There are three discriminatory relative advantages that currently characterise the incubator or corporate accelerator of start-ups. First of all, the involvement of managers and communication departments in the incubator or corporate accelerator is real. Through the corporate accelerator, managers want to embody the choice of a new, more open strategy on the part of their large group. The incubator or corporate accelerator is clearly THE “flagship” of today’s large groups and its media exposure is total. This exposure, if it can be decoded as the monitoring of a trend, is nonetheless evidence of the reality of the shift that many large groups wish to make.

Furthermore, it is worth noting – and particularly because large groups are unaware of this type of system – that the corporate incubator or accelerator enjoys an autonomy that allows it to play on the missions assigned to it. The corporate incubator or accelerator manages a “day to day” relationship, on which it is very difficult to “report“, except when, for example, start-up partnerships/market lines are being set up. This autonomy is reflected in reality by the variety of operating methods adopted by the incubator or corporate accelerator.

Finally, the teams in charge of the incubator or corporate accelerator – generally small – are entirely dedicated to relations with start-ups. These teams can therefore very quickly develop fine expertise and in-depth knowledge of the field and be a step ahead of start-ups in this area of open innovation. These teams are therefore able to avoid what business units and organisations in general fear the most: running into the start-up that would be the wrong horse. You know how risk-averse organisations are and how they are “a priori” about start-ups…

In addition to these three relative advantages – MEDIATISATION, AUTONOMY, POINTED EXPERTISE – it is worth mentioning two elements that large groups should systematically equip the corporate incubator or accelerator with. On the one hand, there is an appropriate hierarchical attachment. The incubator or corporate accelerator, when positioned as a business relations centre (with start-ups), can bring a better benefit to its company if it is directly attached to a business division (market lines). On the other hand, providing the incubator or corporate accelerator with a financing capacity (tests, proof of concept, experiments, …), or even a capacity to invest in accompanied start-ups (support ticket for start-ups), can be useful to consolidate daily work with start-ups.

Finally, with a device as flexible as the incubator or the corporate accelerator, large groups have all the latitude they need to see the exercise through to the end… Wait and see…