The European Business and Innovation Centre Network

EBN is a network of around 150 certified business and innovation centres (EU|BICs), recognised by the European Union as providing high quality support to the innovative entrepreneurs in their areas of operation. We also have around 70 Associate Members who are within the innovation ecosystem.

EU|BIC are generally public-private partnerships with local or regional stakeholders, often those responsible for innovation within the territory. Most EU|BIC provide some incubation space, coupled with programmes of support that are focused on each business’ specific needs.

Over 50% of EU|BICs categorise themselves as either incubators, entrepreneurship / business centres or science / technology parks; 20% are based within regional or local innovation / development agencies; 7% are with universities or research centres. The balance are spread across chambers of commerce or industry, local authorities, clusters, technology centres and others.

A typical EU|BIC has around 40 tenants at any given time, employing some 200 people. On average, an EU|BIC will have 92 startups, 115 SMEs and 3 large companies as clients. New businesses supported by EBN members are significantly more likely to survive than the average for startups with a survival rate of 87%, three years after leaving the EU|BIC. The jobs created by EU|BIC companies are generally of higher quality, paying better and enabling a strong contribution to the local economy.