A Model for Marketing Management of Science and Technology Parks

The mission of the Science and Technology Parks (S&TP) is to accelerate the growth of knowledge-based regional economy. These institutions encourage investment of the knowledge-based activities and support innovation in the host regions. Given the high cost of establishment and inability to attract and maintain knowledge-based companies, S&TP are not expected to have enough economic justification. Hence, leaders and managers of the parks should pay due attention to strategic marketing planning. Even if the parks have enough location merits, in the absence of effective marketing management, parks loss their sustainability in terms of location competition. On the other hand, because of specific characteristics of parks output, absolute use of theories and experiences of marketing gained by private companies and not-for-profit organizations do not have the required effectiveness. In this research, we have tried to provide a place marketing management model for S&TP. In order to do this, we have benefited from theories and experiences of place marketing management on one hand and S&TP designers, expertise and managers opinion on the other.