Selection and Prioritization of Appropriate Technology Transfer Methods in Mazandaran's Provin Dairy Industry Using Fuzzy AHP

In today's world, technology as one of the crucial and effective factors is influencing the success of enterprises. Due to the rapid growth in technology developments, countries or companies may not be solely self-sufficient with regards to a variety of technologies without the support of others. To be successful in technology transfer, aspects of scientific, technical and legal transfer of technology should be considered, in addition to providing infrastructure. Dairy industry as one of the strategic industry has a special situation in economy of a country, due to employing a large number of labors and the daily consumption of its products. Selecting the appropriate method of technology transfer is essential in this industry, because of high competition in the dairy industry and the obvious and hidden costs of technology transfer. In this study, different models and methods of technology transfer are investigated, and according to experts, final criteria and methods are obtained. Then, criteria and methods of technology transfer are analyzed in a pair-wise comparison questionnaire using fuzzy AHP (FAHP). This research is practical from the viewpoint of goal and descriptive from the perspective of the data collection and analysis of data. Finally, joint venture, franchise and alliance (strategic partnership) methods, are chosen respectively as the top three priorities.