Identifying Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Policies to Advance ICT Businesses in Iran

Moradi, MohammadAli; Shirzadeh, Mohammad

doi:10.22034/jtd.2025.2054508.1994

Identifying Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Policies to Advance ICT Businesses in Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

MohammadAli Moradi ¹

Mohammad Shirzadeh ²

¹ Faculty of Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship Development

² Alumnus of the Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran

10.22034/jtd.2025.2054508.1994

Abstract

Government institutions interact to shape the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster the growth of technology-based businesses. The rationale for government intervention and policymaking in this domain stems from the public good nature of information and communication technology (ICT). The objective of this study is to identify policies for the development of ICT businesses within the framework of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Given the theoretical gap in ecosystem research, this article identifies policies through a field study based on the theories of entrepreneurial supply and demand. The research methodology follows a qualitative approach, with implicit expert knowledge gathered through semi-structured interviews. To determine a scientifically valid sample size, the snowball sampling method is employed, and theoretical saturation was reached after conducting 29 interviews. Data analysis is performed using three-stage coding. By integrating findings from the field study, literature review, and the contextual conditions of Iran, policies for the creation and growth of ICT businesses within the entrepreneurial ecosystem are identified. Based on the findings, policy recommendations are proposed. The theoretical contribution of this research lies in utilizing the lens of entrepreneurial supply and demand theories to address the theoretical gap in ecosystem research, while its practical significance is in identifying policies for the establishment and growth of ICT businesses within the Iranian context. The findings indicate that the government, through supply-side entrepreneurship policies, can play a role in developing the ICT ecosystem by fostering technological advancement, economic growth, educational improvement, population composition management, increasing urbanization rates, and mitigating human capital migration. On the demand side, the government can facilitate ICT business growth by expanding entrepreneurial opportunities, simplifying regulations to reduce transaction costs, developing institutions and modern financial markets, providing specialized training, and promoting technology transfer through enhanced collaboration between government, academia, and industry.

Keywords

Entrepreneurial ecosystem

Entrepreneur supply and demand theories

policymaking

ICT

Subjects

Assessment of technological capabilities in whole or in case nationally, firms and corporations

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