it is essential to guide the entrepreneurs of the hosted startups to cooperate with other startups to insure the success of their ventures. Fifth, more developed assessment and follow up methods should be used to measure the performance of the hosted startups in light of their objectives. Finally, it is crucial to create a data base for the startups, in terms of their assessment results and hardships faced, in order to upgrade the performance of the incubators and to provide suitable resolutions for any hardships faced during its incubation until its graduation. (Author's abstract)