Identification of process challenges in the development of knowledge-based products to combat COVID- 19 virus in Iran

Iranian knowledge-based firms also tried to help control this disease by supplying high-tech products. However, they have faced severe problems in the process of product development and market entry. Comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews with pioneer firms were conducted to identify the most crucial process challenges and offer the necessary solutions based on the thematic analysis method. Then eleven process challenges were identified in prevention and detection technologies; failure to complete the supply chain inside the country, insufficient acquaintance and interaction of firms with workshop and laboratory capacities for manufacturing and testing, failure to allocate government currency to the import raw materials required for production, obstacles in certificate authority process of mass products, frequent import of foreign kits, insufficient development of manufacturing companies infrastructure, export, failure of governmental organizations for purchasing the products, lack of familiarity in governmental managers with the use of products, difficult access to the facilities of universities and government research institutes, delay in benefiting from the support of financial institutions. Therefore these processes require government intervention and facilitation that most of them were the same in both prevention and detection firms. Also, in this study, seven necessary government measures were offered to solve the problems mentioned above.