Model of Excellence of Science and Technology Parks: Based on the Context of Iran's Innovation Ecosystem

Science and technology parks are established to develop a knowledge-based economy since they play a significant role in developing the ecosystem of innovation. In the last two decades, we are witnessing a quantitative surge of science and technology parks in Iran, Now, we need to improve and develop the quality of this important player in the ecosystem of innovation. From the perspective of 1404, a significant contribution is considered for the knowledge-based economy in the national GDP. Currently, this share is very insignificant; less than one percent. The main goal of this research is to design an excellent model of science and technology parks in Iran with the aim of developing the role of companies based in the knowledge-based economy. The present study, using a qualitative approach and relying on symbolic interpretative philosophy, seeks to extract the essence of the excellence model of science and technology parks in Iran. In this regard, the grounded theory strategy has been used to explain the theory's induction. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 academic and executive experts in the innovation ecosystem and through theoretical sampling until the theoretical saturation point was acheived. The results of the research show that science and technology parks in Iran have the most characteristics of the first and second generation parks, and to excel,they should move towards developing the features of the third and fourth generation (features such as improving the welfare of local communities, having professional management teams, shaping the knowledge city, special innovation zones and digital parks).