UTSTP holds international workshop on evaluation and ranking process of technology parks, incubators, and innovation centres

An evaluation and ranking workshop for technology parks, incubators, and innovation centres was held at the University of Tehran Science and Technology Park.

The workshop was attended by Dr. Ali Asadi, head of the University of Tehran Science and Technology Park; Dr. Iraj Allah-Dadi, deputy for Technology Development at the University of Tehran Science and Technology Park; Dr. Ali Motamedzadegan, chairman of the board of the Iranian Scientific Association of Technology Parks and Innovation Organizations; Dr. Hossein Al-Mahmoudi, president of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP) West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Division; Dr. Luis Sanz, former director general of IASP; and Dr. Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, editor of the Global Innovation Index (GII) and head of the Economics and Data Analysis Department, Intellectual Property sector and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The event occurred on 15 May at the Pendar Hall of the University of Tehran Science and Technology Park

In the first part of the international workshop on the experience of evaluating and ranking technology parks, incubators, and innovation centres, Dr. Hossein Al-Mahmoudi, Dr. Luis Sanz, and Dr. Sasha Wunsch-Vincent, facilitated by Dr. Mostafa Karimian Eghbal, presented their topics and highlighted essential points regarding the evaluation and ranking of science and technology parks, sharing lessons learned and successful experiences from other countries.

In this workshop, Dr. Luis Sanz stated: "In an evaluation process, one must answer the question of what the result of the evaluation and certification is. For instance, an award might be given as a form of appreciation. However, another aspect of the evaluation is the organisation's position after the evaluation, such as becoming a member of an association, which enhances its status".

Sanz discussed the advantage of organisational branding through membership in associations and added: "What matters is the credibility of the institution conducting the evaluation; sometimes only a certificate is exchanged between the evaluator and the evaluatee, and sometimes the evaluation is not comprehensive, having only local or regional significance."

IASP's former director general, stating that verifying the credibility and qualifications for membership is essential, noted: "Sometimes the government and governing bodies intend to conduct the evaluation process. The fairness of this process is not significant from the perspective of individuals. Instead, it is more important that the general body of experts also perceive this evaluation process as fair and unbiased. To achieve this, the evaluation process must be open and transparent".

Sanz reiterated that the purpose of the evaluation must be clear and transparent: for example, it should be clear that top-tier parks enjoy more benefits. The critical point is that the evaluating expert should be independent, knowledgeable, and have relevant experience, which can lend credibility to the process, and this expert can be either internal or international.

He highlighted the importance of the evaluation process for all organisations to grow, adding that this process applies not only to science and technology parks but also to any organisation from the moment the evaluation begins, bringing both satisfaction and conflict. Satisfaction arises from the fact that this good action is being carried out. Still, there is also concern that different individuals with varying ideas might not positively perceive the organisation's oversight. However, in a supportive organisation, everyone is involved in the evaluation process, and attention must also be paid to conflicts.

The former IASP director general emphasised that one should not get caught up in terminologies in the evaluation and ranking process. He noted, "In 2000, at the Isfahan Science and Technology Town, we were preoccupied with defining what a science and technology park is, how it differs from a town, and what a technology park means. This should not be the case."

Sanz, stating that there is a difference between decision-taking and decision-making, continued: "The person conducting the evaluation process is not the final decision-maker. The evaluating expert must have the necessary credibility based on various criteria, and after the evaluation, the evaluator should provide the necessary feedback to improve the situation of the parks and innovative organisations".

Pointing out that there is never a single best way, he noted: "In different situations, one must find the genuine method that has a high degree of informational flexibility and use one's own interpretation, understanding, and intuition to achieve the desired outcome."

In the second part of the workshop, an experience-sharing panel was held with Dr. Zahra Mohammadhashemi, deputy head of the Technology Infrastructure Development Office of the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy; Dr. Sohaila Kheradmandian, a faculty member of the Islamic Parliamentary Research Center; Dr. Masoumeh Dastani, head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Group of Technological Institutions; Mehdi Azimian, director general of Branch Development and Campus Parks of Pardis Technology Park; Dr. Alireza Nasiri, head of Hormozgan Science and Technology Park; Dr. Mehdi Keshmiri, senior advisor of Nesfe-jahan Oil and Energy Technology Park; and chaired by Dr. Masoumeh Khan-Ahmadi, vice-chairman of the board of the Iranian Association of Technology Parks and Innovation Organizations. Following the presentations, a roundtable discussion, Q&A session, and networking event were held with the participation of presidents, vice presidents, and experts from science and technology parks, incubators, and innovation centers across the country.

It is worth mentioning that this workshop was organised by the Technology Ecosystem Infrastructure Development Office of the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, in collaboration with the Iranian Scientific Association of Technology Parks and Innovation Organisations, and hosted by the University of Tehran Science and Technology Park.