Designing a Model of Policy Making of Commercialization of Nanotechnology Using Soft Systems Methodology

The strategic plan of nanotechnology development in the 1404 vision was passed with the endeavor of the national Nanotechnology Development Staff. This document includes 52 executive plans, which are to be implemented by various organizations. Making policy for the commercialization of nanotechnology is a complicated and unstructured issue in which various stakeholders participate. Regarding the complexity of nanotechnology commercialization policy making along with the role of human factor in it, soft systems methodology (SSM) is used as the research method. In this research, using soft systems methodology (SSM), the unstructured issue of nanotechnology commercialization policy making was defined initially. After defining the scope of the issue, an enriched image of different actors and their interests was depicted. Then, using CATWOE, the fundamental definition of nanotechnology commercialization policy making was defined. In the next stage, the developed model was compared with the real world. After that, desired changes for the development improvement of the new system were identified. Finally, applied plans for operationalizing the changes were proposed to the stakeholders and incumbents dealing with the issue, hoping for improving the function of the system and enhancing the effectiveness of the process of commercializing nanotechnology policy making.