Identification and Priorities KBEs Challenges using ANN Method (Case study: Yazds KBEs)

The role of knowledge and science are paid attention in national development because creating expertise and improving the Total factor productivity of production. Furthermore, the position of technology and knowledge is considered vital as endogenous factors in this development process. On the other hand, the conversion of knowledge into product and service will meet the needs of different communities. Knowledge-based companies are included as institutions that work as factories converting knowledge into product and service. Although, knowledge-based companies create sustainable knowledge-based economy and development of indigenous knowledge in many countries, but in accordance with the country's 20-year outlook and in terms of quality and quantity, they are not in ideal situation and are faced with challenges in their own development process. This research aims at identifying challenges facing knowledge-based companies located in Yazd's Science and Technology Park of Eghbal and prioritizing these challenges using Artificial Neural Network. The case study includes 137 managers and senior staff of these companies. Fifty nine challenges obtained from related literatures and experts’ opinions have been compiled in a questionnare and distributed among target population. One hundred and twenty eight collected questionnairs were validated by BP Artificial Neural Network and confirmed with MSE=2.0332 and challenges were prioritized with Artificial Neural Networks Radial Basis Function. The research proved that 19 of 59 challenges were priority among which economic problems of the country, industry and domestic markets recession and government’s unbalanced support policies can be pointed out.