Science and Technology parks and Incubators in Iran:Review

Science and Technology parks (STPs) and Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) are globally considered as effective centers to achieve development goals and promotion of R&D plans. These centers not only bridge the gap between universities and industry, but also facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge by employing alumni population and accelerate the movement towards knowledge-based economic growth. On the other hand, the possibility of international communication between STPs and TBIs provides a favorable situation for scientific & technological cooperation between them and other similar centers and technology companies. Therefore, providing a comprehensive national picture of the overall situation of the STPs and TBIs in line with the policy making of technology in Islamic Republic of IRAN is important. According to the data collected until the end of July 2018, there are currently 36 STP and 83 TBI under non-STP organizations across five national regions. In this paper, the data collection was carried out via a questionnaire in partnership with the Rooyesh ICT Incubator and the Ministry of Science, research and Technology (MSRT). This study, tries to analyze various aspects of the situation of STPs and TBIs in Iran based on the qualitative standards of the reports published by International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP).