Evaluation of Innovation Intermediary Functions in Iran's Space Industry: Application of Fuzzy Cognitive Map to Investigate the Communication Network between Intermediary Functions

The actors can play an essential role in the industry evolution if they interact well with each other and remove innovation and growth barriers at the industry by providing an intermediary activity proportional to their position in the industry. In this research, we study and evaluate the innovation intermediary phenomenon in the Iranian space industry. Measuring the evolution of the space industry from the perspective of the intermediary actors is a qualitative issue. And, intermediary functions cannot be easily quantified and measured. The study aims to present the fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) model to investigate how functions interact with each other and the intensity of their effect on the evolution of the space industry innovation network.So, first by studying the innovation intermediary literature and through interaction process with space industry experts, we have extracted the intermediary functions in the innovation network of the industry. And, using the experts' viewpoint, the main functions in the industry are identified and classified in two level through FCM. The results showed that despite innovation intermediary activities in the industry, there is still a need to improve these activities. It is necessary to pay more attention to the intermediary functions of "optimizing communication", "providing networking resources", "consulting and training actors" and "managing innovation process". Legitimizing a large number of actors has a negative effect on resolving conflicts between active actors in the innovation network, and as a result, it has led to weakness in intellectual property protection. In addition, it is necessary to pay more attention to information flow at the level of the innovation network in the industry in support of the innovation process between actors.