Objective: In the contemporary era, the rapid pace of technological advancements, the increasing specialization of sciences, and the dynamism of global markets have fundamentally reshaped the boundaries of corporate competitiveness. Under such circumstances, the penetration of innovation into industries is no longer merely a competitive advantage; it has become increasingly critical for survival. Given the complexity of technological development processes, modern industrial enterprises can no longer rely solely on limited internal resources and capacities for growth and innovation. Therefore, absorbing external knowledge and adopting an "Open Innovation" approach has become an increasingly important. In this regard, continuous and purposeful communication between the industrial and knowledge sectors can serve as a key facilitator for developing a knowledge-based economy. Although direct communication between industries and the knowledge sector is possible, the role of intermediary institutions is crucial in establishing a sustainable connection. A review of the literature indicates that the formation of an efficient network requires the balanced presence of representatives from both the supply and demand sides. However, in the innovation ecosystem, intermediary institutions have predominantly focused on the supply side, leaving a significant void for an institution that represents the demand side and translates industry needs into a language comprehensible to the knowledge sector. Therefore, considering the critical importance of accurately understanding demand, the present study aims to "elucidate the role of Chambers of Commerce, as representatives of the private sector in the innovation ecosystem".


Methodology: In terms of its data collection approach, the present study is qualitative in nature. To enhance the richness and reliability of the results, data were not collected from a single source. Instead, a data triangulation approach was employed, extracting data through three channels: semi-structured interviews, field observations at events and site visits, and specialized working meetings with innovation ecosystem experts. The statistical population consisted of key informants and active players in the innovation and industry ecosystem (focusing on Khorasan Razavi province as a case study). Most of the research data were collected using purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached, involving in-depth, semi-structured interviews and targeted dialogues with 54 experts. Data analysis was conducted using “Thematic Analysis” in six steps, during which the extracted codes were reduced to sub-themes and main themes. The quality of the findings was assessed using four criteria: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.


Findings: The findings from the data analysis indicate that improving interactions within the innovation ecosystem does not necessarily require establishing new institutions. In fact, the findings emphasize the importance of intermediary and facilitating actors playing their roles correctly to establish effective communication among stakeholder actors. However, existing communication gaps rooted in three factors: "weaknesses in the functioning of existing intermediary institutions", "the lack of effective representation of the technology-demand side (industry) ", and "stakeholders’ limited capacity for effective communication" have afflicted the innovation ecosystem with two macro-level dysfunctions: "silo mentality", and "duplication of efforts". These dysfunctions have had detrimental effects on the industrial sector, with tangible cognitive, operational and structural, as well as financial and human consequences. To overcome these conditions, Chambers of Commerce, given their extensive and close connections with private sector, can play the role of the "gateway to industry demand" by focusing on network interactions and avoiding isolated actions. To achieve this, the final output of the research is the development of a facilitation action package for Chambers of Commerce across 10 key domains.


Conclusion: The development of a knowledge-based economy depends on an effective linkage between the technology supply sector and the demand market. The results of this study indicate that the root cause of communication inefficiency in the innovation ecosystem is not a lack of new institutions, but rather the communication architecture of the actors’ network and their actions, which lead to duplication of efforts and a silo mentality. In the absence of structured mechanisms, Chambers of Commerce, due to their social standing and close ties to the economic community, are well-positioned to help bridge the demand-side gap and act as translators of industry needs. A key proposed role for the Chamber of Commerce is to build trust, eliminate information poverty, and integrate scattered capacities, provided it adopts a network-based approach and creates synergies with other institutions. The presented action package can serve as a practical roadmap and a baseline model that can inspire other Chambers of Commerce to effectively enter the innovation ecosystem. However, for nationwide application, it must be customized according to the specific institutional contexts of each province.