Rethinking the institutional mapping of Iran's national innovation system; A new typology based on knowledge functions

Purpose: The national innovation system is a kind of systemic approach to innovation and includes elements and components that interact with each other to produce, disseminate, and use new and economically beneficial knowledge and operate within the borders of a country. According to this definition, the flow of knowledge is considered one of the main active flows between the actors of the national innovation system of each country. This research seeks to draw and present the institutional mapping of Iran's national innovation system based on knowledge functions. For this purpose, due to the lack of a comprehensive model and framework in the field of the national innovation system and existing literature, first, the past research achievements and internal documents in the form of reports, plans, and studies were considered. In this regard, study sources related to the subject were collected and analyzed. To adapt the previous theoretical framework to the current state of Iran's national innovation system, actors were identified and the institutional mapping of the existing state of Iran's national innovation system was drawn based on knowledge functions. By entering the step of adapting the theoretical framework, the differences between the national innovation system of Iran with other innovation systems and other countries were identified. The current research is applied in terms of purpose and development research, and considering that qualitative data such as data obtained from collaborative interviews, library documents, etc. are used in this research, the type of research is qualitative. Also, the current research strategy is a combined survey-based strategy based on documentary studies and surveys (expert review).
Methodology: To achieve this goal, the research consists of three executive steps. In the first step, based on a detailed study of the literature and a review of the theoretical framework of the national innovation system, while examining the functions and knowledge roles of the actors of the national innovation system in general, active actors in the national innovation system of Iran, according to the study of upstream documents and domestic and international reports presented in this The areas were identified and placed in 8 main categories. In the second stage of the research and based on the combined cognitive mapping method of institutions-functions, the institutional mapping of the national innovation system of Iran was drawn in the current state based on functions and knowledge roles. The drawn map will show a general picture of actors' knowledge interactions and provide the strengths and points that can be improved for future studies in this field. Finally, to ensure the results and findings of the research, in the third step, the opinion of experts and specialists in knowledge management and policy-making of science, technology, and innovation, actors, and the institutional mapping of function-actor was confirmed.
Findings: According to the elements presented and the initial identification, in the policy-making layer and governing institutions of Iran's national innovation system, in addition to the government structure, there are higher levels such as the Leadership, the Expediency Discernment Council, the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and the Islamic Consultative Assembly, which go beyond The government is placed at this level and influences the performance of the national innovation system from a management point of view. By examining the institutional mapping of the national innovation system in other countries, this difference has been revealed and one of the main characteristics of the national innovation system of Iran is the existence of this level and actors in the policy-making layer as elements of leadership and policy-making. Therefore, it is necessary to place a group of actors under the title of leadership elements, at a higher level of the government and in the field of leadership and policy-making elements, and the government consisting of related ministries and the relevant deputy is placed at a lower level and in the field of formal institutional elements (execution).
Research limitations/implications: The present study faced a lack of similar studies focused on the flow of knowledge and its corresponding functions in the national innovation system. Although extensive and numerous international and domestic studies have been conducted in the field of the national innovation system with different perspectives in the last decade and extensive theoretical knowledge has been produced in this field, it was difficult to find scientific and documented documents that have made efforts in this direction. On the other hand, the complexity and multiplicity of actors and their interactions in the national innovation system of Iran also made it difficult to draw an accurate and comprehensive institutional map based on knowledge functions.
Originality/value: This research seeks to draw and present an institutional mapping of the Iranian national innovation system based on knowledge functions. For this purpose, given the lack of a comprehensive model and framework in the field of the national innovation system and the existing literature, first of all, past research achievements and internal documents and documentation in the form of reports, plans and studies were considered. Considering the main approach in choosing the type of institutional mapping, which was based on the knowledge functions of the national innovation system and the institution-function matrix, the institutional mapping of the Iranian national innovation system has been drawn. The relationships drawn in the aforementioned mapping are based on the governance perspective and the role of the elements of governance, policy-making and regulation in other roles and actors.