نشریه دانش حکمرانی
پیاپی 4 (پاییز 1403)

This means that some seemingly small decisions in governance can have major effects on the overall performance of a system. For example, solving the problem of imbalances is not simply a category related to technical and technological needs, but more importantly, we need to review the governance of these areas. The imbalances in energy and water and even human migration indicate the country's increased need for targeted studies in various areas of governance and taking the necessary measures based on these studies. The Journal of Governance Knowledge, as one of the first publications in this field, has decided, after publishing its first issues, to focus on the topic of governance research in the country and based on priorities in the form of regular issues, special issues or strategic topics, by understanding the country's priorities in the governance system, and to publish its results continuously. In the next issues of the journal, we will discuss the country's strategic priorities in the field of governance and we will put the publication of research results based on these priorities on the agenda. It is hoped that in this way we will be able to use the knowledge of researchers and professors of the country and help the country on its path to success.

In the digital age and today’s complex, fast-paced world, policymaking in science, technology, and innovation faces numerous challenges. Rapid technological advancements, diverse societal needs, and the vast volume of data have made policymaking processes increasingly intricate. In this context, data mining has emerged as a novel and powerful tool, offering innovative solutions for analyzing, forecasting, and evaluating policies. By extracting valuable insights from big data, data mining enables policymakers to make more effective decisions grounded in precise analysis and evidence-based forecasts. These capabilities are particularly vital in the realm of science and technology, where the complexity of information and the presence of nonlinear relationships are prominent.This study primarily aims to identify the roles and functions of data mining in science and technology policymaking. It endeavors to provide a framework for the practical utilization of data mining throughout the policymaking process, from problem identification and definition to policy impact evaluation.Methodologically, the study employs a systematic literature review to gather data, thematic analysis to identify patterns and key concepts, and constant comparative analysis to develop a comprehensive framework. The analyzed sources include scientific articles, policy reports, and case studies focusing specifically on data mining applications in science and technology policymaking. Through a structured analysis process, the study extracts and categorizes the roles and functions of data mining across various aspects of policymaking.Key findings indicate that data mining serves five pivotal functions in science and technology policymaking:Trend analysis and future forecasting: Utilizing machine learning algorithms and historical data analysis, data mining uncovers hidden patterns and predicts shifts in science and technology priorities. This capability prepares policymakers for an uncertain future.Policy impact assessment and effectiveness evaluation: By analyzing the outcomes of implemented policies, data mining provides precise feedback to enhance and refine policymaking strategies.Risk prediction and management: Data mining identifies risk factors and offers preventive analyses, enabling policymakers to manage potential risks and mitigate adverse consequences.Resource prioritization and optimization: Through big data analysis, data mining identifies high-impact areas and optimizes resource allocation to these domains.Decision support through scenario evaluation: Data mining assists policymakers in evaluating alternative scenarios and selecting the most effective options based on detailed data-driven insights.The findings underscore the transformative role of data mining in science and technology policymaking. With advanced data mining tools, policymakers can make informed, evidence-based decisions in complex and dynamic environments. Analyzing extensive data from diverse sources facilitates the identification of emerging challenges and opportunities, contributing to the development of flexible and efficient policies. Moreover, the study demonstrates that data mining not only enhances decision-making processes but also fosters transparency and accountability in policymaking.Practical and academic implications of this study include:Facilitating evidence-based decision-making across all stages of policymaking.Identifying emerging technologies and formulating supportive policies to promote innovation.Improving resource management and minimizing wastage through optimized allocations.Enhancing transparency and accountability in policymaking through precise data analysis.Providing an operational framework for leveraging data mining to evaluate and improve policy strategies.This study provides a new perspective on the application of data mining in science and technology policymaking by identifying and analyzing its roles and functions. Data mining enables policymakers to navigate uncertainties, achieving more precise and effective outcomes. The adoption of data mining not only improves policymaking in science and technology but also serves as a model for other policy domains.

Administrative system reform, due to its crucial role in national development, has been a topic of significant attention in Iran in recent years. However, the planning and initiatives related to administrative system reform have not been very successful and have consistently faced many challenges and obstacles during implementation. The aim of this research is to identify the facilitators and drivers of administrative system reform to support the execution of reform programs and accelerate their progress.

Design/methodology/approach:

This study is applied-developmental in nature, and to determine the facilitators and drivers of administrative system reform, in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 experts in administrative transformation. The sampling method for the interviews was non-random and purposive, using a snowball sampling approach. The interviews were analyzed using an inductive approach and qualitative content analysis, with coding applied to the data.

Ultimately, 15 sub-categories were extracted under four main categories: facilitators of the administrative system, facilitators of the political system, facilitators of the economic system, and facilitators of the social system. These were proposed as the facilitators and drivers of administrative reform. The application and use of the facilitators and drivers identified from the experts' perspectives—each originating from different administrative, political, economic, and social systems—can significantly contribute to the faster and more successful implementation of administrative system reforms.

Research limitations:

In the present study, efforts were made to identify barriers to administrative reform through interviews with experts, and thereby determine facilitators and drivers of administrative reform. A total of 26 academic and executive experts participated in the interviews. However, akin to many qualitative studies, despite the researchers' extensive efforts, it was not possible to interview some of the experts. Therefore, this can be considered a limitation of the research.

Practical implications:

The facilitators of the administrative system address topics for a rational and reasonable design of administrative reform programs and actions to be taken during the implementation of reforms in the administrative system. In terms of reasonable design, attention is paid to gradual changes and the use of the experience and knowledge of academic experts (which is somewhat overlooked in the country). Additionally, the implementation phase facilitators cover topics such as "changing inappropriate rules and regulations," "capacity building and financial resource provision," "creating a strong, committed oversight board and professional team responsible for administrative reforms," "initiating a performance evaluation movement," "top management commitment to implementing reforms," "motivation architecture," and "employee training and cultural development for administrative reforms."Regarding the facilitators of the political system, topics such as reforms in the House of Representatives, which significantly impact administrative system performance, and the creation of core values such as justice and the common good in the political system are addressed because the political system has a direct impact on the administrative system, and establishing these values in the political system leads to the emergence of the same values in the administrative system. Additional topics include political support, defining the precise relationship between the political system and the administration and clarifying their respective positions, creating major political currents, forming political crises, and improving relations with other countries as facilitators and drivers of administrative reform.In the economic system facilitators and drivers category, issues such as strengthening the private sector, addressing tax-related problems, the emergence of economic crises, and resolving economic system issues before administrative reform are highlighted by experts because they consider a weak economic system a significant barrier to rationalizing government size and view the flaws in the country's tax system and the government's reliance on oil as reasons for poor budget management and fiscal challenges.Regarding the social system facilitators, the study focuses on two main topics: consensus and social discourse for administrative reforms within society and social maturity for demanding reforms. Social maturity is achieved through public awareness by scholars and experts and tangible visualization of a desirable future administrative system, which is a crucial driver for pursuing administrative reforms.

Originality/value:

This research can assist policymakers in drafting and implementing effective policies to enhance the administrative and governance system. While numerous studies have suggested administrative reforms, this research delves into the reasons why these reforms have not been implemented so far and identifies the facilitators that could ensure their successful execution. By emphasizing the experience and knowledge of local experts, this study introduces practical facilitators that can be implemented in the country, considering its cultural, economic, and political context.

In today’s competitive environment, companies are constantly seeking strategies to enhance their innovative performance and develop new technologies. Significant changes in global markets and the advent of advanced technologies have positioned technological collaboration as a key strategy for achieving a competitive advantage. Despite extensive research in this domain, a comprehensive understanding of the thematic evolution and trends remains a critical gap. This study aims to analyze global technological collaboration and technology transfer comprehensively, identifying key trends and research streams.The primary objective of this study is to provide a thorough analysis of the evolution of technological collaboration and technology transfer, focusing on key knowledge streams and future research opportunities. This research seeks to answer questions about the impact of emerging technologies on collaboration patterns and the opportunities these shifts create for future studies.This study employs a bibliometric approach combined with an in-depth analysis of prominent articles in leading research clusters. Data were extracted from the Web of Science database, comprising 7,188 scientific documents related to technological collaboration published between 1985 and 2023. Analytical tools such as Sci2, Vosviewer, and Python were used to assess co-authorship networks, co-citation patterns, and keyword co-occurrence. Additionally, 37 articles from 11 key researchers in this field were deeply analyzed to identify research trajectories.Main Research Streams: The dominant themes include open innovation, absorptive capacity, university-industry collaboration, and innovation ecosystems.Impact of Open Innovation: As a prevailing research stream, open innovation plays a pivotal role in facilitating technological collaboration and creating multi-party value.Emerging Role of Innovation Ecosystems: Focused on informal and networked collaborations, ecosystems are rapidly becoming a central theme in this domain.Digital Trends: The rise of collaborative digital platforms and enabling technologies such as AI and blockchain has created new opportunities for technological partnerships.Role of Universities: Technology transfer from academia to industry, especially in science-driven fields like biotechnology and artificial intelligence, has become a significant research focus.The findings highlight that the patterns of technological collaboration are undergoing substantial transformations. Traditional bilateral partnerships are shifting toward networked and ecosystem-oriented approaches. Open innovation, by fostering knowledge exchange and resource sharing, remains at the forefront of these changes. Concurrently, the emergence of digital technologies introduces new challenges in intellectual property management and stakeholder engagement.The results of this study can guide policymakers and business leaders in developing strategies that leverage technological collaboration. Researchers can also utilize these findings to identify emerging opportunities in areas such as innovation ecosystems and technology transfer. This work emphasizes the importance of integrating collaborative models into innovation strategies for sustainable growth.Technological collaboration continues to play a crucial role in driving innovation and technology development in complex and dynamic economic environments. With the rapid growth of digital and ecosystem-focused domains, emphasizing the development of multi-party and networked collaboration models can significantly advance the field. Future research should address practical and theoretical challenges in implementing these models while examining their long-term impacts on innovation sustainability.

With the increasing competition in global markets, the internationalization of knowledge-based companies has become a necessity. Achieving this requires a dynamic and coordinated innovation ecosystem capable of synergistically supporting these companies. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the innovation ecosystem in the internationalization of knowledge-based companies.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

To identify and analyze the role of innovation ecosystem components in the internationalization of eight knowledge-based companies from the Export Excellence Club, the case study method was employed. This group includes four five-star and four four-star companies. The research adopts a qualitative approach, an applied orientation, and a descriptive perspective. A deductive approach was used for qualitative content analysis. Based on the selected model, the study considers actors, activities, artifacts, institutions, and their interrelationships (co-evolution/specialization, cooperation/complementarity, competition/substitution) as components of the innovation ecosystem to structure the analysis of its impact on the international activities of the companies.

The findings indicate that governmental organizations, such as the Science and Technology Deputy, the Innovation and Prosperity Fund, the Central Bank, and affiliated banks; domestic and foreign companies, both public and private; universities and research centers; business consultants and specialists; brokers and intermediaries, such as technology and trade attachés; trade delegations, associations, and syndicates; play a critical role as actors. Key activities include funding, research and development, market feasibility, education and training, consultancy services, and the establishment of international offices. Hard and formal institutions such as laws, regulations, government policies, and support programs are crucial. Artifacts like knowledge, technology, resources, capital, products and services, and platforms also play an essential role. Furthermore, the relationships and networking within the ecosystem, including competition and substitution in domestic relations, international cooperation and interaction, consortium formation, strategic collaborations, engagement with universities and research centers, and partnerships with global industrial giants, are key drivers in the internationalization process of knowledge-based companies.

Research Limitations/Implications:

The findings of this article can aid in the development of policies and support programs to enhance the international activities of knowledge-based companies and provide actionable recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.Practical Implications:Practical recommendations derived from the findings include implementing international training programs for managers and staff, establishing a centralized and independent institution for knowledge-based export, offering efficient loans with diversified collateral options and credit lines, utilizing legal consultants with international expertise, and creating secure and fast financial transaction channels.

Originality/Value:

This study provides a comprehensive examination of the role of the innovation ecosystem in the internationalization of knowledge-based companies, a relatively under-researched area in the Iranian context.FundingNo financial support.

In the field of regional policymaking, various approaches have been defined in the development literature over the past decades, and each approach has been the focus of regional policymakers in different periods. Fiscal decentralization policies with an institutional approach have been of interest over the past decades. The separation of duties and powers of local authorities along with incentive mechanisms for obtaining resources at the regional level have been considered in the institutional structure of the regions. Regional policymaking and design to promote regional governance, economic prosperity, reduce inflation, and improve the effectiveness of government spending in the regions has led to the formation of various theories and perspectives in the economic literature, and the economic and social effects of decentralization policies have been considered in various studies. The theory of economic duality, polarization theory, regional convergence theory, regional development with distributive justice, regional development with an institutional approach, and regional development based on land planning can be mentioned, and various approaches were used in Iran after the revolution. In the first and second development plans, administrative, financial and technical decentralization was proposed as a key policy for the development of the country's provinces. With the start of the third plan, in order to fulfill Article 2 of the Third Plan Law and towards structural and institutional reforms in the government, the necessary conditions were provided for the establishment of a decentralized system of regional planning and development. In addition to managing regional financial resources, these measures strengthened the presence and participation of regions by emphasizing their internal capabilities and potentials in the development and planning process. Many efforts were made to create regional balance and equilibrium at the national level. After the formation of the provincial revenue-expenditure system, the fourth development plan provided a basis for the development of provincial development documents and the establishment of a provincial budgeting system. This plan not only strengthened the management of provincial development and regional financial resources, but also paid more attention to the participation of regions in development planning, relying on their internal capacities, and regional policymaking with an institutional approach was put on the agenda. As a result, provincial institutions and regulations related to this system were formed during the two programs. The preparation and compilation of national documents for provincial development, the establishment of a provincial budgeting system, the decentralization of government development tasks, the connection of the credit for the acquisition of capital assets by provinces to their internal revenues (which was implemented only in the third program), and the delegation of the authority to determine the priorities of development projects to provincial institutions are five key approaches in the country's planning and budgeting system. These issues were clearly manifested in the Fourth Development Program, in the form of some articles of Chapter Six of the law entitled "Land Planning and Regional Balance" and continued in the form of the provincial revenue-expenditure system in the Fifth Development Program in Articles 178 and 179, and continued with minor changes in the Sixth Development Program in the form of the regional balance section. Based on the policies of fiscal decentralization, the provincial revenue-expenditure system was designed in the Third Development Program and financial and administrative institutions were formed at the provincial and county levels. Decision-making and decision-making for the development of the province and the distribution of credits for the acquisition of capital and expenditure assets were assigned to the Provincial Planning and Development Council and the County Planning Committee. The Revenue and Resource Mobilization Headquarters, the Provincial Allocation Committee, and the Specific Budget were formed at the provincial level, and a new approach to regional policy-making and planning was formed in the form of decongestion in the country, which continued with some changes during the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Development Plans. The instability of the duties and authorities of the provinces, the failure to create revenues and revenue ranks, the failure to observe the principles of the provincial revenue-expenditure system, the lack of a specific and precise plan for the development of the province considering the capacity of the regions, and the failure to accurately implement policies and incentive mechanisms in obtaining sustainable resources at the provincial level are among the most important problems of the regional policy-making system in the form of the revenue-expenditure system during these four plans, which were identified from the perspective of ten regional economic experts through interviews and questionnaires. Separation and delegation of regional development tasks to the provinces, creation of a decision-making level between the provinces and the sector to carry out trans-regional activities, creation of stability and sustainability in the tasks and operations of the provinces, matching the responsibilities assigned to the provincial institutions with the administrative facilities and capacity of the provinces, consolidation of provincial revenue titles in annual budgets, designing an incentive system mechanism for collecting provincial revenues, and establishment of an interactive sector-organization-provincial policy-making system in the country's planning system are among the most important desirable requirements of the decongestion process with an emphasis on the new provincial revenue-expenditure system in Iran.In the Seventh Development Plan, the design of a new provincial revenue-expenditure system is mentioned. A review of its implementation mechanisms was presented in the form of two scenarios: increasing decongestion in the country with an emphasis on redesigning the provincial revenue-expenditure system and designing integrated development policymaking with an approach to the interactive relationship between the province and the region. Despite the emphasis of the People's Government Transformation Document on decentralization policies and regional balance and equilibrium, no section or chapter of the Seventh Development Plan Law is dedicated to this issue. Only in Article 17, Clause 5 of the bill does it refer to the new design of the provincial revenue-expenditure system, and the regulation of its pillars and principles is referred to the preparation of regulations, which seems to question its effectiveness by postponing the mechanism for designing the revenue-expenditure system to regulations and instructions. In order to implement part of the integrated development policy with the approach of the interactive relationship between the sector and the province, it is suggested that the design and implementation of the regional development and balance monitoring system be put on the agenda by preparing "Instructions for the Formation and Holding of Regional Tables" in the National Planning and Budget Organization, and in the framework of the second scenario approach, the executive regulations of Section C of Article 17 of the Seventh Development Plan should be prepared by determining the duties, responsibilities and authorities of the national and provincial executive bodies and an incentive mechanism for the provinces to obtain tax revenue with the aim of creating balance and equilibrium between the counties and provinces of the country.JEL Classification: H71,H72,R50,R58

The study aims to explore quantum communication technologies by identifying key elements and their relationships through technology mapping. It seeks to provide a systematic framework for analyzing these technologies from the perspectives of technology management and governance. The research highlights the strategic importance of quantum technologies in transforming secure communications and offers insights into their current maturity levels, challenges, and future directions.

Design/methodology/approach:

This research adopts an exploratory mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative techniques. In the first phase, a comprehensive literature review was conducted using academic articles, books, and patents to develop an initial map of quantum communication technologies. In the second phase, expert interviews and surveys were employed to validate the preliminary findings and identify knowledge gaps. Quantitative data analysis and qualitative thematic coding were applied to refine the final technology map, ensuring its accuracy and comprehensiveness.

The results reveal that quantum communication technologies are at varying stages of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) spectrum. While some technologies, such as quantum key distribution (QKD), have reached commercialization, others remain in experimental or theoretical stages. The study identifies significant challenges, including hardware limitations, standardization issues, and the lack of a cohesive roadmap for interdisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, the findings underscore the critical role of technology governance in mitigating risks and promoting the ethical application of quantum technologies.

Research limitations/implications:

This study focuses on quantum communication technologies, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other subfields of quantum technology, such as quantum computing or sensing. Future research should expand the scope to encompass a broader spectrum of quantum innovations. The results of this study offer practical implications for policymakers and industry leaders by providing a structured methodology for identifying development priorities and managing resources effectively.

Practical implications:

The technology map created in this study serves as a strategic tool for decision-makers to evaluate the development trajectory of quantum communication technologies. By identifying key gaps and challenges, the findings guide investment decisions and research prioritization. Moreover, the results highlight the need for global collaboration to address technical and ethical issues, particularly in areas like standardization and interoperability.

Originality/value:

This study is among the first to integrate exploratory mapping techniques with governance and management perspectives in quantum communication technologies. By systematically analyzing the lifecycle and readiness of key technologies, it provides a unique contribution to the field and paves the way for future interdisciplinary research.