Comparative Analysis of the Sustainable Competitiveness of the Cities of Zanjan Province with a Future Research Approach

To preserve natural resources, realize economic growth, and achieve sustainable development goals, realizing sustainable competitiveness is the most important tool. Places must have the ability to compete in the market, innovate and adapt to changes, and experience sustainable growth and development. With sustainable competitiveness, places can ensure their survival against competitors and have a significant impact on the economy and society. To achieve the mentioned goals, it is necessary to know the factors affecting sustainable competitiveness. In this regard, in the present research, the ranking of sustainable competitiveness indicators among the cities of Zanjan province has been discussed first, and then the factors affecting sustainable competitiveness have been identified using the future research approach and Mic Mac software. The type of research is applied and descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of the research is 8 cities of Zanjan province according to the political divisions of 1400. To collect information, two library methods have been used (explaining the theoretical foundations, and background of the subject, and collecting dimensions and indicators in the field of competitiveness indicators) and a survey (questionnaire). The survey method, using a survey of 17 experts in the fields of Geography, economics, and management was used to score the candidates. The criteria used to measure the sustainable competitiveness of the cities of Zanjan province are from the 1400 statistical yearbook of Zanjan province. The analysis of the results of the direct effects of the five factors shows that the highest level of influence is related to the governance factor with a net transitory impact of 15 the natural capital factor with a net impact of 5, and the lowest level of influence is related to the infrastructure factor with a net impact of -1.
  Extended Abstract
1-Introduction
With an area of 22,164 square kilometers and a share of 1.34% of the total area of the country, Zanjan province ranks 20th among the provinces of the country. The gross domestic product of the province at current prices in 2018 is equal to 3410,891 billion Iranian rials and with a share of 0.95% it ranks 22nd among the provinces of the country. Also, the gross domestic product of the province without oil was 314,891 billion Iranian rials this year, which ranks 24th in the country. In the ranking of the country's provinces in terms of economic growth rate at constant prices of 2010, Zanjan province was ranked 7th in 2010. Also, from 2015 to 2020, the gross domestic product of the province at constant prices increased by 1.2 times with an average annual growth of 3.9% and increased from 56.249 billion Iraninan rials to 147.67 billion Iraninan rials. The assessment of the province's gross domestic product distribution among the cities shows the existence of severe inequality between the cities of the province in such a way that the two cities of Zanjan and Abhar account for 70% of the province's gross domestic product, so to reduce the inequality between the cities in the province and achieving sustainable regional competition that will lead to the sustainable development of all the cities of the province, it is necessary to provide suitable drivers, in this regard, in this research, the present study aims to study the drivers of sustainability competitiveness in the cities of Zanjan province and the format of the questions is as follows: - At what level is the level of sustainable competitiveness of the cities of Zanjan province? - What are the most important drivers of achieving sustainable regional competitiveness among the cities of Zanjan province?
2-Materials and Methods
This research is descriptive-analytical in terms of applied purpose and terms of nature and method. Two library and field methods (questionnaires) have been used to collect information. In the library method, the theoretical foundations, the background of the subject, and the compilation of dimensions and indicators in the field of competitiveness indicators and effective drivers were done. For this purpose, first of all, the research conducted so far was reviewed and analyzed to extract the indicators and components used. In the field section, using a survey of 17 experts in the fields of geography, economics, and management, scoring was done for the runners. The criteria used to measure the sustainable competitiveness of the cities of Zanjan province are from the 1400 statistical yearbook of Zanjan province. The coefficient of variation (CV) was used to determine the distribution of sustainable competitiveness indicators in the area of the cities of the province. After determining the weight of selected indicators based on Shannon's entropy model, Todim's multi-criteria decision-making method will be used to stratify the sustainable competitiveness of the cities of Zanjan province, as well as Mic Mak software will be used to determine the most important drivers.
3- Results and Discussion
The findings obtained from the Todim model ranking show that in the economic sustainability index, Zanjan and Abhar cities have the highest score, and Ijerud and Khodabande cities have the lowest score. In the intellectual capital index, the cities of Zanjan and Khorramdare have the highest scores, and the cities of Ijerud and Mahenshan have the lowest scores. In the index of natural resources, Zanjan and Mahenshan cities have the highest points and Khorramdara and Abhar cities have the lowest points. In the social capital index, the cities of Ijroud and Mahenshan have the highest points and the cities of Zanjan and Abhar have the lowest points. In the resource efficiency index, Zanjan and Abhar cities have the highest points and Ijerud and Mahenshan cities have the lowest points. In the ranking related to sustainable competitiveness, Zanjan and Abhar cities have the highest points and Ijroud and Mahenshan cities have the lowest points. The analysis of the results of the direct effects of the five factors shows that the highest level of influence is related to the governance factor with a net transitory effect. 15 and the factor of natural capital with a net impact of 5 and the lowest level of impact is related to the infrastructure factor with a net impact of -1 value.
 
4- Conclusion
Sustainable competitiveness is crucial for the development of a place. Sustainable competitiveness enables places to experience sustainable growth and development. By competing in the market, venues can increase their market share, attract new customers, and increase their revenue and profits. This growth and development provides the possibility of investing in new technologies, developing new products and services, and expanding into new markets. The findings of this research show that there is a significant difference between the cities of Zanjan province in terms of development and indicators of sustainable competitiveness. Also, based on the findings of this research, good governance is the most effective driver for sustainable competitiveness among the cities of Zanjan province. Quality and transparent governance creates internal and external trust in the organization. With transparency in the processes, decisions, and performance of the organization, the members of the organization can better understand how decisions are made and what principles are followed. This transparency and trust, in turn, contributes to the organization's sustainable competitiveness, as members become more committed and eager to collaborate and contribute their ideas and innovations. Good governance makes the organization take responsibility for proper improvement, management, and control. An organization that implements accountability well can plan effectively, perform and follow up activities, and correct errors.