The seventh of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to ensure environmental sustainability. Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Although, it is believed that sustainability is the concern of large corporations, it is also applicable in SME s including knowledge-based start-up and more research is needed in this area.

This paper uses a case study approach to identify the factors affecting entrepreneurial sustainable development in knowledge-based start-ups of Science and Technology Park of Tehran University.

Preliminary findings suggest six main factors including: individual development, social system, government, infrastructure, economic system and resource and environment and a number of sub-factors were identified for each main factor.

Keywords

Sustainable Development, Entrepreneurial Sustainable Development, Knowledge-based firms