Analyzing the role of science and technology parks in the formation of the agricultural innovation value chain in Mazandaran Province: A data-driven theory approach

Background and Objective: Despite significant production capacities, agriculture in Mazandaran Province still requires mechanisms to strengthen the linkages between knowledge, technology, and the market. In this context, science and technology parks, acting as intermediary institutions, can facilitate the formation and enhancement of the agricultural innovation value chain. This study aims to analyze the role of the Mazandaran Science and Technology Park in the development of the agricultural innovation value chain in the province.
Methodology: This qualitative study was conducted using the grounded theory approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 experts including managers and specialists of the Mazandaran Science and Technology Park, directors of knowledge-based and technological agricultural firms, and university professors and researchers in agricultural entrepreneurship and innovation selected via purposive theoretical sampling. Data analysis followed the Strauss and Corbin approach across three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. Inter-coder reliability was assessed using statistical indices, including Cohen's Kappa, Holsti's coefficient, Scott's Pi, and Krippendorff's Alpha, computed using MAXQDA software.
Findings: The findings revealed that causal conditions encompass "structural pressures and challenges in agricultural production," "weaknesses in the value chain and post-harvest logistics," and "climatic threats and agricultural pest outbreaks." The contextual conditions include "climatic features and indigenous potentials of the province," "opportunities and constraints of target markets," and "land limitations and production scale." Intervening conditions were identified as "administrative, structural, and interactive barriers," "financial constraints and economic infrastructure deficiencies," and "cultural challenges and the local community's acceptance level." Furthermore, strategies operate through "facilitation, educational, and extension initiatives" and "innovative models of partnership and economic support," leading to outcomes manifested in "economic and value chain productivity outcomes" and "social, human, and institutional development outcomes."
Conclusion: The grounded theory findings demonstrate that the Mazandaran Science and Technology Park plays a catalytic role in transforming the structural challenges of the agricultural sector and regional export opportunities into practical innovation. By adopting strategies of cross-sectoral networking, technology commercialization, and empowering farm-level practitioners while mitigating institutional and financial barriers this entity connects knowledge-based ideas to the consumer market. Consequently, this process enhances production efficiency, increases value addition in export markets, sustains rural employment, and ultimately completes the innovation value chain within Mazandaran’s agricultural ecosystem. Therefore, establishing an agricultural innovation value chain in Mazandaran Province heavily relies on the effective role of science and technology parks in facilitating institutional interactions, supporting collaborative models, reducing structural barriers, and enhancing the conversion of indigenous potentials into economic and social value.