Identifying and Prioritizing the Factors Affecting the Commercialization of Academic Research: A Contextual Analysis in Islamic Azad University

Commercialization of academic research is one of the executive strategies to turn science into wealth. The aim of the present study is to identify the factors affecting the commercialization of academic research in Islamic Azad University. The present research method is a qualitative data type of the foundation, the statistical population includes academic experts and a purposeful sampling method based on theoretical saturation. To collect data, two methods of study and analysis of research background and semi-structured interviews were used. The research findings show that the small growth of academic research in the Islamic Azad University, especially during the last two decades, shows that there is a good potential for intellectual production. Findings also indicate 5 major factors to increase the commercialization of academic research. Factors are divided into intra-organizational and extra-organizational groups. The research findings are also in line with research findings in other countries to identify factors affecting the commercialization of academic research.