Digitally-enabled university incubation processes

University business incubators are important drivers of entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems. The current study examines how digital tools—especially social, mobile, analytics and cloud (SMAC) technologies—facilitate internal and external interactions among university incubators and various actors in the entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. This research uses a comparative study of multiple cases of Canadian university incubators in a longitudinal manner to explore the role of these digital technologies in the three primary incubation process activities: incubatee search and selection, business support, and networking. Findings suggest SMAC technologies are important for facilitating the incubation processes of university incubators but are currently underutilized. Digital technologies can be used further to help incubator managers and entrepreneurs develop innovative ideas, foster incubatees, and contribute to entrepreneurial ecosystems.