Application of AHP-TOPSIS methods in technopark selection of technology companies: Turkish case

The most prominent motivation for the technoparks are that technoparks promote innovation and technology, established to enhance the collaboration and cooperation between the university and companies. The opportunities that technopark offers are effective in the technopark selection of the companies. The aims of this study are to determine the criteria that the companies in the technoparks in Istanbul take into consideration in their technopark preferences and to select the most appropriate technopark based on these criteria. Criteria used in the study are proposed for the first time for selection of technoparks by authors. The sample studied is also used for the first time for technopark selection. To this purpose, current data obtained from the managers of the companies in the technoparks in Istanbul were used. In the application part, AHP and TOPSIS that are among multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods were used separately in the selection of the most appropriate facility location of the companies in Istanbul Technoparks. Result of the study shows that the most suitable facility location was the ITU by two different MCDMmethods. This study being among the first applications for the preference of technoparks for companies with the MCDM methods makes a distinguishing contribution to the field.