SETsquared

{{Short description|UK business incubation network}}

{{for|the triangular drawing tool|Set square}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Location map+|England south|width=300|alt=Map of Southern England showing the SETsquared centres: university and other|float=right|caption=Map of Southern England showing the SETsquared centres: 8px university 8px other

|places=

{{Location map~ |England south|label=Bath |label_size=86 |position=bottom |lat=51.38|long=-2.33 |mark=Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=University of Bath}}

{{Location map~ |England south|label=Bristol |label_size=86 |position=left |lat=51.46|long=-2.60 |mark=Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=University of Bristol}}

{{Location map~ |England south|label=Exeter |label_size=86 |position=left |lat=50.74 |long=-3.53 |mark=Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=University of Exeter}}

{{Location map~ |England south|label=Southampton |label_size=86 |position=right |lat=50.93 |long=-1.40 |mark=Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=University of Southampton}}

{{Location map~ |England south|label=Surrey |label_size=86 |position=right |lat=51.24 |long=-0.59 |mark=Red pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=University of Surrey}}

{{Location map~ |England south|label=Basingstoke |label_size=86 |position=top |lat=51.27|long=-1.08 |mark=Steel pog.svg |marksize=8 |link=Basingstoke}}

}}

The SETsquared Partnership, usually known simply as SETsquared, is a business incubation network run by five universities in Southern England.{{cite news |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/setsquared-does-it-have-key-incubator-success |last=Matthews |first=David |title=SETsquared: does it have the key to incubator success? |newspaper=Times Higher Education |date=11 February 2016 |accessdate=4 December 2016 }} SETsquared stands for Southern England Technology Triangle.{{cite book |title=Handbook of Research in Entrepreneurship Education, Volume 1: A General Perspective |editor1-last=Fayolle |editor1-first=Alain |chapter=Changing the entrepreneurship education paradigm |last1=Kirby |first1=David |year=2007 |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |location=Cheltenham |isbn=978-1-84542-106-9 |page=32 }} The partnership was formed in 2002, between the University of Bath, the University of Bristol, the University of Southampton and the University of Surrey. The University of Exeter joined the partnership in 2011.{{cite book |title=New Technology-Based Firms in the New Millennium |volume=XI |editor1-last=Groen |editor1-first=Aard |editor2-last=Cook |editor2-first=Gary |editor3-last=Van der Sijde |editor3-first=Peter |chapter=High-Tech Entrepreneurial 'Soft Starters' in a University-Based Business Incubator: Space for Entrepreneurial Capital Formation and Emerging Business Models |last1=Kitagawa |first1=Fumi |last2=Robertson |first2=Susan |year=2015 |publisher=Emerald Group Publishing |location=Bingley |isbn=978-1-78560-033-3 |pages=105–6 }}

In addition to hosting and supporting startup companies, SETsquared promotes university-to-business technology transfer and guides students into entrepreneurship. It has been mainly financed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England's Higher Education Innovation Fund and by membership fees for businesses.

In 2015, it was ranked as the top university-based business incubator in the world by UBI Global,{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/technology/12015866/British-university-incubator-SETsquared-named-best-in-world.html |last=Burn-Callander |first=Rebecca |title=British university incubator SETsquared named best in world |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 November 2015 |accessdate=4 December 2016 }} as well as being ranked by UBI Global as the top one in Europe for the third year running.{{cite news |url=http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/university-partnership-named-best-university/story-28056724-detail/story.html |last=Vergnault |first=W. M. N. O. |title=

University partnership named best university business incubator in Europe |newspaper=Western Morning News |date=27 October 2015 |accessdate=4 December 2016 }} By 2016, the network had assisted over 1,000 startups.