Promoting Female-Led Start-Ups in Lazio: A Multi-Case Study on Third Mission Initiatives

Despite increasing academic attention, a significant gap remains in qualitative studies exploring the intricate dynamics between start-ups and aca- demic incubators. Particularly, research is lacking on how academic incubators actively support innovative entrepreneurial initiatives and which forms of relational structures are most conducive to achieving start-ups’ goals. Contributing to gender studies, there is a gap in the attention of academic BIs to promote innovative female entrepreneurial initiatives. Therefore, the aim of this work is to investigate whether the active role of universities, through their activities in the third mission particularly with academic BIs, can support the creation of new female-led start-ups.