An application of the text mining approach to select technology centers of excellence

During the past century, achieving a high level of research capacity in all branches of science and technology simultaneously in all active scientific centers has not been possible due to resource constraints. Therefore, countries try to create specialized centers and professional associations to form hubs in specific fields of science in order to achieve a clear comparative advantage. This article attempts to propose an algorithm for selecting which centers of excellence to support. Using text mining techniques, this study presents a process for selecting technology centers of excellence and then implements this process using the nanotechnology field in Iran as a case study. The results of this case study show that, Iranian centers of excellence in the field of nanotechnology have been prioritized according to several approaches to provide policymakers with a proper tool for allocating governmental supports.

► Designing a model for evaluating centers of excellence.
► Proposing an text mining algorithm for selecting centers of excellence in order to support them.
► Implementing that algorithm for prioritizing Iranian nanotechnology centers of excellence.