Barriers to startup establishment : pre-incubator and incubator program OAMK LABs
Huoponen, Oona-Lotta (2018)
Huoponen, Oona-Lotta
Oulun ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805168456
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201805168456
Tiivistelmä
The main aim of this thesis is to provide insight into barriers to startup establishment in business pre-incubator OAMK LABs. Entrepreneurship education is part of Finnish curriculum and entrepreneurship has been an interesting topic in research as well. Pre-incubators and incubators are more unusual concentration area within entrepreneurship, though it has been studied, for example, how these programs affect students' attitude towards entrepreneurship. This thesis will give some insight on motivations of OAMK LABs participants to stay on the program and challenges that they have encountered in the LABs.
The Inspiration for this topic sparked during from my own experience in OAMK LABs and discussing with LAB Master Blair Stevenson about possible topics. My experience of the LAB program was positive yet experiencing many struggles first hand made me wonder if something could be improved.
Topics discussed in this thesis provide an overall understanding of concepts of startup, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education. Including brief take on the reasons that tend to make startups fail or succeed. Concepts of pre-incubator and business incubator with their activities and end goals are also reviewed in depth. The findings from the interviews included common themes. Some common themes could be recognized between OAMK LABs and other pre-incubator programs in addition to few differences. The interview results did also present some valid improvement ideas. Main conclusions of this study are that LAB studies do not produce startups effectively. Interest in the project is the most dominant motivational factor to continue working in the lab while the possibility to establish a startup is the least important motivation. Significant external barriers to startup establishment are too big teams and challenging IPR agreements while the most significant internal barrier is motivation. Some of the barriers originate from the LAB model itself.
The Inspiration for this topic sparked during from my own experience in OAMK LABs and discussing with LAB Master Blair Stevenson about possible topics. My experience of the LAB program was positive yet experiencing many struggles first hand made me wonder if something could be improved.
Topics discussed in this thesis provide an overall understanding of concepts of startup, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education. Including brief take on the reasons that tend to make startups fail or succeed. Concepts of pre-incubator and business incubator with their activities and end goals are also reviewed in depth. The findings from the interviews included common themes. Some common themes could be recognized between OAMK LABs and other pre-incubator programs in addition to few differences. The interview results did also present some valid improvement ideas. Main conclusions of this study are that LAB studies do not produce startups effectively. Interest in the project is the most dominant motivational factor to continue working in the lab while the possibility to establish a startup is the least important motivation. Significant external barriers to startup establishment are too big teams and challenging IPR agreements while the most significant internal barrier is motivation. Some of the barriers originate from the LAB model itself.