Investigating the role of the industrial sector context in the functioning of technology exchange intermediaries in the technological innovation ecosystem in Iran; Areas of study: pharmaceutical, agricultural, and oil, gas, and petrochemical industr

Objective: Innovation has become a crucial factor in industrial competitiveness, prompting firms to seek collaborations within the innovation ecosystem to foster innovation. Given the significance of technological cooperation and the challenges involved, technology exchange intermediaries have gained attention in recent years as facilitators of such collaborations. These intermediaries play multiple roles, including identifying opportunities, creating cooperation networks, and reducing information asymmetry, thereby enabling constructive interactions between firms. Studies suggest that the industrial sector's context and the specific characteristics of each industry significantly influence asymmetric technological cooperation processes. As a result, the expected functions of technology exchange intermediaries vary across different industries. However, a review of the existing literature reveals a gap in research on how the functions and operational models of these intermediaries differ across industries. This study aims to identify the essential functions of technology exchange intermediaries in various industries and examine their role-playing models in relation to the industrial context. To achieve this, three strategic industries—pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and oil, gas, and petrochemicals—were selected for in-depth analysis.



Method: This qualitative study employs a multiple case study approach. Data was collected through expert interviews and document analysis. Interviewees were chosen from technology transfer intermediaries and industry players in the three selected sectors. The sampling method used for selecting interview participants was snowball sampling. A total of 21 qualitative interviews were conducted with key industry stakeholders, and the data was analyzed using thematic analysis.



Results: In the pharmaceutical industry, the functions of demand stimulation and need identification are of lower priority compared to the other two industries due to the industry's structured demand landscape and the nature of its key players. In contrast, the agricultural and oil industries, characterized by a large number of diverse actors, place a higher priority on the functions of identifying needs and, in particular, aggregating small-scale demands. Furthermore, due to the agricultural sector’s traditional practices and the oil sector’s preference for purchasing foreign technologies, demand stimulation is a more critical function in these industries than in pharmaceuticals. Given the limited domestic market and the challenges of penetrating international markets, knowledge-based enterprises must verify the legitimacy and significance of demand. As a result, the function of assessing the realism of demand is crucial in all three industries. However, in the agriculture and oil industries, where end customers are predominantly domestic, this function holds even greater importance than in pharmaceuticals.



In the agricultural sector, technological projects tend to be less complex, allowing a single firm to develop the required product independently. However, in the pharmaceutical and oil industries, this is not the case. Pharmaceutical development often necessitates collaboration among multiple stakeholders, and technological projects in the oil industry tend to be highly complex. Consequently, in these two industries, the function of designing and managing large-scale, complex projects is of higher priority than in agriculture. Additionally, due to the knowledge-intensive nature of the pharmaceutical industry and its relatively small community, actors are typically well-acquainted with each other's capabilities and expertise. Moreover, pharmaceutical professionals, given their international engagements, are highly aware of cutting-edge technologies. As a result, the function of selecting appropriate technologies and partners is not a major concern in the pharmaceutical sector. Conversely, in agriculture and oil, where industry players tend to adopt traditional approaches and have less familiarity with frontier technologies, this function becomes more critical.



Across all industries studied, the functions of "cooperation management" and "assistance in market development" are universally important. However, regarding technology proofing, the pharmaceutical industry primarily requires support for obtaining regulatory approvals, such as those from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In contrast, in the oil and agriculture industries—especially among small-scale farmers—the high risk associated with adopting new technologies necessitates stronger technology assurance mechanisms from regulatory bodies.



Conclusion: Due to structural, technological, and contextual differences among industries, technological cooperation within each sector presents unique challenges. Consequently, technology exchange intermediaries must tailor their functions to align with the specific needs and contexts of each industry, thereby facilitating and accelerating technological collaboration. In other words, these intermediaries must specialize in certain domains and prioritize functions that hold greater significance in each respective industry. Furthermore, government support should be strategically directed toward high-priority functions within each industry, ensuring that intermediaries receive targeted and intelligent support to enhance their effectiveness.