Identifying and Ranking Development Drivers of Knowledge-based Technology-Driven Companies (Case study: Fars Province Science and Technology Park)

The purpose of this Study study is to identify and rank the development drivers of knowledge-based, technology-driven businesses. This work is conducted as a case study in Fars Province Science and Technology Park. It is a descriptive survey in terms of purpose since a part of its data is collected through questionnaires and is of surveying type because it describes the existing conditions. The population of the study includes all the knowledge-based, technology-driven companies located in the mentioned Science and Technology Park. At the stage of identifying the drivers, 201 employees were randomly assigned by stratified sampling. For the prioritization of these drivers, 30 of the senior managers of those companies were deliberately consulted and the collected data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis as well as fuzzy hierarchy process analysis. The findings showed 37 drivers in five economic and legal, marketing and foreign relations, technological, cultural and human relationships and, ultimately, structural and informational dimensions. Drivers of communication with the world market, the world web as a factor for enhancing the world knowledge and a means for knowledge-driven development; ease of access to the technology and technical consulting; ease of access to the suppliers and providing public subsidies to knowledge-based companies while taking note of regional policy were considered as the most important drivers in the development of knowledge-based, technology-driven companies. Also, the dimensions of marketing and foreign relations, technological, economic and legal dimensions were identified as the most important dimensions respectively.