Incubators

What is an incubator?

The public incubators of the Brussels-Capital Region are dedicated to supporting the development of innovative entrepreneurship. Initially linked to universities and higher education institutions, they mainly hosted spin-offs emerging from academic research.
Over time, their scope has broadened. Today, they welcome a wider range of start-ups with fresh ideas, regardless of whether they come from an academic background. University spin-offs now represent only about 5% of the incubated companies, but the link with the academic world remains valuable. For many start-ups, it means access to high-level expertise, research networks and shared facilities that can support their growth.

Beyond offering affordable workspaces, incubators also guide young companies in areas such as technology development, strategic choices, funding and grants – helping them gradually prepare to stand on their own two feet.

Four incubators serving innovative entrepreneurship

Today, the Brussels Region has four incubators, each with a specific aim, but all oriented towards innovation:

• EEBIC (Erasmus European Business and Innovation Center) - a multi-sectoral incubator in West Brussels, the Region's first public incubator was created in 1992 in collaboration with ULB. It is located on the Erasme campus in Anderlecht in a passive building, which has been awarded the Ecodynamic Enterprise certification. With over three decades of experience, EEBIC has supported many promising start-ups, which have now become great success stories. Although the incubator is multi-sectoral, the projects must still have an innovative nature.
   
• ICAB (Incubatiecentrum Arsenaal Brussel), created in early 2000 in collaboration with VUB and located in Arsenal, Etterbeek, specialises in the digital, ICT and engineering sectors. It also offers a co-working space within the incubator, via Beta Cowork;
   
• BLSI (Brussels Life Science Incubator), created in 2012 in collaboration with UCLouvain and located on the university's campus in Woluwe, specialises in life sciences and health. The incubator offers laboratories as well as offices;
   
• Greenbizz, the newest incubator established in 2016, was co-founded by Buildwise (formerly the CSTC - Centre d’innovation du secteur de la construction) and is located near Tour & Taxis in Laeken. Specialising in sustainable projects, it provides offices as well as production workshops, and is also home to a fablab (Cityfab1). Greenbizz is a passive building that has been awarded four ecolabels (Ecodynamic Enterprise; Green Key; Exemplary Building; Brussels Health and Safety).

A wide range of services

In practical terms, each of these incubators offers the start-ups it incubates a wide range of services.

• First and foremost, there is systematic access to support from hub.brussels, overseen by the incubator's manager.
• Secondly, all incubated start-ups get easy access to a range of public or private players who support entrepreneurship, are based in the Region, and/or work in the academic world. For their incubated start-ups, the incubator managers represent the first link in this regional support, and are there to listen, guide and redirect entrepreneurs.
• Finally, they offer a physical home for their businesses, in modern offices equipped with the latest technological innovations and premises dedicated to activities that the organisation favours.

The incubators' management teams also work hard to allow their start-ups to benefit from inspiring connections with their colleagues facing the same challenges. Indeed, these teams maintain and drive the ecosystem within the incubator itself. Each incubator provides a communal area to encourage informal meetings between entrepreneurs, while the organised events are a chance for these discussions to become more formalised. International opportunities are also not overlooked: each time an event is organised abroad, hub.brussels informs the incubated start-ups concerned.

Although each public incubator is an independent organisation, the collaboration between the four is nothing short of excellent, and this alliance has been made concrete with the creation of a shared brand: incubators.brussels.

How to join a public incubator?

To join one of Brussels' four public incubators, start-ups must meet certain conditions.

• In terms of selection: the applicant project must be innovative on a technological, environmental and/or social level. It must also meet the specific sectoral characteristics of the incubator requested (see the specific characteristics of each of the incubators listed above).
• In terms of status and financial autonomy : the businesses applying to join one of Brussels' public incubators are in the start-up phase but must demonstrate some activity and have a company number. Although the incubator rates are very competitive with an all-inclusive, flat-rate fee, it is essential to generate some income to cover the costs of accommodation. You should budget for approximately €25–€30 per square metre. It is possible to rent a private office for two or three people for €400/month (all inclusive).

There are many different ways to join; the hub.info advisors can spot the potential of certain start-ups, but interested entrepreneurs can also browse the websites and social media and then contact the incubator managers directly to ask any questions they have and to submit their application. 

In practice

The incubated start-ups don't sign a lease with the incubator, but rather an open-ended agreement. This structure was chosen for flexibility reasons. The incubators' policy is to set up an easy in/easy out model. The offices are modular and the surface areas can be adapted as the business grows. The agreement generally allows for a deadline of two to three months' notice when a business leaves.

The point to bear in mind is that you don't establish your business in a regional public incubator indefinitely. You don't come intending to stay there forever. It's a place to pass through, at the start of your project, allowing you to limit the risks inherent in innovation, and getting all the necessary partners around the table to support your project. It's an ongoing discussion between the incubator manager and the incubated projects.

Once the decision to leave has been made, the business isn't left to its own devices. "Citydev, a partner of the region, is then involved and intervenes to support the departing company. They help to find new, long-term premises where the business can continue to operate.

What's the difference with co-working spaces, business centers and private incubators?

Unlike co-working spaces, public incubators focus specifically on innovation. They maintain strong ties with the academic and research communities, a connection that often goes hand in hand with higher levels of risk. Private incubators, on the other hand, tend to invest directly in the start-ups they host and usually expect a return on investment within the short to medium term. Public incubators complement this private offer by playing a public service role: supporting more high-risk projects that may not yet be ready for private funding.

Business centres represent another type of support structure in Brussels, with a different mission.  A business centre’s aim is to revitalise the neighbourhood where it’s located. That’s why its geographical location is always a strategic choice. These centres often work closely with local economy offices to assist the companies they host. While some may also focus on specific sectors and collaborate with the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, their primary role differs from that of public incubators.

There are also public and private ‘early-stage’ incubators or ‘pre-incubators’ such as startLab.brussels, Start Lab ICHEC, EPHEC Entreprendre or start it@KBC. These organisations support aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting out and don’t yet have a company number.