Alumni engagement in university-based incubators: experiential learning, embedded communities and entrepreneurial ecosystem value

Purpose Universities are increasingly recognised as central actors within entrepreneurial ecosystems, extending their traditional missions of teaching and research to include innovation, commercialisation and venture creation. Within this evolving landscape, incubator alumni – those who have completed university-based incubation – have emerged as critical yet under-theorised contributors to ecosystem development. This paper explores the role of incubator alumni engagement through a single case study of one successful, international provider. Design/methodology/approach The research comprises a qualitative case study of the Edinburgh Business School (EBS) Incubator at Heriot-Watt University, operating across its Edinburgh and Dubai campuses. It draws on both secondary sources of data relating to the case and on data from semi-structured interviews with incubator managers and staff, from which a thematic analysis is presented. Findings Findings include that beneficiaries of alumni engagement include current incubator participants, the incubator and the university. The embedded and experiential nature of alumni involvement is central to the value realised by each of these; properties that cannot be replicated by traditional educational methods and relationships. Alumni themselves are also found to be beneficiaries and realise both affective and business-related rewards, further consolidating their relationships with the incubator and university. The study reveals, however, that effective alumni engagement is not merely a byproduct of incubation completion but requires intentional institutional orchestration. Originality/value The findings advance a conceptual framework positioning incubator alumni as both central drivers and mutual benefactors of incubator development and sustainability, offering practical insights for universities, incubator managers and entrepreneurial ecosystem practitioners.