From Research to Impact: StartLab.Brussels Academics as an Entry Point to Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

StartLab.Brussels Academics is a pre-incubation programme developed within the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and StartLab.Brussels entrepreneurship ecosystem to support researchers in exploring entrepreneurship and translating research into societal and economic impact. Positioned within the broader StartLab.Brussels incubator, the programme provides early-stage entrepreneurial support through workshops, coaching, mentoring, and access to external experts and networks. Structured around the Explore, Build, and Grow model, it enables participants to develop entrepreneurial competences, validate ideas, and engage with innovation ecosystems in a low-risk environment. The case highlights how universities can strengthen entrepreneurial culture among researchers, build pathways between academia and innovation, leverage existing incubation initiatives and create long-term capacity for knowledge valorisation and spin-off development through flexible and people-centred support structures.