How can STPs help the Transition to the 4th Industrial Revolution? The experiences of Isfahan Science & Technology Town (ISTT), Opportunities and Risks; Technologies developed by companies

One of the most attractive and at the same time one of the most challenges that many countries including Iran are facing today is how to encounter and pace with the latest developments in the world and the 4 th industrial revolution, which is based on digital technology. We are in an era that software and hardware innovations have been merged and intermixed and they have created a new generation of industrial and non-industrial intelligent products. This has been resulted from making different uses of engineering in different fields of artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Things that has brought and entered the man into the forth industrial revolution. Technology foundation, innovation accelerators and future scenarios are the combinatorial impacts of the fourth revolution. The technology foundations such as internet, cloud, big data, 3D printing, renewable energy, IOT and others are almost present elements. There should be innovation accelerators such as IOT, cognitive systems, blockchain, robotics,  etc to facilitate this transition and move forward to creating the future scenarios which are smart cities, human-machine convergence, smart homes, IT Governance, automation of everything and healthy life extension. The major economic growth in the world happened with the advent of the first industrial revolution in the 18 th century. Classification of the countries into developed, developing and undeveloped is another result of the first industrial revolution and the following revolutions. All the three industrial revolutions have had significant effects of the countries, society, people and companies. However, due to the specific characteristics of the 4 th industrial revolution such as the speed of changes, systematic effects, depth and scope of the changes it would make more fundamental and deep economic changes.