Identifying the Factors Affecting the Process of Technological Innovation System Formation in Iran: A Model Based on Grounded Theory

Achieving continuous innovation requires systematic innovation. This، in turn، is in need of identifying the nature of processes and mechanisms of the emergence of innovation systems. Given the critical significance and role of technological innovative systems in technological development and considering previous studies in the area of identifying the influential factors on the formation of such systems، this article tries to conceptualize the issue as well as to answer the questions «What are the factors affecting technological innovation systems formation in Iran?» and «How do they influence the formation of such systems?». The research method is qualitative conducted through Grounded Theory methods of data. Meanwhile، snowball method was applied to targeted depth interviews with nine academic experts، divided into three group including academicians، policy-makers and industrialists. Having analyzed the interviews، the results indicated that the most pivotal factors influencing the formation of technological innovation systems include: contextual، environmental، system structure، functional and strategic ones which could be categorized in 17 distinct categories. Finally، the impact of these factors on the formation mechanism of these systems was discussed in the form of a conceptual model.