As the concept of corporate sustainability is being advocated, social innovation is also gradually gaining importance. Many startups encounter difficulties in their early stages of development, both in terms of operations and capabilities. Companies with business support can shorten the time to adapt to the market and increase the survival rate of startups. Meanwhile, incubators supporting entrepreneurship have evolved into different forms with the development of various industries. Incubators, which support entrepreneurship, have evolved alongside various industries, with some focusing specifically on social issues. Incubators focusing on social issues have also emerged, yet only a few studies have investigated social incubators. Therefore, this study conducts multiple case studies focusing on startups in the creative industry. weIt examines the processes of participating in both social incubators and university incubators, employing a comparative analysis framework based on the theory of Public-private partnership (PPPs). We selecting potential candidates from the list of supported companies listed on the incubator websites and choosing those within the creative industry domain, inviting them to participate in interviews. The study found that clustering similar types of enterprises helps deepen and enhance their growth. On the other hand, social incubators, due to their goals, resources, and activities, can provide more opportunities for collaboration with private enterprises and access to industry resources. Additionally, participation in university incubators not only provides comprehensive business support but also access to key resources for collaboration with the public sector. The experiential evidence from case studies of creative industry incubators in Asia fills the research gap related to social incubators. Through the comparison of different types of incubators, it enriches the knowledge base of stakeholders (private enterprises, government, universities, and business incubators) regarding PPPs. It aids researchers and practitioners in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the current status and future directions of incubator development, highlighting the distinct roles and contributions of social and university incubators in supporting startup growth and innovation.
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