Corporate accelerators in the UK: Motivations, design, and role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem

Ghosh, Satrupa 2025. Corporate accelerators in the UK: Motivations, design, and role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

	PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 19 May 2026 due to copyright restrictions. Download (7MB)
	PDF (Cardiff University Electronic Publication Form) - Supplemental Material Restricted to Repository staff only Download (127kB)

Abstract

Corporate accelerators have gained prominence as platforms for fostering collaborative innovation between established firms and startups; however, important gaps remain in understanding their strategic motivations, design configurations, and broader ecosystem impact. This doctoral thesis addresses these underexplored areas by investigating the drivers behind corporate accelerators, analysing their structural and operational frameworks, and evaluating their intermediary role within the UK's innovation landscape. Employing a qualitative research design, the study draws on 34 semi-structured interviews with corporate innovation leaders, ecosystem experts, accelerator managers, mentors, and startup founders from over 25 UK-based corporate accelerator programmes. Thematic analysis, guided by the Gioia method, informs the data analysis and subsequent development of a conceptual framework, the Collaborative Open Innovation Loop (COIL). The thesis makes three key contributions to the literature on corporate accelerators. First, it provides an empirically grounded understanding of their strategic motivations and design features. Second, it elucidates their intermediary role and ecosystem-level impact, offering a nuanced perspective on their function as innovation catalysts. Third, it introduces the COIL framework, a conceptual tool for aligning stakeholder objectives and enhancing mutual value creation. The findings yield practical implications for corporate innovation managers designing accelerator programmes, startup founders seeking corporate partnerships, and policymakers developing innovation support mechanisms. While the study is situated in the UK context, its insights hold relevance for comparative studies and cross-regional applications, demonstrating how corporate accelerators can be optimised to drive entrepreneurial growth and innovation across different ecosystems.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	19 May 2025
Last Modified:	19 May 2025 13:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/178345

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item