Troubleshooting Agricultural Knowledge-Based Companies in Razavi Khorasan Province and Presenting a Map to Improve its Efficiency

Innovation is one of the factors that drive economic growth and production by improving labor productivity, dynamics in industries, and determining economic success. Science and Technological Parks play an important role in the technological development of a country by significantly increasing economic growth. So, knowledge-based companies are known as one of the main factors for accelerating production and achieving economic resilience goals.

In this study, knowledge-based and agricultural companies located in the Center for Agricultural Technology Development, Natural Resources and Food Industries and Technology Development Center of Gonabad, Neishabour, and Torbat-e Heydarieh have been studied. The method of data collection in this research was by census method and through a questionnaire. The required data of 5 companies were collected via email, 3 companies were collected via telegram, and 39 questionnaires were completed through face-to-face distribution. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. The software used in this study was Excel and Stata.

Based on the obtained results, factors such as financial support and business advice were the most important requirements for knowledge-based companies. Also, the most important weaknesses in institutional sectors were lack of financial resources in the financial sector, inability to introduce the product and international marketing in the marketing sector, and lack of proper and timely execution of upstream documents were among the weaknesses in the institutional sector. In contrast, personal capital and product innovation were among the strengths of knowledge-based companies and agricultural technology. Furthermore, the most important threats for these companies were price fluctuations, uncertainty due to foreign currency policies, low level or nonawareness of legal regulations, and long-term process to obtain official permissions. Also, the exclusivity of the product was declared the most important opportunity for companies. The priority of these companies was related to future strategies, export, and focus on foreign markets and attracting investors.

Finally, it is suggested that due to the low efficiency of knowledge-based companies in terms of job creation, the following should be on the agenda: effective entry of universities in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation, drafting an innovation system document, and directing research activities towards knowledge foundations in universities. Also, to increase the employment of agricultural graduates, it is suggested that arrangements be made so that the employment of these people in knowledge-based companies will lead to the establishment of facilities such as providing free insurance coverage for these companies. Knowledge-based companies and agricultural technology need a management-consulting package in the field of marketing and marketing of products, legal and financial products in order to have a stronger presence in the existing space in domestic markets and in the international market.