فصلنامه رشد فناوری
پیاپی 12 (پاییز 1386)

Technology parks were formed in 1960s as social foundations and as a part of the chain in knowledge - based development. From 1980s, the policy-makers pointed out to a sustainable development based on the technology infrastructure. Development of technology parks was promoted as part of this trend. As a result, there are currently more than 1500 STPs around the world. The development of STPs in Iran began since two decades ago and resulted in establishing a number of these parks. In some cases, challenges of allocating spaces, ambiguities in policies, poor funding, lack of rules and regulations, and bad strategic planning have caused that some of theses parks are not successful in their goals and objectives. Sustainable master planning concepts for science & technology park sites prepares a way for sustainable design of research facilities. For the ultimate success research facility design it is critical that early master planning principles facilitate as many passive and sustainable techniques as possible. By using these techniques for science parks, the designers and science park managers will help to reduce costs, conserve resources, and reduce life cycle costs at the first stage, while providing a higher quality research environment. By reducing waste and planning for conservation of materials, the design team intends to improve the entire design and to build user processes. The outcomes show the reduction use of lands resources, and to reach a higher quality, more research productive facility and more money to devote to the core business of research. In this article, which is organized based on a descriptive analysis method, and an in-depth review on experiences from Australia and USA, we have attempted to analyse the master plan of those parks to evaluate the architecture considered to next figure out a proper trend relevant bases for development of STPs in Iran. In this view, essential factors such as scale, development process, accommodation and locality trend, space, are thoroughly assessed. Finally a case study was performed that investigates the master plan of KSTP from the point of view of regulations, specifications and key factors towards the success. Results obtained from this study can yield a framework for architecture and plan of STPs. It could also draw a bright outlook in the field to level the efficiency of STPs and draw a way toward the goals of policy- makers and STP managers.

Self assessment is an interesting subject for all managers, especially for the managers of incubators. The incubator performance assessment by indexes (IPAI) is a simple, interesting and effective method for measuring the performance index of an incubator. The system is based on changing the scope of performance of several indicators to fixed scales (metrics), weighing them and combining them. Strategic evaluation is basically consists of three basic activities which are investigating the principles of the companies or organizations strategies, comparing the ideal and real results and making improvements. This paper focuses on the second part to make sure that the performance adjusts correctly with the planning programs. This paper is going to introduce an index for measuring and assessing the level of technology improvement in Isfahan Science and Technology Town (ISTTs) Incubator and Science Park. It also addresses the methodology used for these calculations. Measuring the indicators for ISTTs incubator will be discussed at the final part of this paper as a case study.

One of the major priorities of each big cities developing plan is to support & promote SMEs through Incubators. This policy has played a key role in innovation, entrepreneurship & economical growth. Entrepreneurs play as a growth motor for the economics of the cities. So in most countries, various laws & facilities have been developed for supporting them. In our country, the capital city “Tehran” is the largest city in the country and developing an Urban Incubator in Tehran will play the role of a pilot plan for the other cities. Then this article by analyzing available trends and models in other cities, intends to make a model for supporting SMEs in Tehran city by Urban Incubators and its infrastructure and sub-structures.

Financial supports just include a part of SMEs essential needs which will be performed through Banking institutions, Development Financial Institutions (DFIs), Leasing and Factoring Companies, Venture Capital Companies (VCs) to support and assist these Enterprises. But development and formation new technical institutions in financial and advisory services lines from SMEs still seems to be necessary. SME Bank of Iran is one of these new and necessary institutes which can be effective as a Development Financial Institution to initiate SMEs businesses, and responding to their special necessity. This Bank as a financial institute and through related financial and advisory processes can help for financial supports and necessary supplement helps of SMEs. Advisory services in SME Bank of Iran, absolutely, must be presented in an integrated form for financial supports and venture creation.

PATENT - the inventor’s right to use and exploit out of his thought and invention - is an economic right; i.e. it can be bought and sold. Since it is an intangible right and we have no physical possession on it. Since the inventor is the only and the first person who must benefit from his invention and prevent others from copying, the best way for protecting the inventor against competitors who wants to imitate the inventor’s invention is to register the invention in a governmental organization and give the actual inventor a PATENT. So patenting an invention - and other intangible properties - has an important role to prove property rights on it. The aim of this paper is to affiliate the inventors with patent offices, the steps of patenting, and the necessity of patenting their invention for protecting against competitors. More over, this paper aims to have a study about some patent registration systems in some countries including Iran.

Today, supporting & development of SMEs is one of major priorities of each country’s developing plans. Although these enterprises need less investment but have more outputs and play a key role in innovation, entrepreneurship & increasing share of country’s exports. SMEs play as a motor of growth in the countries in knowledge based economy era. So in most countries, various laws & facilities has been developed for supporting SMEs. In our country, supporting the development of SMEs have a special position in country’s development plans and article 21 and article 39 have a direct refer to support the development of SMEs. In this way, government has to design and implement special supportive plans for SMEs. But until now, there is no complete, efficient & effective model to support SMEs in the country. Thus, this paper by focusing in this challenge, tries to introduce a framework to present a support plan for SMEs. This article has a whole literature review on SMEs and beside the quantitative definition of SMEs, introduces qualitative definition of them. Then in this paper we analyze available trends and models in context of planning and developing processes for SMEs, and recognize factors which affect this process and on the base of the best practices of EU for SMEs, introduce a functional framework for planning, supporting & development of SMEs.

In scientific environment, technology is the prim over of local development, and innovation is the essence of economic growth. Technological development in regions, cities and rural regions is as total and integrated development. This paper, first discusses about technological innovation and effect of geographic proximity of industries and research centers at national, regional and urban levels. In other words this paper focuses on this question that “Does this proximity helps the growth of innovation and technology. There are many questions about national development. For example Does geographic proximity of industries help innovation and technology growth?, Does this matter accelerate national development or vice versa? Will ICT, telecommunication and transportation decrease the cost and problem of industries and their expertise? Or is it cause of centralization in policy and reduction of country and urban logistic effects? This paper also discusses about technology incubators in central region of France and technology transfer between them and a science and research network in order to facilitate technology transfer.