Identification of the Leading Knowledge of the Agricultural Sector Using Key Technology Techniques and AHP in Kermanshah Province, Iran

The pattern of knowledge-based production has recently changed economic and social relations. If one wants to use the benefits of this pattern, they have to pay serious attention to the production, distribution, and dissemination of knowledge; in this regard, Leading Knowledge (LK) plays a vital role in developing areas. However, since government budgets have to be spent for public, especially for science and technology which are too expensive, it is impossible to experience the simultaneous advancement in all branches of knowledge. This qualitative and descriptive analysis adopts an applied approach, and tries to identify the LK of the agricultural sector in Kermanshah province, Iran. First, the initial list of LK and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method based on key technology techniques were prepared through reviewing documents and surveys, i.e. interviews and a panel of experts. In-depth and purposeful interviews were also adopted to extract experts’ opinions. Finally, data were analyzed by a panel of experts using the Analytic Hierarchy Process in Expert Choice (EC) software. The results showed that water engineering (0.223), horticultural Science (0.196), and biotechnology (0.138) were listed in order of priority in Kermanshah province. The results can be helpful in revising the educational policies of universities and research centers at the province level, allocating limited resources to the relevant government organziations, Agriculture Jihad and related research centers, and determining the policy of science and technology park and agricultural research centers at the national level.