Resumo:
Entrepreneurship plays a strategic role in regional socioeconomic development,
particularly in contexts marked by the need for economic diversification. In this
scenario, university-based technology business incubators are relevant mechanisms
for fostering innovation and supporting the creation of new ventures. In this context,
the present study aims to propose the improvement of the entrepreneurial journey of a
university-based technology incubator, based on the evaluation of its first operational
cycle and on the theoretical foundation of startup development models throughout the
entrepreneurial process. To achieve this objective, a basic research approach was
adopted, with a descriptive nature and a qualitative methodology, conducted through
a single case study. Data collection was carried out through bibliographic research,
document analysis, non-participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with
the incubator team and the incubated ventures. The data were analyzed using content
analysis techniques, allowing for an understanding of the perceptions, experiences,
and practices associated with the incubation process. The results showed that the
initial entrepreneurial journey, composed of three stages, contributed to the maturation
of ideas, market understanding, and the initial structuring of the ventures, with
mentoring, advisory support, and networking standing out as the main valuegenerating
factors. However, relevant operational limitations were identified, such as
the use of a generic entrepreneurial journey model that did not address the specificities
of technology-based businesses, as well as the absence of systematized tools for
monitoring and tracking the incubated ventures. Based on the analysis of the collected
data and the literature on startup development models, a new entrepreneurial journey
structured into five stages, focused on technology-based businesses, was proposed.
Additionally, a prototype of a digital system was developed to monitor the progress of
startups. The evaluation of the perception of the revised journey and the prototype
screens was carried out by specialists, confirming its importance for the incubation
process and for the management of the incubator.
