In the Name of God Sustainable Development through Potential Local Resources in the Area of Torud village in the Field ofDigital Currencies (Especially Mining) Using the Strategic Area Assessment Approach

In the Name of God Sustainable Development through Potential Local Resources in the Area of Torud village in the Field ofDigital Currencies (Especially Mining) Using the Strategic Area Assessment Approach | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Case Report In the Name of God Sustainable Development through Potential Local Resources in the Area of Torud village in the Field ofDigital Currencies (Especially Mining) Using the Strategic Area Assessment Approach Mansour Momeni, Mahmoud Dehghan Nayeri, Hasan Arabameri This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4049137/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose : Dynamism is the fundamental element in all phenomena in the world. Humans perceive phenomena through "systems concepts" and study their dynamic behaviors over time. One practical method of systems concepts is the Strategic Area Assessment used as a tool for local and regional development. This Strategic Area Assessment the potential facilities specific to a local area with the identification of the most probable strategies for innovation. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to investigate the application of the SAA method as a case study for sustainable development of the" Torud" region through the mining industry and digital assets (while addressing the issue of electricity shortage resulting from mining). Research Methodology : In this study, a strategic assessment approach, which is considered one of the soft operations research methods, was used. Within this approach, a wide range of stakeholders is collected, and based on their knowledge, their readiness to pursue new pathways is strengthened. In this research, the five main stages of the SAA have been implemented as follows: a conference consisting of 54 stakeholders and experts in the mining and digital currency industry in Torud village was formed. Also, "Innovation Compass" was used as the main tool of SAA. After identifying the 9 components and 45 sub-components of SAA, and after conducting key questions in the past and present, the final score of each component and sub-component was obtained. These scores are plotted in a "Spider web diagram" to identify strategic priorities for innovation in the mining and digital currency industry, and in the final stage, the identified priorities are used to draw a forward path. Findings : With the help of the strategic area assessment tool, not only is the problem of electricity shortage for cryptocurrency miners solved, but also by utilizing the region's potential resources (solar energy), electricity becomes more accessible and cost-effective through solar panels. This approach not only results in cost savings but also generates additional income, fostering the sustainable economic development of this region. Origin/Scientific Added Value : Strategic area assessment, including methods of systems thinking and soft operations research, has been rarely used in Iran, and very limited in research worldwide. Hopefully, this present study will serve as a source for further research, both globally and especially in Iran. Mining Industry Digital Currencies Strategic Area Assessment Torud village Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 1-Introduction The introduction of cryptocurrencies as a new form of money has attracted a tremendous amount of attention in recent years. This new financial paradigm relies on miners to validate transactions by running their cryptocurrency mining devices (CMDs). Nowadays, the significant profitability of the mining business has tempted a large number of private players in the electrical industry to employ their renewable energy resources to mine digital currency (Hajipour et al.,2022). Cryptocurrency miners consume a large amount of electrical energy to run their cryptocurrency mining devices (CMDs). These CMDs have a powerful computational capability to solve a complicated mathematical problem that validates the transactions between the digital currency's holders (Ghaebi Panah et al.,2022). In response, they are rewarded in the form of digital currency to compensate for their expenditures. Therefore, one can simply deduce that cryptocurrency miners convert electrical energy to digital currency by running their CMDs(Hajipour et al.,2022). along with the rapid growth of cryptocurrency mining in the world, In Iran, the number of digital currency miners is also increasing. Especial Due to the cheapness of the electricity price in Iran, the footprints of foreign miners are also there can be seen. .In addition to the cheapness of electricity, miners' feet to cattle ranches. Agricultural lands and fields have been opened and the growth of underground home mining has caused.Electricity supply in Iran faces challenges due to reduced production from hydroelectric power plants caused by decreased rainfall and insufficient planning for increased electricity production . On the other hand, the rapid growth of cryptocurrency mining, which requires a substantial electricity supply, worsens the already dire electricity shortage situation. Electricity shortages and frequent power outages disrupt the daily lives of citizens, ranging from residential power cuts to the disruption of governmental offices and the suspension of factories and businesses, exacerbating the country's problems. In addition Iran is known as a country with excessive electricity consumption that has an undeniable share in total energy consumption . According to the Iranian Ministry of Energy report, Iran's most significant electricity consumption sectors are industrial, residential, agriculture, and public (Esmaeili, &, Rafei ,2021) However, the most significant question is whether it is correct to overlook the countless benefits of the cryptocurrency mining industry due to the aforementioned challenges?. Would it not be better to explore new solutions for securing the required electricity? Most importantly, can we harness the country's potential resources to achieve sustainable economic development through the cryptocurrency mining industry? And if so, to what extent? In fact, finding a solution and an answer to these questions is positioned as the primary objective(purpose) of this research. Iran is a vast country with diverse climates (four seasons) that encompasses both seas and mountains, as well as deserts and forests. It is rich in significant mineral resources, particularly uranium mines. According to researchers, if the country's potential resources are optimally utilized, not only will the problem of electricity shortage be solved, but the digital currency industry can also be leveraged for the sustainable economic development of the country.As a comprehensive examination of the entire country's potential resources is not feasible, researchers have attempted to select a pilot area or village (e.g., Torud) located in the desert and sunlit region of the country. They have then aimed to generalize the results to other similar regions across the country. Therefore, the aforementioned information can be regarded as the most important reason for the significance and necessity of this research.A crucial point that should be further elaborated in this section is the definition of various digital currencies. Generally, we have two types of digital coins: Mineable Coins : As the name suggests, mineable coins are created through a process known as "mining." These coins are generated and awarded to miners as a reward for creating blocks in the "blockchain". Also, the term cryptocurrency is used with minable coins. Non-Mineable Coins : As the name of this category suggests, these digital currencies are not mineable, meaning users cannot create new coins using their computer's processing power. Non-mineable coins are only in circulation as digital currencies, and users can obtain them by purchasing through exchanges or other available channels. It's worth noting that what is more relevant to the issue of electricity shortage are mineable coins. In this research, each of the mentioned definitions is used in its appropriate context. In other words, when we refer to the mining industry, we are specifically discussing the act of mining and mineable coins. Conversely, when we talk about digital currencies, we encompass the entire concept, which includes both mineable and non-mineable digital currencies. While mining is crucial in the context of the electricity shortage issue, it's important to consider other aspects such as buying and selling currencies, holding and converting them for overall growth But what scientific method should we use to answer these questions? According to researchers, the science of soft operations research can be the best aid in solving the problem. The best decision-making approach in complex situations is to use a soft approach. The soft approach considers problems not as separate issues, but as a mess of uncertainties, complexities, and different mentalities of people involved in the problem. Among the various paradigms of soft operations, the strategic choice approach is Due to the look and structure, qualities that are required for managing various uncertainties are selected for further study and investigation (Ram et al, 2011). The soft approach considers issues not as separate entities but as chaotic systems filled with uncertainties, complexities, and diverse mindsets of individuals involved in the problem. Now, another question arises: among the various methods in soft operations research, which method is more suitable and why? Soft OR methods can contribute significantly to this purpose and provide a focus for system participants when building solutions; they represent a commitment to the problem which these participants want to solve. These features may be related to the observation made by Brailsford and Vissers (2011) that there is an increasing number of health-related studies using soft methodologies(Leonardo Antonio Monteiro Pessôa et al,.2015). Decision-making in the real world is challenging due to the presence of diverse and influential factors and numerous relationships among them. These relationships are often nonlinear and characterized by high complexity. Additionally, the existence of a space where conditions of uncertainty and risk prevail complicates the decision-making process for decision-makers and senior managers of organizations .Therefore, it is best to use the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) method among various soft operations paradigms to overcome decision-making challenges, address complexities, and assist individuals collaborating on a subject. This is especially the best choice due to its strong relevance to the industry of digital currency extraction and the challenge of power shortage in the area of Torud. Furthermore, SAA employs a systems concept approach. The systems concept has characteristics that allow researchers to gain a deeper and more realistic understanding of the studied situation. A systems concept researcher learns to be part of the observed situation while monitoring it, acting as both an observer and a participant. Strategic Area Assessment is a tool for local and regional development. This assessment method combines the potential facilities specific to a local area with the identification of the most likely innovation improvement strategies. This research was conducted in the area of Torud village a part of Shahroud City with a population of approximately 20,000 people. About 54 individuals from various backgrounds were involved in the selected topic to form a conference and ask key questions. In this research, the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) method is implemented in five stages: during the mentioned conference, key questions are asked to members based on the innovation Compass, resulting in scoring each of the 9 components and 45 sub-components in both the past and present states. A Spider web diagram is constructed from the score results, and in the next stage, strategic priorities for innovation are derived based on the six "rule-of-thumb" principles of SAA. These priorities are then used to draw the final roadmap for progress. 2-Geographic and Economic Situation of Torud village Torud village is located in the southern part of Shahrood City, on the outskirts of the desert. From a political-administrative division perspective, this village is situated in Semnan Province, Shahrood City, and the central part. Geographically, the village is located at 35 degrees 25 minutes longitude and 55 degrees 1 minute latitude, with an elevation of 781 meters above sea level, and it is adjacent to open waters. This district is one of the warm and sunny desert regions of our beloved country, and it is part of the central desert in Iran, located 130 kilometers southwest of Shahrood City. Prior to the nineties, its population was about 4,500, and in relation to its relatively vast area (20,013 square kilometers), it had a high population density. More than half of its population had migrated to cities, including Shahrood, which, in many cases, was due to a lack of job opportunities. However, in recent years, due to the construction of mines (especially copper mines), the situation in the region has completely changed. Not only have more than 70% of the migrant population returned to the district, but also over 2,000 non-native individuals have settled in this village. According to the headman of Torud Village, Mohammad Aameri-Pour, it is not surprising to say that this village is facing a labor shortage issue. Based on information obtained from his statements, the minimum net income of each person is less than 10 million Tomans. Let's not forget that most individuals, except those who work in the mines, have multiple sources of income from activities such as livestock farming, agriculture, and carpet weaving. The prices of buying, selling, renting, and pledging residential and commercial properties are easily comparable to Shahrood. Torud Rural District consists of five villages: Torud, Satveh, Beidestan, Sorkhe, and Mahdiabad. Taking into account the non-native immigrants, especially Torud is who have settled in the cities of Shahrood, Gorgan, Damghan, and Semnan and temporarily reside in the region, the population exceeds 20,000. This region is rich in geology and mineral resources, with copper, lead, celestine, manganese, and, to some extent, precious gemstones from the agate family, and gold deposits. The people of this region mainly engage in animal husbandry, including camels and sheep, as well as limited agriculture. The agricultural products include barley, wheat, garlic, date palms, and, to a limited extent, figs and pomegranates. Agricultural lands are irrigated by a few segments of aqueducts. In the northern outskirts of the district, within a radius of 60 kilometers, there are lands and pastures suitable for agriculture and animal husbandry. Optimal utilization of these areas will open up a new season of agricultural and animal husbandry employment . 3- Review of Literature and Research Background The theory of virtual currency or, in other words, cryptocurrencies, was initially introduced by "Wei Dai" in 1998. However, it wasn't until 2009 that an individual or a group using the pseudonym "Sanooshi Nakamoto" brought it into reality. This virtual currency, known as "Bitcoin", is based on blockchain technology and is mineable. cryptocurrencies have a number of features that distinguish them from the usual fiat money and financial assets, and prevent the rapid introduction of digital currencies and cryptocurrency systems to the global financial market. The main advantages of digital currencies are the confidentiality and reliability of information transmitted within the system, and the freedom of transactions. This characteristic applies mostly to decentralized peer-to-peer networks with distributed management (Tasca et al,.2018). Blockchain has emerged as a promising innovation that could potentially play an important role in delivering the kinds of technological and commercial capabilities that the geoenergy sector will need to achieve these ends (Perrons & Cosby,2020). Through a simple internet search, we can observe a substantial volume of articles and research papers discussing topics related to the mining industry and digital currencies. For example, in 2021, "Antoniou Rosales" highlighted the significance of cryptocurrencies in Venezuela. In their article, they emphasized the role of energy resources and the workforce dynamics associated with the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Likewise, research by" Alex de Vries" in 2021 demonstrates how a simple economic model can be used to estimate the potential environmental impact of Bitcoin mining. But, if we seek to explore the research background in the context of strategic area assessment, the matter is entirely different. This is because very little research has been conducted in this regard. Researchers have only found one case, and that relates to a practical example of a project carried out in a remote village with a population of 50,000 in "Austria". Several citizens and other stakeholders, including social activists, environmental and cultural projects, entrepreneurs, educational professionals, youth-related institutions, local development projects, and others, decided to collaborate and engage in seeking financial support for the European Rural Development Program. This financial support is allocated to local programs for region-centered strategies and actions. According to the researchers, the main innovation and strength of the current research lies in the utilization of the strategic area assessment method, which has been scarcely used until now. 4- Research Methodology The present research, in terms of its practical objectives and the chosen methodology, falls under the category of "descriptive studies". By implementing the five-stage SAA (Strategic Area Assessment), it aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the Torud region. The target population consists of approximately 20,000 individuals residing in various villages and settlements within the Torud village (district). A sample of 54 individuals with expertise and involvement in the subject matter was selected from this population. Additionally, the researchers of this project were considered as facilitators during the conference. 4-1 - Soft Operations Research Soft operations research encompasses a set of methods for real-world decision-making, particularly in situations where issues are accompanied by very high levels of complexity. Decision-making in the real world involves multiple, relevant, and sometimes conflicting criteria . Traditional operations research (Hard operations research) methods, which were developed during World War II, have their drawbacks, as they address issues in a completely structured manner, leading to simplification. But, real-world issues are often highly complex. Soft operations research methods are employed to tackle these complex issues. During the last 25 years, an approach to OR, often known as soft OR, has been recognised as legitimate. Early discussions of how this relates to other OR approaches includes Jackson and Keys (1984), which provides an early discussion of how soft OR relates to other approaches, using the typology of Burrell and Morgan (1979)( Brown et al,.2006). New methodologies and approaches have been developed for dealing with turbulent problems or issues that are highly complicated and unstructured, making them challenging or even seemingly unsolvable. This is based on the argument that stakeholders (employees, managers, partners, customers, and, in general, humans) are an integral part of the issue. Among these, Strategic Area Assessment is one of the research methods and paradigms in soft operations research used for decision-making and structuring the problem. 4 - 2 - Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) is a tool for local and regional development, with the Strategic Area Assessment Conference being a key event and the main tool of its innovation compass. This powerful method is efficient and relies on what is called "collective intuition," which is strengthened by a dynamic blend of individual intuitive knowledge and vibrant discussions within small and large groups. Strategic Area Assessment is a "lightweight" tool that can be used without a strong theoretical background, but reaping its benefits requires collaboration. The more participants bring diverse perspectives and backgrounds, the results reflect better the people of the regional and local areas. The number of actors and the required time can be tailored to the purpose and objective. In general, this tool is designed to answer the following questions: - What are the major potential innovations in the region? - Which combination of local and regional stakeholders can have the most impact on changing their development patterns? - How can local and regional stakeholders ensure that the chosen strategy will lead to sustainable development for the entire region? - Which strategic priorities might enable the realization of these potential capabilities, and who is responsible for pursuing these common objectives? The main tool used in this method is the Innovation Compass. "Robert Lukesch" developed this tool after participating in a team of experts to implement a European rural development program and conducting a research project for sustainability assessment in regional development (Schleicher Tappeser et al., 1999). The Innovation Compass concept has evolved further since its introduction in 1999 by its originator and other users (Lukesch, 2009). This tool helps create a relatively immediate comprehensive overview of potential development opportunities in a region. A region can be seen as a complex adaptive system, the flourishing and development of which is of public interest and often requires a set of support programs. This support is often aimed at enhancing local and regional development by creating capabilities within the area and utilizing inputs from outside the area. Strategic Area Assessment is not just about identifying strengths and weaknesses like a traditional SWOT analysis but is based on a systemic understanding of regions and their interrelated elements. The results of a Strategic Area Assessment can be represented in the form of a spider web diagram, identifying key leverage and operational points for innovation(Williams & Hummelbrunner, 2010). 3-4-Detailed description of SAA method and how it works The Innovation Compass consists of nine components or elements, forming a nonagon (Figure 1). These nine components are organized into three triangular clusters, and each cluster corresponds to three distinct aspects. The components and aspects are primarily derived from experience, empirical research, and a description of practical cases of innovative actions in various rural areas throughout Europe. These components and aspects have been shuffled to establish the current framework and have been found to be most suitable and accurate when employed in consultancy and assessment. For these three aspects and nine components, the following definitions are used: 1 . Capital (Wealth) refers to the natural, economic, and socio-cultural potential of a region. . * Environment comprises natural physical resources and human structures like cultural landscapes, historic structures, and habitats. . * Financial Resources pertain to tangible and intangible assets directly convertible to monetary value, such as available regional financial capital, immovable property, equipment, lockable assets, and investment opportunities. . * Governance determines the governing structures and steering processes, meaning the operational and cultural methods through which regional decision-making bodies, local institutions, public and governmental entities carry out their functions. This also encompasses how they connect with larger entities or other territories (regions, nation-states, multi-level governmental entities) and how they interact with private stakeholders and civil society for supporting and fostering regional development. Long-term capital changes are typically gradual and occur slowly, except during crises and catastrophic shocks. 2- Flows refer to physical and non-material resources with potential implications. . * Society is composed of individuals and people are understood both individually and collectively. Humans "flow vertically" over the course of their lifetimes (from birth to death across generations) and "horizontally" in space (through migration internally and externally, and changing locations within regions). . * Markets represent real, active flows and potential capabilities in the exchange of labor, financial capital, technology, goods, and services. . * Capacities are limited to individuals (such as skills and abilities), traded as tradable services (like technical knowledge), or embedded in productive goods or capital (such as technology). Changes in flows, in comparison to changes in assets, have shorter cycles and are mostly influenced by the ups and downs of the microeconomy and political conditions. Flow components are more easily interchangeable in comparison to asset components. For instance, individuals (society), goods or services (markets), and licenses (capacities) can be exported to bring money into the region (Lukesch, 2009). In the long term, the status of flow components determines the status of asset components. In other words, flow components ensure the quality and resilience of asset components. 3 - Levers are accelerators that affect flow components and thus indirectly influence capital components. In contrast, capital components provide the context and framework (potential facilities and limitations) for lever components. . * Identities refer to behaviors and communication patterns, cultural identity, and "ways of being" or the "perceived reality" that are often referred to in relation to a specific region or area of interest. . * Perceptions are written or visual representations of reality, current perceptions, or future plans for the region or area, people, and their destination. They provide common perspectives and development strategies. . * Activities encompass any effort or endeavor (for profit, self-development, or social goals) that impacts regional development and its subsystems (habitats, organizations, companies, associations, families) and is carried out by individuals or collective actors inside or outside the region(Williams & Hummelbrunner, 2010). Levers are initiators of change, even rapid changes, and their transformation impacts flow components and capital. Levers drive activities towards changing conditions in a harmonized direction. Development can occur through altering a regional strategy or redefining a common vision of the area, leading to new identities if territorial boundaries are redefined. Components like identity and perceptions are multi-faceted concepts that reflect the diversity and complexity of ways of living and enduring perceptions that prevail in a specific region. The premise of the strategic area assessment approach is that achieving appropriate strategic results is possible by identifying an area using the Innovation Compass. This assumption relates to the specific status of the nine components on the chart. Each component is divided into five subcomponents, resulting in a total of 45 subcomponents (Figure 2). In the assessment of strategic areas, three questions are raised for each subcomponent, totaling 135 key questions that are answered by users. These users include local stakeholders, regional development experts, and researchers (Lukesch, 2009). In quick assessments, the number of these questions can be significantly reduced. Strategic area assessment is embedded within a regional or local strategy development process. The entire process may take from two to eight months. A strategic area assessment conference is a key event held between the analysis and implementation stages of a local or regional development program (Schleicher Tappeser et al., 1999). Essentially, this conference brings together local or regional stakeholders under the slogan "Diversity Empowers." The quality of the outcomes of this conference is less influenced by the gathering of "experts" and the most prominent scholars or even powerful individuals in the field, but rather, it is more affected by the diversity and representation of participants, including farmers, engineers, mayors, retirees, youth, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and government officials. Effective facilitation is the key to achieving excellent outcomes. This entails having: Adequate knowledge of the tools and the area under consideration to gain the ability to link the spider diagram to its components and subcomponents. Expertise and proficiency in "standard change tools" (such as involving all participants, maintaining impartiality in case of conflicts, respectful interaction, motivation preservation, time management, concise interim result summarization, highlighting constructive proposals and actions) There are five steps in the strategic area assessment conference. Step 1 sometimes begins before the conference, and Step 5 continues after its conclusion. 5- Research Findings The SAA approach is grounded in networked and participatory actions within its local organizing framework. Two major criteria must be met for the success of the current project: Offering an appropriate region-based strategy for multi-sector development through a facilitated participatory process. Establishing a public-private partnership that is responsible and coordinated to promote and implement the development strategy(Williams & Hummelbrunner, 2010). Prior to organizing the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) conference, the main advocates of this plan, in collaboration with the local council of Torud village and the ″Imam Reza Mosque″ trustee, along with technical assistance from a digital currency expert (who preferred not to disclose their name), arranged stakeholder meetings. Furthermore, a significant volume of data was collected to provide an overall statistical perspective, and a SWOT analysis was carried out by external experts. The five main steps of the Strategic Area Assessment were implemented as follows: Step 1: Preparation of the Strategic Area Assessment Conference. After examining the geographical location, local ecological conditions, and the economic situation of the Torud village, as well as analyzing the mining industry and digital currencies in the context of the challenges faced by the local population, who, like other areas of the country, grapple with a shortage of electricity, the first step is the preparation of the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) conference. Therefore, it is essential to compile a list of individuals from various governmental, local, economic, and political backgrounds. This list includes unauthorized miners, local influencers, village heads, members of Islamic councils, non-native residents, and even ordinary residents in the region. In this study, after extensive research and efforts, a 54-person list was compiled. The selection was made based on factors such as location, gender, age, profession, political and religious backgrounds, commercial and non-commercial/private and governmental activities, individuals in or retired from positions, those with special needs, and representatives from various sectors. The preparation, organization, and facilitation of the SAA conference require considerable attention .Due to the vastness of the region, collecting individuals and organizing the conference involved significant challenges. Throughout the project, three conferences were held at a single location. All efforts were made to create a vibrant and engaging environment for the participants, ensuring they were well-received, and sessions were structured to last no longer than an hour to prevent a decrease in creative thinking and attentiveness. The first conference took place on October 28, 2022, corresponding to the 6th of Aban, 1401, at the old mosque near ″Imamzadeh Habibollah″, situated close to Torud village. The conference lasted for nearly three hours. Step 2: Execution of Key Questions Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) serves as a time-saving tool. To achieve better results, there is a need for significant repetition of questions. High repetition signifies the emergence of certain aspects in various questions, creating robust and useful results. Questions related to each component can be quickly addressed, and some questions that don't appear to be particularly meaningful in the context or framework can be eliminated. After briefly introducing the concept of Strategic Area Assessment and its execution procedure, conference participants were divided into nine working groups, (each composed of six members). To obtain more realistic results, the groups chosen for key questions had the necessary diversity, with each group of six members. To each group, two components of the nine-faceted chart (referring to Figure 1) were assigned to work on, in a manner that the first component, which represents governance, was designated to each group based on the clockwise order. Each group was then responsible for working on two adjacent components (Table 1). They were instructed to nominate a spokesperson who would also manage time during the ranking process. Each group addressed 30 questions related to their two respective sub-components (3 questions for each of the 5 sub-components of 2 main components). It is worth mentioning that participants did not answer a few questions related to sub-components (for example, the first group did not provide an answer to the third question of the "organization" sub-component from the "governance" component). Each question was presented in a way that allowed responses to be ranked on a scale from 1 to 10 (for example, how attractive is this region to skilled employees and capable managers? No attraction = 1, very attractive = 10). The highest score (10) was based on the potential for internal development in the region according to participants and/or comparison with an external model from other regions. Participants were asked to consider not only the current situation but also the past ten years for critique and review. In key questions, when consensus could not be reached in a group, the scores were averaged, and the type of disagreement and consensus on the colored cards was noted. This same procedure is followed when brilliant ideas or memorable quotes result from group discussions. In this project, the mentioned event did not occur. Subsequently, the average score for each sub-component was calculated, and then the average of these scores was calculated for each component. Since including questions and responses from participants and the method of calculating 45 sub-components and 9 components in two groups, this framework makes this article extensive, so only the calculations of the first group with two components "governance" and "capacities" are shown in Table 2. In order to ensure alignment and coherence in our operations, each component is independently ranked by two groups. This "re-ranking" serves as a control mechanism for adaptability and consistency. In the assessment of the strategic domain, if there is a significant difference in the rankings of a component and its sub-components between the two groups, perceptions should be evaluated with greater depth and precision. For instance, in the sub-component of ecosystem structures under the environment component, there was a substantial disparity between the fourth and eighth groups, where, in response to the questions, the fifth group had a very weak spectrum, and the eighth group had a very strong spectrum. This issue was resolved upon reevaluating perceptions. To provide a better understanding of the calculations in this section, as an example, the method for calculating the "governance" component and its five sub-components, to which the first and fifth groups responded, and the "society" component and its five sub-components, to which the fourth and ninth groups responded, is presented (Table 3). Step 3: Create a spider web diagram After calculating the definite average of the components in the past and present state, the final spider web diagram was drawn by the facilitators and using the ranking results of the groups (Table 4). Next, the obtained result was displayed on a large sheet of paper. A nine-sided diagram showed the assessment of the current situation and another diagram showed the situation ten years ago(Figure 3). Step 4: Critical Stage - Results Extraction The second conference for results extraction took place on November 25, 2022, Friday, during the same venue (Imam Reza Mosque in the village of Torud) and lasted for over two hours. This session, attended by all participants, is considered a transformation of assessment activities into strategic priorities towards innovation. Initially, the spider web diagram and related data (both current and past) were presented (Figure 3). Subsequently, discussions and exchanges took place to identify the levers that have the potential to drive the development of areas as a whole. In this stage, the assessment approach is not based on a "scientific" method but relies on intuition, experience, and dialogue . The assessment approach for the strategic domain introduces six "rule-of-thumb" principles for results extraction, which are as follows: Source-Centricity : The selected strategy should always be based on the components with the highest rankings. In this research, the highest rankings pertain to components such as financial resources, markets, and perceptions. Completeness : A well-structured and modern strategy must be grounded on at least one component from each of the triple aspects (i.e., capital, flows, and levers). In this study, financial resources rank highly in the capital aspect, markets have the highest ranking among the flow components, and perceptions hold the highest ranking within the lever components. Symmetry: The chosen strategy should be based on components that exhibit a good distribution on the diagram, in other words, they should not be one-sided. In this example, the three components with the highest rankings (financing, markets, and perceptions) are all adjacent and situated towards the lower part of the diagram. The community, identities, financing, as well as markets, activities, and the environment, show a more proportionate and balanced distribution. Field Effect : When a component falls between two other components, both of which have higher or lower rankings, it creates a strong field effect. This effect is not present in this project. Triangular Effect : If two components from one aspect have similar rankings, the third component from the same aspect is likely to be similar to them as well. This effect is also absent in this project. Sustainability : In the long term, the chosen strategies should be aimed at stabilizing the three capital components at the highest possible level to ensure the durability and sustainability of results(Williams & Hummelbrunner, 2010). Perhaps the most crucial part of the project should be considered the stage of results extraction and prioritizing strategies. In a large session involving more than 50 participants, discussions and debates could become lengthy, often involving peripheral activities and initiatives. To mitigate this risk, Step 4 (Results Extraction) was divided into three sections: In the first section, the integrated results and spider diagram data were presented for everyone, and a brief discussion was conducted to clarify the topics. Facilitators attempted to examine and elaborate on changes in each component over time, both past and present. Certainly, this examination can contribute significantly to a better understanding of the subject, facilitating the identification of strategies. Additionally, participants familiarized themselves with the "rule-of-thumb" principles and the interpretation of information. In the second segment, participants were divided into two groups and discussed the results, highlighting differing perceptions of the strategic priorities to be selected. In the third part, the results of the groups' work were presented in the final general session. During this session, facilitators summarized the discussions and focused on a limited number of strategic priorities by combining components (triplets or quadruplets). In other words, strategies were chosen that encompassed three or four components. In this session, three strategic priorities were selected as the outcomes of the discussion, which are as follows: Becoming the Industry Hub for Sun-Driven Natural Resources Extraction : This strategy revolves around the region's abundance of solar resources (financing, markets, perceptions, and the environment). This strategy is primarily a result of resource-centric thinking. As elaborated, the four components - financing, markets, perceptions, and the environment - which scored the highest on the spider web diagram, played a significant role in this strategic priority. Facilitators and conference participants articulated that achieving this industry transformation into a hub for solar-powered resource extraction requires substantial financing, encompassing various financial and non-financial markets. Moreover, it necessitates a positive shift in the mindset, attitudes, and perceptions of the local population towards the growth of the extraction industry. Additionally, the region's environmental conditions must be favorable for the development of this industry. Economic development through the enhancement of coordinated education and technical skills in the field of mining and digital currencies (governance, capacities, activities) has a more significant impact on the principle of completeness. In this approach, economic development is achieved by improving vocational education and skills, addressing strategic structures and processes as capital (governance component), knowledge and technology as a flow (capacities), and self-sufficiency efforts as an accelerating lever (activities). Advertising and marketing of regional traditional and environmentally friendly products to attract non-native users (environment, financing, and capacities) have been identified as a strategic priority. Facilitators and participants in this session believe that the principle of symmetry has the most significant impact on the identification of this strategy. The three components, environment, financing, and capacities, for which reasons for their influence on priority identification have been mentioned, were chosen due to their appropriate distribution on the spider web diagram. In other words, these three components are the basis for the identification of the mentioned strategic priority. It is necessary to acknowledge that all six rule-of-thumb principles have been influential in determining strategic priorities. Stating that a specific rule-of-thumb had the most significant impact on identifying a particular strategic priority does not imply the insignificance of the other rule-of-thumb principles. Furthermore, the principle of ″sustainability″ has been effective in identifying all three priorities in this project. Step 5: Charting the Forward Path The third session was also held at the same regular location on Saturday, December 9, 2022, to execute operational objectives and practical steps. After identifying the priorities, participants engaged in new working groups for each priority (3 working groups with around 17 members each). They focused on operational objectives and practical steps to define and elaborate on detailed strategies in the subsequent conference evaluating the strategic domain. Each working group selected spokespersons for each topic. The spokesperson for the first working group, "Becoming the Industry Hub for Sun-Driven Natural Resources Extraction" (financing, markets, perceptions, and the environment), outlined the following practical steps: A meeting consisting of village headmen from the villages of Torud, Satveh, Bidestan, Mehdiabad, and Sarkheh, held at the Torud headman's office. During this meeting, a letter was addressed to the Central Shahrood Subdivision and copies were sent to government organizations, including the Housing Foundation, the Environmental Department, the Water and Power Organization, Technical and Professional Organizations, and others, requesting their support and collaboration for the mentioned project. The meeting requested assistance and cooperation from these organizations. A group of local dignitaries and influencers from the villages submitted a written request to the honorable representatives of Shahrood, Bastam, and Miyami in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, urging them to support the realization of this project from provincial or national budgets. Given that there are over 20 active mines in the region (90% of which are copper mines), and besides the employment opportunities they have created, the use of acid and lead resulting from copper extraction has significant adverse effects on the environment and the local population. Therefore, a portion of the project's cost is expected to be covered by these mines. This responsibility falls upon the Islamic Council of each village. Considering the favorable financial situation of the local population, it was decided to establish a local digital currency fund to utilize the contributions of the people for the development of the mining industry and digital currencies. The spokesperson of the second working group, which focuses on economic development through improving the coordination of education and technical skills in the field of the mining industry and digital currencies (governance, capacities, activities), also outlined the following objectives and practical steps: Since there is a school in every village, it was decided that the village council and the Islamic Council of each village would request assistance from the Shahrood County Department of Education to organize educational classes. They also sought assistance from the Shahrood Vocational and Technical Department for hardware facilities. Approximately 7 to 8 significant groups and channels with several thousand members exist within the network of both foreign and domestic virtual platforms, including Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, Rubika, Aparat, and others. It was decided to approach their administrators to seek their support in promoting and educating about the mentioned project. The spokesperson of the third working group, which focuses on advertising and marketing of the region's environmentally friendly and traditional products to attract non-native users (environment, financing, and capacities), introduced the following practical measures: In the past, an annual date festival was held in the village of Torud. It was decided to organize not only the date festival but also other events such as the camel festival, desert exploration, and more every year to further promote the region. It was decided to distribute a documented program to members of each village's Islamic Council, detailing more of the region's attractions and the growth of the mining industry, and broadcast it on the provincial radio and television through a letter signed by the council members of each village. 6. Research Conclusion and Future Recommendations energy policies need to consider the “side effects” on the environment, economy and society. Social sustainability, although presented as pillar of equal relevance, is in sustainability communication often treated as supporting argument for environmental or economic efficiency(Brailsford et al,.2023). With the transition to renewable energy technologies, the system of power generation changes from a few large power plants to a larger number of distributed generation sites(Striclkowski er al,.2021).Since the beginning of the 1990s, the systems thinking approach has dominated the discourse on sustainable development, emphasizing the interplay between the economy, society, and the environment. In this perspective, sustainable development is envisioned as a long-term development that encompasses future generations and aims to provide strategies and tools to meet human basic needs Sustainable development represents a balance between the various economic, social, and environmental dimensions, with the goal of enhancing the quality of human life. Undoubtedly, the practical steps taken in this project hold the key to achieving sustainable economic development in Torud village. In other words, the output of this research will ultimately provide the people of the region with economic prosperity through the cryptocurrency mining industry. However, it should be noted that continuous efforts and persistence in all three working groups are essential to secure support and backing from the relevant organizations. In conclusion, it is anticipated that following the implementation of practical steps over the next few months, the growth of the mining industry and digital currencies in Torud village will commence, enabling industry users not only to reduce the pressure on the national power grid but also to easily and more cost-effectively generate increased income from mining and digital currencies. Furthermore, it is recommended that future researchers focus on sustainable development and the growth of cryptocurrency mining in various regions, such as forested areas, coastal regions, etc., which may have unique potential for energy generation. Declarations Ethical Approval All surveys, interviews or focus groups, etc. conducted in this research according to Ethics approval is by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), duly constituted All subjects gave their informed consent before participating in the study. . and Important ethical concerns were considered. During the manuscript, the ethical principles of writing, including ethics, fraudulent publication, plagiarism, duplicate publication, authorship and possible conflict of interest, have been observed. All experts and interviewees have participated in this research with their consent and all scientific principles and rules have been correctly implemented in these interviews. Also, all the authors are fully satisfied with the publication of the information of this article Funding This research had no Funding and all its costs were paid by Hasan Arabameri. And no organization, department or government institution has been the investor of this research. And this declaration is “not applicable”. Availability of data and materials The main data of this research was obtained through interviews with twelve experts who have complete knowledge of digital currencies and cryptocurrency mining. This data is freely available to the public. The authors provide a data availability statement indicating that the data, the methods used in the analysis, the code and the materials used to conduct the research can be made available to any researcher for the purposes of reproducing the results or replicating the method. References Alberto Franco, L, Etienne A.J.A. Rouwette (2011)- Decision development in facilitated modelling workshops, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 212, Issue 1, Pages 1-222 Alberto Franco, L, Montibeller, G.(2010)- Facilitated modelling in operational research, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 205, Issue 3, Pages 489-734 Alex de Vries.2021. Bitcoin's Environmental Impact. cell press. Amsterdam, Netherlands . Department of Economics Antulio Rosales, 2021, Unveiling the power behind cryptocurrency mining in Venezuela: A fragile energy infrastructure and precarious labor. Energy Research & Social Science. Elsevier.volume 19. 102167 Bob Williams and Richard Hummelbrunner. systems concepts in action: a practitioer‛s toolkit. Stanford Business Books (2010) ISBN 978-0-8047-7062-0 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-0-8047-7063-7. Brailsford S., Vissers J.(2011)- OR in healthcare: A European perspective, European Journal of Operational Research, 212 (2) pp. 223-234, Brown, J, Cooper, C, Pidd, M. (2006)- A taxing problem: The complementary use of hard and soft OR in the public sector, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 172, Issue 2,PP369-718 Buchmayr,A, Verhofstadt,E, Van Ootegem,L, Thomassen, G, Taelman, S, E, Dewulf,J (2022)- Exploring the global and local social sustainability of wind energy technologies: An application of a social impact assessment framework, Applied Energy, Volume 312,15, 118808 Esmaeili,P, Rafei, M, (2021)- Dynamics analysis of factors affecting electricity consumption fluctuations based on economic conditions: Application of SVAR and TVP-VAR models, Energy journal, Volume 226, 120340 Ghaebi Panah, P, Bornapour, M, Cui, X, Josep M. Guerrero, (2022)- Investment opportunities: Hydrogen production or BTC mining? , International Journal of Hydrogen Energy , Volume 47, Issue 9, 5709-6436 Hajipour, E, Khavari, F, Hajiaghapour-Moghimi, M, Azimi Hosseini, K, Vakilian, M, (2022). An economic evaluation framework for cryptocurrency mining operation in microgrids-International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, Volume 142, Part B, 108329 Lami, I,M, Tavella, E,(2019)- On the usefulness of soft OR models in decision making: A comparison of Problem Structuring Methods supported and self-organized workshops, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 275, Issue 3, Pages 795-1190 Lami, I,M, Todella, E,(2023)- A multi-methodological combination of the strategic choice approach and the analytic network process: From facts to values and vice versa, European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 307, Issue 2, Pages 499-990 Leonardo Antonio Monteiro Pessôa, Marcos Pereira Estellita Lins. Angela Cristina Moreira da Silva, Roberto Fiszman(2015)- Integrating soft and hard operational research to improve surgical centre management at a university hospital. The European Journal of Operational Research, Volume 245, Issue 3, pp 629-878 Lin Tan.Liyan Xue.2021. Research on the Development of Digital Currencies under the COVID-19 Epidemic Procedia Computer Science.Volume187.pages89-96 Lukesch, Robert. 2009. Strategic area assessment. This paper is available for freedownload on the Web site of ÖAR Regionalberatung. It contains the most recent(English) version of the innovation compass, including detailed descriptions and a standard template for all 135 key questions. http://www.oear.at/edownloads.html.Click on Innovation Compass V5 Perrons, R,K, Cosby, T,(2020)- Applying blockchain in the geoenergy domain: The road to interoperability and standards, Appied Energy, Volume 262, 114545 Ram, C., Montibeller, G., & Morton, A. (2011). Extending the use of scenario planning and MCDA for the evaluation ofstrategic options. Journal of the operational research society, 62(5), 817-829. Schleicher-Tappeser, Ruggero, Robert Lukesch, Filippo Strati, Gerry Sweeney, and Alain.Thierstein. 1999. Instruments for sustainable regional development. Final Report of the Research Project INSURED (1996–98), funded from the 4 th Research and Development Framework Programme of the European Commission. Striclkowski, W, Civin, L, Tarkhanova, E, Tvaronaviciene, M, Petrenko, Y,(2021)- Renewable Energy in the Sustainable Development of Electrical Power Sector: A Review, Energies, 14(24), 824044 Tasca, P., A. Hayes, S. Liu(2018)- The evolution of the Bitcoin economy: Extracting and analyzing the network of payment relationships, Journal of Risk Finance, Volume 19, Issue 2, Pages 94-126 Todella, E., Lami, I. M., & Armando, A. (2018). Experimental use of strategic choice approach (SCA) by individuals as an architectural design tool. Group decision and negotiation, 27(5), 811-826. Tables Table 1 to 4 are available in the Supplementary Files section. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Tables.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4049137","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Case Report","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":278047269,"identity":"f6706660-a26d-4707-9fc2-ccb2aa74eb75","order_by":0,"name":"Mansour Momeni","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tehran","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mansour","middleName":"","lastName":"Momeni","suffix":""},{"id":278047270,"identity":"ec7473b2-c281-4804-9cb5-1d822a172769","order_by":1,"name":"Mahmoud Dehghan Nayeri","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tehran","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mahmoud","middleName":"Dehghan","lastName":"Nayeri","suffix":""},{"id":278047271,"identity":"69d74a98-392f-43da-86e0-a9f83e2aa3ee","order_by":2,"name":"Hasan Arabameri","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACA1SGgQ26OGEtaQw8JGphOAzVggeYsx9/+Lmg5p68OfvpxMcVBecT9zMwP/zAUHAPpxbLnhxj6RnHig139uRuNjxjcDuxh4HNWILBoBi3ww7kMEjzsCUwbjiQu02yAayFwQwonoBby/nnj3/z/Euw33D+7fafDQbngFrYv+HXciPBTJq3LSFxw43cbYwNBgeAWngI2HLjjZk1b19C8s4ZbzcDHZZs3HOYp1giAa/D0h/f5vmWYLudP3fjx4Y/drLt7e0bP3z4g1sLFsAMxCRpGAWjYBSMglGAAQCEa1KviZO8ngAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tehran","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hasan","middleName":"","lastName":"Arabameri","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-03-08 20:32:55","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4049137/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4049137/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":52620533,"identity":"1c76bf96-67bb-41fe-a6a4-da4153a9aca8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-13 16:48:14","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":36789,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eInnovation Compass\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4049137/v1/ae26a86775028d53f3514433.jpg"},{"id":52620535,"identity":"224532b7-1bd0-4556-a9e6-d17c207cec66","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-13 16:48:14","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":83053,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eInnovation Radar: Components and Sub-components\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4049137/v1/658395b02575a48fc65636b6.jpg"},{"id":52620534,"identity":"3347a37b-9345-47a9-b7a8-d289d21b68db","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-13 16:48:14","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":61380,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpider web diagram\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4049137/v1/b10638328e3e232df72d4cfc.jpg"},{"id":53514106,"identity":"ab56e87d-4997-4e80-b49d-4a2ee26ac8ef","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-27 00:52:37","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":637749,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4049137/v1/57ce771a-f392-488f-bfb7-d0fa3d6dfd6e.pdf"},{"id":52620532,"identity":"74866d77-e72f-4537-8155-8381ef40ed95","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-13 16:48:14","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":28211,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Tables.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4049137/v1/1a92ef8cf6cdbb2cc6e67c40.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"In the Name of God Sustainable Development through Potential Local Resources in the Area of Torud village in the Field ofDigital Currencies (Especially Mining) Using the Strategic Area Assessment Approach","fulltext":[{"header":"1-Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe introduction of cryptocurrencies as a new form of money has attracted a tremendous amount of attention in recent years. This new financial paradigm relies on miners to validate transactions by running their cryptocurrency mining devices (CMDs). Nowadays, the significant profitability of the mining business has tempted a large number of private players in the electrical industry to employ their renewable energy resources to mine digital currency (Hajipour et al.,2022). Cryptocurrency miners consume a large amount of electrical energy to run their cryptocurrency mining devices (CMDs). These CMDs have a powerful computational capability to solve a complicated mathematical problem that validates the transactions between the digital currency's holders (Ghaebi Panah et al.,2022). In response, they are rewarded in the form of digital currency to compensate for their expenditures. Therefore, one can simply deduce that cryptocurrency miners convert electrical energy to digital currency by running their CMDs(Hajipour et al.,2022). along with the rapid growth of cryptocurrency mining in the world, In Iran, the number of digital currency miners is also increasing. Especial Due to the cheapness of the electricity price in Iran, the footprints of foreign miners are also there can be seen. .In addition to the cheapness of electricity, miners' feet to cattle ranches. Agricultural lands and fields have been opened and the growth of underground home mining has caused.Electricity supply in Iran faces challenges due to reduced production from hydroelectric power plants caused by decreased rainfall and insufficient planning for increased electricity production . On the other hand, the rapid growth of cryptocurrency mining, which requires a substantial electricity supply, worsens the already dire electricity shortage situation. Electricity shortages and frequent power outages disrupt the daily lives of citizens, ranging from residential power cuts to the disruption of governmental offices and the suspension of factories and businesses, exacerbating the country's \u0026nbsp;problems. In addition Iran is known as a country with excessive electricity consumption that has an undeniable share in total energy consumption . According to the Iranian Ministry of Energy report, Iran's most significant electricity consumption sectors are industrial, residential, agriculture, and public (Esmaeili, \u0026amp;, Rafei ,2021)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, the most significant question is whether it is correct to overlook the countless benefits of the cryptocurrency mining industry due to the aforementioned challenges?. Would it not be better to explore new solutions for securing the required electricity? Most importantly, can we harness the country's potential resources to achieve sustainable economic development through the cryptocurrency mining industry? And if so, to what extent? In fact, finding a solution and an answer to these questions is positioned as the primary objective(purpose) of this research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIran is a vast country with diverse climates (four seasons) that encompasses both seas and mountains, as well as deserts and forests. It is rich in significant mineral resources, particularly uranium mines. According to researchers, if the country's potential resources are optimally utilized, not only will the problem of electricity shortage be solved, but the digital currency industry can also be leveraged for the sustainable economic development of the country.As a comprehensive examination of the entire country's potential resources is not feasible, researchers have attempted to select a pilot area or village (e.g., Torud) located in the desert and sunlit region of the country. They have then aimed to generalize the results to other similar regions across the country. Therefore, the aforementioned information can be regarded as the most important reason for the significance and necessity of this research.A crucial point that should be further elaborated in this section is the definition of various digital currencies. Generally, we have two types of digital coins:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMineable Coins\u003c/strong\u003e: As the name suggests, mineable coins are created through a process known as \"mining.\" These coins are generated and awarded to miners as a reward for creating blocks in the \"blockchain\". Also, the term cryptocurrency is used with minable coins.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNon-Mineable Coins\u003c/strong\u003e: As the name of this category suggests, these digital currencies are not mineable, meaning users cannot create new coins using their computer's processing power. Non-mineable coins are only in circulation as digital currencies, and users can obtain them by purchasing through exchanges or other available channels.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's worth noting that what is more relevant to the issue of electricity shortage are mineable coins. In this research, each of the mentioned definitions is used in its appropriate context. In other words, when we refer to the mining industry, we are specifically discussing the act of mining and mineable coins. Conversely, when we talk about digital currencies, we encompass the entire concept, which includes both mineable and non-mineable digital currencies. While mining is crucial in the context of the electricity shortage issue, it's important to consider other aspects such as buying and selling currencies, holding and converting them for overall growth\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what scientific method should we use to answer these questions? According to researchers, the science of soft operations research can be the best aid in solving the problem. The best decision-making approach in complex situations is to use a soft approach. The soft approach considers problems not as separate issues, but as a mess of uncertainties, complexities, and different mentalities of people involved in the problem. Among the various paradigms of soft operations, the strategic choice approach is Due to the look and structure, qualities that are required for managing various uncertainties are selected for further study and investigation (Ram et al, 2011). The soft approach considers issues not as separate entities but as chaotic systems filled with uncertainties, complexities, and diverse mindsets of individuals involved in the problem. Now, another question arises: among the various methods in soft operations research, which method is more suitable and why?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Soft OR methods can contribute significantly to this purpose and provide a focus for system participants when building solutions; they represent a commitment to the problem which these participants want to solve. These features may be related to the observation made by Brailsford and Vissers (2011) that there is an increasing number of health-related studies using soft methodologies(Leonardo Antonio Monteiro Pessôa et al,.2015). Decision-making in the real world is challenging due to the presence of diverse and influential factors and numerous relationships among them. These relationships are often nonlinear and characterized by high complexity. Additionally, the existence of a space where conditions of uncertainty and risk prevail complicates the decision-making process for decision-makers and senior managers of organizations .Therefore, it is best to use the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) method among various soft operations paradigms to overcome decision-making challenges, address complexities, and assist individuals collaborating on a subject. This is especially the best choice due to its strong relevance to the industry of digital currency extraction and the challenge of power shortage in the area of Torud. Furthermore, SAA employs a systems concept approach. The systems concept has characteristics that allow researchers to gain a deeper and more realistic understanding of the studied situation. A systems concept researcher learns to be part of the observed situation while monitoring it, acting as both an observer and a participant. Strategic Area Assessment is a tool for local and regional development. This assessment method combines the potential facilities specific to a local area with the identification of the most likely innovation improvement strategies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was conducted in the area of Torud village a part of Shahroud City with a population of approximately 20,000 people. About 54 individuals from various backgrounds were involved in the selected topic to form a conference and ask key questions. In this research, the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) method is implemented in five stages: during the mentioned conference, key questions are asked to members based on the innovation Compass, resulting in scoring each of the 9 components and 45 sub-components in both the past and present states. A Spider web diagram is constructed from the score results, and in the next stage, strategic priorities for innovation are derived based on the six \"rule-of-thumb\" principles of SAA. These priorities are then used to draw the final roadmap for progress.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2-Geographic and Economic Situation of Torud village","content":"\u003cp\u003eTorud village is located in the southern part of Shahrood City, on the outskirts of the desert. From a political-administrative division perspective, this village is situated in Semnan Province, Shahrood City, and the central part. Geographically, the village is located at 35 degrees 25 minutes longitude and 55 degrees 1 minute latitude, with an elevation of 781 meters above sea level, and it is adjacent to open waters. This district is one of the warm and sunny desert regions of our beloved country, and it is part of the central desert in Iran, located 130 kilometers southwest of Shahrood City. Prior to the nineties, its population was about 4,500, and in relation to its relatively vast area (20,013 square kilometers), it had a high population density. More than half of its population had migrated to cities, including Shahrood, which, in many cases, was due to a lack of job opportunities. However, in recent years, due to the construction of mines (especially copper mines), the situation in the region has completely changed. Not only have more than 70% of the migrant population returned to the district, but also over 2,000 non-native individuals have settled in this village. According to the headman of Torud Village, Mohammad Aameri-Pour, it is not surprising to say that this village is facing a labor shortage issue. Based on information obtained from his statements, the minimum net income of each person\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eis less than 10 million Tomans. Let\u0026apos;s not forget that most individuals, except those who work in the mines, have multiple sources of income from activities such as livestock farming, agriculture, and carpet weaving. The prices of buying, selling, renting, and pledging residential and commercial properties are easily comparable to Shahrood. Torud Rural District consists of five villages: Torud, Satveh, Beidestan, Sorkhe, and Mahdiabad. Taking into account the non-native immigrants, especially Torud is who have settled in the cities of Shahrood, Gorgan, Damghan, and Semnan and temporarily reside in the region, the population exceeds 20,000. This region is rich in geology and mineral resources, with copper, lead, celestine, manganese, and, to some extent, precious gemstones from the agate family, and gold deposits. The people of this region mainly engage in animal husbandry, including camels and sheep, as well as limited agriculture. The agricultural products include barley, wheat, garlic, date palms, and, to a limited extent, figs and pomegranates. Agricultural lands are irrigated by a few segments of aqueducts. In the northern outskirts of the district, within a radius of 60 kilometers, there are lands and pastures suitable for agriculture and animal husbandry. Optimal utilization of these areas will open up a new season of agricultural and animal husbandry employment .\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3- Review of Literature and Research Background","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe theory of virtual currency or, in other words, cryptocurrencies, was initially introduced by \u0026quot;Wei Dai\u0026quot; in 1998. However, it wasn\u0026apos;t until 2009 that an individual or a group using the pseudonym \u0026quot;Sanooshi Nakamoto\u0026quot; brought it into reality. This virtual currency, known as \u0026quot;Bitcoin\u0026quot;, is based on blockchain technology and is mineable. cryptocurrencies have a number of features that distinguish them from the usual fiat money and financial assets, and prevent the rapid introduction of digital currencies and cryptocurrency systems to the global financial market. The main advantages of digital currencies are the confidentiality and reliability of information transmitted within the system, and the freedom of transactions. This characteristic applies mostly to decentralized peer-to-peer networks with distributed management (Tasca et al,.2018). Blockchain has emerged as a promising innovation that could potentially play an important role in delivering the kinds of technological and commercial capabilities that the geoenergy sector will need to achieve these ends (Perrons \u0026amp; Cosby,2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a simple internet search, we can observe a substantial volume of articles and research papers discussing topics related to the mining industry and digital currencies. For example, in 2021, \u0026quot;Antoniou Rosales\u0026quot; highlighted the significance of cryptocurrencies in Venezuela. In their article, they emphasized the role of energy resources and the workforce dynamics associated with the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Likewise, research by\u0026quot; Alex de Vries\u0026quot; in 2021 demonstrates how a simple economic model can be used to estimate the potential environmental impact of Bitcoin mining. But, if we seek to explore the research background in the context of strategic area assessment, the matter is entirely different. This is because very little research has been conducted in this regard. Researchers have only found one case, and that relates to a practical example of a project carried out in a remote village with a population of 50,000 in \u0026quot;Austria\u0026quot;. Several citizens and other stakeholders, including social activists, environmental and cultural projects, entrepreneurs, educational professionals, youth-related institutions, local development projects, and others, decided to collaborate and engage in seeking financial support for the European Rural Development Program. This financial support is allocated to local programs for region-centered strategies and actions. According to the researchers, the main innovation and strength of the current research lies in the utilization of the strategic area assessment method, which has been scarcely used until now.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4- Research Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe present research, in terms of its practical objectives and the chosen methodology, falls under the category of \u0026quot;descriptive studies\u0026quot;. By implementing the five-stage SAA (Strategic Area Assessment), it aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the Torud region. The target population consists of approximately 20,000 individuals residing in various villages and settlements within the Torud \u0026nbsp;village (district). A sample of 54 individuals with expertise and involvement in the subject matter was selected from this population. Additionally, the researchers of this project were considered as facilitators during the conference.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4-1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Soft Operations Research\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoft operations research encompasses a set of methods for real-world decision-making, particularly in situations where issues are accompanied by very high levels of complexity. Decision-making in the real world involves multiple, relevant, and sometimes conflicting criteria . Traditional operations \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;research (Hard operations research) methods, which were developed during World War II, have their drawbacks, as they address issues in a completely structured manner, leading to simplification. But, real-world issues are often highly complex. Soft operations research methods are employed to tackle these complex issues. During the last 25 years, an approach to OR, often known as soft OR, has been recognised as legitimate. Early discussions of how this relates to other OR approaches includes Jackson and Keys (1984), which provides an early discussion of how soft OR relates to other approaches, using the typology of Burrell and Morgan (1979)( Brown et al,.2006). New methodologies and approaches have been developed for dealing with turbulent problems or issues that are highly complicated and unstructured, making them challenging or even seemingly unsolvable. This is based on the argument that stakeholders (employees, managers, partners, customers, and, in general, humans) are an integral part of the issue. \u0026nbsp;Among these, Strategic Area Assessment is one of the research methods and paradigms in soft operations research used for decision-making and structuring the problem.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4\u003c/strong\u003e-\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Strategic Area Assessment (SAA)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStrategic Area Assessment (SAA) is a tool for local and regional development, with the Strategic Area Assessment Conference being a key event and the main tool of its innovation compass. This powerful method is efficient and relies on what is called \u0026quot;collective intuition,\u0026quot; which is strengthened by a dynamic blend of individual intuitive knowledge and vibrant discussions within small and large groups. Strategic Area Assessment is a \u0026quot;lightweight\u0026quot; tool that can be used without a strong theoretical background, but reaping its benefits requires collaboration. The more participants bring diverse perspectives and backgrounds, the results reflect better the people of the regional and local areas. The number of actors and the required time can be tailored to the purpose and objective. In general, this tool is designed to answer the following questions:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- What are the major potential innovations in the region?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Which combination of local and regional stakeholders can have the most impact on changing their development patterns?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- How can local and regional stakeholders ensure that the chosen strategy will lead to sustainable development for the entire region?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e- Which strategic priorities might enable the realization of these potential capabilities, and who is responsible for pursuing these common objectives?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe main tool used in this method is the Innovation Compass. \u0026quot;Robert Lukesch\u0026quot; developed this tool after participating in a team of experts to implement a European rural development program and conducting a research project for sustainability assessment in regional development (Schleicher Tappeser et al., 1999). The Innovation Compass concept has evolved further since its introduction in 1999 by its originator and other users (Lukesch, 2009). This tool helps create a relatively immediate comprehensive overview of potential development opportunities in a region. A region can be seen as a complex adaptive system, the flourishing and development of which is of public interest and often requires a set of support programs. This support is often aimed at enhancing local and regional development by creating capabilities within the area and utilizing inputs from outside the area. Strategic Area Assessment is not just about identifying strengths and weaknesses like a traditional SWOT analysis but is based on a systemic understanding of regions and their interrelated elements. The results of a Strategic Area Assessment can be represented in the form of a spider web diagram, identifying key leverage and operational points for innovation(Williams \u0026nbsp;\u0026amp; Hummelbrunner, 2010).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3-4-Detailed description of SAA method and how it works\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Innovation Compass consists of nine components or elements, forming a nonagon (Figure 1). These nine components are organized into three triangular clusters, and each cluster corresponds to three distinct aspects. The components and aspects are primarily derived from experience, empirical research, and a description of practical cases of innovative actions in various rural areas throughout Europe. These components and aspects have been shuffled to establish the current framework and have been found to be most suitable and accurate when employed in consultancy and assessment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor these three aspects and nine components, the following definitions are used:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eCapital (Wealth)\u003c/strong\u003e refers to the natural, economic, and socio-cultural potential of a region. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. *\u003cstrong\u003eEnvironment\u003c/strong\u003e comprises natural physical resources and human structures like cultural landscapes, historic structures, and habitats.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. *\u003cstrong\u003eFinancial Resources\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp; pertain to tangible and intangible assets directly convertible to monetary value, such as available regional financial capital, immovable property, equipment, lockable assets, and investment opportunities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. *\u003cstrong\u003eGovernance\u003c/strong\u003e determines the governing structures and steering processes, meaning the operational and cultural methods through which regional decision-making bodies, local institutions, public and governmental entities carry out their functions. This also encompasses how they connect with larger entities or other territories (regions, nation-states, multi-level governmental entities) and how they interact with private stakeholders and civil society for supporting and fostering regional development.\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003eLong-term capital changes are typically gradual and occur slowly, except during crises and catastrophic shocks.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2-\u003cstrong\u003eFlows\u003c/strong\u003e refer to physical and non-material resources with potential implications.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. * \u003cstrong\u003eSociety\u003c/strong\u003e is composed of individuals and people are understood both individually and collectively. Humans \u0026quot;flow vertically\u0026quot; over the course of their lifetimes (from birth to death across generations) and \u0026quot;horizontally\u0026quot; in space (through migration internally and externally, and changing locations within regions).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. * \u003cstrong\u003eMarkets\u003c/strong\u003e represent real, active flows and potential capabilities in the exchange of labor, financial capital, technology, goods, and services.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. * \u003cstrong\u003eCapacities\u003c/strong\u003e are limited to individuals (such as skills and abilities), traded as tradable services (like technical knowledge), or embedded in productive goods or capital (such as technology).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChanges in flows, in comparison to changes in assets, have shorter cycles and are mostly influenced by the ups and downs of the microeconomy and political conditions. Flow components are more easily interchangeable in comparison to asset components. For instance, individuals (society), goods or services (markets), and licenses (capacities) can be exported to bring money into the region (Lukesch, 2009). In the long term, the status of flow components determines the status of asset components. In other words, flow components ensure the quality and resilience of asset components.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e- Levers\u003c/strong\u003e are accelerators that affect flow components and thus indirectly influence capital components. In contrast, capital components provide the context and framework (potential facilities and limitations) for lever components.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. * \u003cstrong\u003eIdentities\u003c/strong\u003e refer to behaviors and communication patterns, cultural identity, and \u0026quot;ways of being\u0026quot; or the \u0026quot;perceived reality\u0026quot; that are often referred to in relation to a specific region or area of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. * \u003cstrong\u003ePerceptions\u003c/strong\u003e are written or visual representations of reality, current perceptions, or future plans for the region or area, people, and their destination. They provide common perspectives and development strategies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. * \u003cstrong\u003eActivities\u003c/strong\u003e encompass any effort or endeavor (for profit, self-development, or social goals) that impacts regional development and its subsystems (habitats, organizations, companies, associations, families) and is carried out by individuals or collective actors inside or outside the region(Williams \u0026nbsp;\u0026amp; Hummelbrunner, 2010).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLevers are initiators of change, even rapid changes, and their transformation impacts flow components and capital. Levers drive activities towards changing conditions in a harmonized direction. Development can occur through altering a regional strategy or redefining a common vision of the area, leading to new identities if territorial boundaries are redefined. Components like identity and perceptions are multi-faceted concepts that reflect the diversity and complexity of ways of living and enduring perceptions that prevail in a specific region. The premise of the strategic area assessment approach is that achieving appropriate strategic results is possible by identifying an area using the Innovation Compass. This assumption relates to the specific status of the nine components on the chart. Each component is divided into five subcomponents, resulting in a total of 45 subcomponents (Figure 2). In the assessment of strategic areas, three questions are raised for each subcomponent, totaling 135 key questions that are answered by users. These users include local stakeholders, regional development experts, and researchers (Lukesch, 2009). In quick assessments, the number of these questions can be significantly reduced.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStrategic area assessment is embedded within a regional or local strategy development process. The entire process may take from two to eight months. A strategic area assessment conference is a key event held between the analysis and implementation stages of a local or regional development program (Schleicher Tappeser et al., 1999). Essentially, this conference brings together local or regional stakeholders under the slogan \u0026quot;Diversity Empowers.\u0026quot; The quality of the outcomes of this conference is less influenced by the gathering of \u0026quot;experts\u0026quot; and the most prominent scholars or even powerful individuals in the field, but rather, it is more affected by the diversity and representation of participants, including farmers, engineers, mayors, retirees, youth, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and government officials. Effective facilitation is the key to achieving excellent outcomes. This entails having:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAdequate knowledge of the tools and the area under consideration to gain the ability to link the spider diagram to its components and subcomponents.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u0026nbsp;Expertise and proficiency in \u0026quot;standard change tools\u0026quot; (such as involving all participants, maintaining impartiality in case of conflicts, respectful interaction, motivation preservation, time management, concise interim result summarization, highlighting constructive proposals and actions)\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are five steps in the strategic area assessment conference. Step 1 sometimes begins before the conference, and Step 5 continues after its conclusion.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5- Research Findings","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe SAA approach is grounded in networked and participatory actions within its local organizing framework. Two major criteria must be met for the success of the current project:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOffering an appropriate region-based strategy for multi-sector development through a facilitated participatory process.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eEstablishing a public-private partnership that is responsible and coordinated to promote and implement the development strategy(Williams \u0026nbsp;\u0026amp; Hummelbrunner, 2010).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003ePrior to organizing the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) conference, the main advocates of this plan, in collaboration with the local council of Torud village and the\u0026nbsp;\u0026Prime;Imam Reza Mosque\u0026Prime;\u0026nbsp;trustee, along with technical assistance from a digital currency expert (who preferred not to disclose their name), arranged stakeholder meetings. Furthermore, a significant volume of data was collected to provide an overall statistical perspective, and a SWOT analysis was carried out by external experts. The five main steps of the Strategic Area Assessment were implemented as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStep 1: Preparation of the Strategic Area Assessment Conference.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter examining the geographical location, local ecological conditions, and the economic situation of the Torud village, as well as analyzing the mining industry and digital currencies in the context of the challenges faced by the local population, who, like other areas of the country, grapple with a shortage of electricity, the first step is the preparation of the Strategic Area Assessment (SAA) conference. Therefore, it is essential to compile a list of individuals from various governmental, local, economic, and political backgrounds. This list includes unauthorized miners, local influencers, village heads, members of Islamic councils, non-native residents, and even ordinary residents in the region. In this study, after extensive research and efforts, a 54-person list was compiled. The selection was made based on factors such as location, gender, age, profession, political and religious backgrounds, commercial and non-commercial/private and governmental activities, individuals in or retired from positions, those with special needs, and representatives from various sectors. The preparation, organization, and facilitation of the SAA conference require considerable attention .Due to the vastness of the region, collecting individuals and organizing the conference involved significant challenges. Throughout the project, three conferences were held at a single location. All efforts were made to create a vibrant and engaging environment for the participants, ensuring they were well-received, and sessions were structured to last no longer than an hour to prevent a decrease in creative thinking and attentiveness. The first conference took place on October 28, 2022, corresponding to the 6th of Aban, 1401, at the old mosque near \u0026Prime;Imamzadeh Habibollah\u0026Prime;, situated close to Torud village. The conference lasted for nearly three hours.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStep 2: Execution of Key Questions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStrategic Area Assessment (SAA) serves as a time-saving tool. To achieve better results, there is a need for significant repetition of questions. High repetition signifies the emergence of certain aspects in various questions, creating robust and useful results. Questions related to each component can be quickly addressed, and some questions that don\u0026apos;t appear to be particularly meaningful in the context or framework can be eliminated. After briefly introducing the concept of Strategic Area Assessment and its execution procedure, conference participants were divided into nine working groups, (each composed of six members). To obtain more realistic results, the groups chosen for key questions had the necessary diversity, with each group of six members. To each group, two components of the nine-faceted chart (referring to Figure 1) were assigned to work on, in a manner that the first component, which represents governance, was designated to each group based on the clockwise order. Each group was then responsible for working on two adjacent components (Table 1). They were instructed to nominate a spokesperson who would also manage time during the ranking process.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach group addressed 30 questions related to their two respective sub-components (3 questions for each of the 5 sub-components of 2 main components). It is worth mentioning that participants did not answer a few questions related to sub-components (for example, the first group did not provide an answer to the third question of the \u0026quot;organization\u0026quot; sub-component from the \u0026quot;governance\u0026quot; component). Each question was presented in a way that allowed responses to be ranked on a scale from 1 to 10 (for example, how attractive is this region to skilled employees and capable managers? No attraction = 1, very attractive = 10). The highest score (10) was based on the potential for internal development in the region according to participants and/or comparison with an external model from other regions. Participants were asked to consider not only the current situation but also the past ten years for critique and review. In key questions, when consensus could not be reached in a group, the scores were averaged, and the type of disagreement and consensus on the colored cards was noted. This same procedure is followed when brilliant ideas or memorable quotes result from group discussions. In this project, the mentioned event did not occur. Subsequently, the average score for each sub-component was calculated, and then the average of these scores was calculated for each component. Since including questions and responses from participants and the method of calculating 45 sub-components and 9 components in two groups, this framework makes this article extensive, so only the calculations of the first group with two components \u0026quot;governance\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;capacities\u0026quot; are shown in Table 2.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn order to ensure alignment and coherence in our operations, each component is independently ranked by two groups. This \u0026quot;re-ranking\u0026quot; serves as a control mechanism for adaptability and consistency. In the assessment of the strategic domain, if there is a significant difference in the rankings of a component and its sub-components between the two groups, perceptions should be evaluated with greater depth and precision. For instance, in the sub-component of ecosystem structures under the environment component, there was a substantial disparity between the fourth and eighth groups, where, in response to the questions, the fifth group had a very weak spectrum, and the eighth group had a very strong spectrum. This issue was resolved upon reevaluating perceptions. To provide a better understanding of the calculations in this section, as an example, the method for calculating the \u0026quot;governance\u0026quot; component and its five sub-components, to which the first and fifth groups responded, and the \u0026quot;society\u0026quot; component and its five sub-components, to which the fourth and ninth groups responded, is presented (Table 3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStep 3: Create a spider web diagram\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter calculating the definite average of the components in the past and present state, the final spider web diagram was drawn by the facilitators and using the ranking results of the groups (Table 4). Next, the obtained result was displayed on a large sheet of paper. A nine-sided diagram showed the assessment of the current situation and another diagram showed the situation ten years ago(Figure 3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStep 4: Critical Stage - Results Extraction\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second conference for results extraction took place on November 25, 2022, Friday, during the same venue (Imam Reza Mosque in the village of Torud) and lasted for over two hours. This session, attended by all participants, is considered a transformation of assessment activities into strategic priorities towards innovation. Initially, the spider web diagram and related data (both current and past) were presented (Figure 3). Subsequently, discussions and exchanges took place to identify the levers that have the potential to drive the development of areas as a whole. In this stage, the assessment approach is not based on a \u0026quot;scientific\u0026quot; method but relies on intuition, experience, and dialogue . The assessment approach for the strategic domain introduces six \u0026quot;rule-of-thumb\u0026quot; principles for results extraction, which are as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource-Centricity\u003c/strong\u003e: The selected strategy should always be based on the components with the highest rankings. In this research, the highest rankings pertain to components such as financial resources, markets, and perceptions.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cstrong\u003eCompleteness\u003c/strong\u003e: A well-structured and modern strategy must be grounded on at least one component from each of the triple aspects (i.e., capital, flows, and levers). In this study, financial resources rank highly in the capital aspect, markets have the highest ranking among the flow components, and perceptions hold the highest ranking within the lever components.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSymmetry:\u003c/strong\u003e The chosen strategy should be based on components that exhibit a good distribution on the diagram, in other words, they should not be one-sided. In this example, the three components with the highest rankings (financing, markets, and perceptions) are all adjacent and situated towards the lower part of the diagram. The community, identities, financing, as well as markets, activities, and the environment, show a more proportionate and balanced distribution.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eField Effect\u003c/strong\u003e: When a component falls between two other components, both of which have higher or lower rankings, it creates a strong field effect. This effect is not present in this project.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTriangular Effect\u003c/strong\u003e: If two components from one aspect have similar rankings, the third component from the same aspect is likely to be similar to them as well. This effect is also absent in this project.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Sustainability\u003c/strong\u003e: In the long term, the chosen strategies should be aimed at stabilizing the three capital components at the highest possible level to ensure the durability and sustainability of results(Williams \u0026nbsp;\u0026amp; Hummelbrunner, 2010).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps the most crucial part of the project should be considered the stage of results extraction and prioritizing strategies. In a large session involving more than 50 participants, discussions and debates could become lengthy, often involving peripheral activities and initiatives. To mitigate this risk, Step 4 (Results Extraction) was divided into three sections:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the first section, the integrated results and spider diagram data were presented for everyone, and a brief discussion was conducted to clarify the topics. Facilitators attempted to examine and elaborate on changes in each component over time, both past and present. Certainly, this examination can contribute significantly to a better understanding of the subject, facilitating the identification of strategies. Additionally, participants familiarized themselves with the \u0026quot;rule-of-thumb\u0026quot; principles and the interpretation of information.\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;In the second segment, participants were divided into two groups and discussed the results, highlighting differing perceptions of the strategic priorities to be selected.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the third part, the results of the groups\u0026apos; work were presented in the final general session. During this session, facilitators summarized the discussions and focused on a limited number of strategic priorities by combining components (triplets or quadruplets). In other words, strategies were chosen that encompassed three or four components. In this session, three strategic priorities were selected as the outcomes of the discussion, which are as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBecoming the Industry Hub for Sun-Driven Natural Resources Extraction\u003c/strong\u003e: This strategy revolves around the region\u0026apos;s abundance of solar resources (financing, markets, perceptions, and the environment). This strategy is primarily a result of resource-centric thinking. As elaborated, the four components - financing, markets, perceptions, and the environment - which scored the highest on the spider web diagram, played a significant role in this strategic priority. Facilitators and conference participants articulated that achieving this industry transformation into a hub for solar-powered resource extraction requires substantial financing, encompassing various financial and non-financial markets. Moreover, it necessitates a positive shift in the mindset, attitudes, and perceptions of the local population towards the growth of the extraction industry. Additionally, the region\u0026apos;s environmental conditions must be favorable for the development of this industry.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEconomic development through the enhancement of coordinated education and technical skills in the field of mining and digital currencies\u003c/strong\u003e (governance, capacities, activities) has a more significant impact on the principle of completeness. In this approach, economic development is achieved by improving vocational education and skills, addressing strategic structures and processes as capital (governance component), knowledge and technology as a flow (capacities), and self-sufficiency efforts as an accelerating lever (activities).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAdvertising and marketing of regional traditional and environmentally friendly products to attract non-native users\u003c/strong\u003e (environment, financing, and capacities) have been identified as a strategic priority. Facilitators and participants in this session believe that the principle of symmetry has the most significant impact on the identification of this strategy. The three components, environment, financing, and capacities, for which reasons for their influence on priority identification have been mentioned, were chosen due to their appropriate distribution on the spider web diagram. In other words, these three components are the basis for the identification of the mentioned strategic priority.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is necessary to acknowledge that all six rule-of-thumb principles have been influential in determining strategic priorities. Stating that a specific rule-of-thumb had the most significant impact on identifying a particular strategic priority does not imply the insignificance of the other rule-of-thumb principles. Furthermore, the principle of \u0026Prime;sustainability\u0026Prime; has been effective in identifying all three priorities in this project.\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eStep 5: Charting the Forward Path\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe third session was also held at the same regular location on Saturday, December 9, 2022, to execute operational objectives and practical steps. After identifying the priorities, participants engaged in new working groups for each priority (3 working groups with around 17 members each). They focused on operational objectives and practical steps to define and elaborate on detailed strategies in the subsequent conference evaluating the strategic domain. Each working group selected spokespersons for each topic. The spokesperson for the first working group, \u0026quot;Becoming the Industry Hub for Sun-Driven Natural Resources Extraction\u0026quot; (financing, markets, perceptions, and the environment), outlined the following practical steps:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eA meeting consisting of village headmen from the villages of Torud, Satveh, Bidestan, Mehdiabad, and Sarkheh, held at the Torud headman\u0026apos;s office. During this meeting, a letter was addressed to the Central Shahrood Subdivision and copies were sent to government organizations, including the Housing Foundation, the Environmental Department, the Water and Power Organization, Technical and Professional Organizations, and others, requesting their support and collaboration for the mentioned project. The meeting requested assistance and cooperation from these organizations.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eA group of local dignitaries and influencers from the villages submitted a written request to the honorable representatives of Shahrood, Bastam, and Miyami in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, urging them to support the realization of this project from provincial or national budgets.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u0026nbsp;Given that there are over 20 active mines in the region (90% of which are copper mines), and besides the employment opportunities they have created, the use of acid and lead resulting from copper extraction has significant adverse effects on the environment and the local population. Therefore, a portion of the project\u0026apos;s cost is expected to be covered by these mines. This responsibility falls upon the Islamic Council of each village.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u0026nbsp;Considering the favorable financial situation of the local population, it was decided to establish a local digital currency fund to utilize the contributions of the people for the development of the mining industry and digital currencies.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spokesperson of the second working group, which focuses on economic development through improving the coordination of education and technical skills in the field of the mining industry and digital currencies (governance, capacities, activities), also outlined the following objectives and practical steps:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSince there is a school in every village, it was decided that the village council and the Islamic Council of each village would request assistance from the Shahrood County Department of Education to organize educational classes. They also sought assistance from the Shahrood Vocational and Technical Department for hardware facilities.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eApproximately 7 to 8 significant groups and channels with several thousand members exist within the network of both foreign and domestic virtual platforms, including Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, Rubika, Aparat, and others. It was decided to approach their administrators to seek their support in promoting and educating about the mentioned project.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe spokesperson of the third working group, which focuses on advertising and marketing of the region\u0026apos;s environmentally friendly and traditional products to attract non-native users (environment, financing, and capacities), introduced the following practical measures:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eIn the past, an annual date festival was held in the village of Torud. It was decided to organize not only the date festival but also other events such as the camel festival, desert exploration, and more every year to further promote the region.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u0026nbsp;It was decided to distribute a documented program to members of each village\u0026apos;s Islamic Council, detailing more of the region\u0026apos;s attractions and the growth of the mining industry, and broadcast it on the provincial radio and television through a letter signed by the council members of each village.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e"},{"header":"6. Research Conclusion and Future Recommendations","content":"\u003cp\u003eenergy policies need to consider the \u0026ldquo;side effects\u0026rdquo; on the environment, economy and society. Social sustainability, although presented as pillar of equal relevance, is in sustainability communication often treated as supporting argument for environmental or economic efficiency(Brailsford et al,.2023). With the transition to renewable energy technologies, the system of power generation changes from a few large power plants to a larger number of distributed generation sites(Striclkowski er al,.2021).Since the beginning of the 1990s, the systems thinking approach has dominated the discourse on sustainable development, emphasizing the interplay between the economy, society, and the environment. In this perspective, sustainable development is envisioned as a long-term development that encompasses future generations and aims to provide strategies and tools to meet human basic needs Sustainable development represents a balance between the various economic, social, and environmental dimensions, with the goal of enhancing the quality of human life. Undoubtedly, the practical steps taken in this project hold the key to achieving sustainable economic development in Torud village. In other words, the output of this research will ultimately provide the people of the region with economic prosperity through the cryptocurrency mining industry. However, it should be noted that continuous efforts and persistence in all three working groups are essential to secure support and backing from the relevant organizations. In conclusion, it is anticipated that following the implementation of practical steps over the next few months, the growth of the mining industry and digital currencies in Torud village will commence, enabling industry users not only to reduce the pressure on the national power grid but also to easily and more cost-effectively generate increased income from mining and digital currencies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, it is recommended that future researchers focus on sustainable development and the growth of cryptocurrency mining in various regions, such as forested areas, coastal regions, etc., which may have unique potential for energy generation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval \u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll surveys, interviews or focus groups, etc. conducted in this research according to Ethics approval is by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), duly constituted All subjects gave their informed consent before participating in the study.\u003cspan dir=\"RTL\"\u003e.\u003c/span\u003eand Important ethical concerns were considered. During the manuscript, the ethical principles of writing, including ethics, fraudulent publication, plagiarism, duplicate publication, authorship and possible conflict of interest, have been observed. All experts and interviewees have participated in this research with their consent and all scientific principles and rules have been correctly implemented in these interviews. Also, all the authors are fully satisfied with the publication of the information of this article\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research had no\u0026nbsp;Funding and all its costs were paid by Hasan Arabameri. And no organization, department or government institution has been the investor of this research. And this declaration is \u0026ldquo;not applicable\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe main data of this research was obtained through interviews with twelve experts who have complete knowledge of digital currencies and cryptocurrency mining. This data is freely available to the public. The authors provide a data availability statement indicating that the data, the methods used in the analysis, the code and the materials used to conduct the research can be made available to any researcher for the purposes of reproducing the results or replicating the method.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlberto Franco, L, Etienne A.J.A. Rouwette (2011)- Decision development in facilitated modelling workshops, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 212, Issue 1, Pages 1-222\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlberto Franco, L, Montibeller, G.(2010)- Facilitated modelling in operational research, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 205, Issue 3, Pages 489-734 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAlex de Vries.2021. Bitcoin\u0026apos;s Environmental Impact. cell press. Amsterdam, Netherlands . Department of Economics\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAntulio Rosales, 2021, Unveiling the power behind cryptocurrency mining in Venezuela: A fragile energy infrastructure and precarious labor. Energy Research \u0026amp; Social Science. Elsevier.volume 19. 102167\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBob Williams and Richard Hummelbrunner. systems concepts in action: a practitioer‛s toolkit. Stanford Business Books (2010) ISBN 978-0-8047-7062-0 (cloth : alk. paper)\u0026mdash;ISBN 978-0-8047-7063-7. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrailsford S., Vissers J.(2011)- OR in healthcare: A European perspective, European Journal of Operational Research, 212 (2) pp. 223-234,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrown, J, Cooper, C, Pidd, M. (2006)- A taxing problem: The complementary use of hard and soft OR in the public sector, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 172, Issue 2,PP369-718 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuchmayr,A, Verhofstadt,E, Van Ootegem,L, Thomassen, G, Taelman, S, E, Dewulf,J (2022)- Exploring the global and local social sustainability of wind energy technologies: An application of a social impact assessment framework, Applied Energy, Volume 312,15, 118808\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEsmaeili,P, Rafei, M, (2021)- Dynamics analysis of factors affecting electricity consumption fluctuations based on economic conditions: Application of SVAR and TVP-VAR models, Energy journal, Volume 226, 120340\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGhaebi Panah, P, Bornapour, M, Cui, X, Josep M. Guerrero, (2022)- Investment opportunities: Hydrogen production or BTC mining? , International Journal of Hydrogen Energy , Volume 47, Issue 9, 5709-6436\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHajipour, E, Khavari, F, Hajiaghapour-Moghimi, M, Azimi Hosseini, K, Vakilian, M, (2022). An economic evaluation framework for cryptocurrency mining operation in microgrids-International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, Volume 142, Part B, 108329\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLami, I,M, Tavella, E,(2019)- On the usefulness of soft OR models in decision making: A comparison of Problem Structuring Methods supported and self-organized workshops, The European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 275, Issue 3, Pages 795-1190 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLami, I,M, Todella, E,(2023)- A multi-methodological combination of the strategic choice approach and the analytic network process: From facts to values and vice versa, European Journal of Operational Research (EJOR), Volume 307, Issue 2, Pages 499-990\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeonardo Antonio Monteiro Pess\u0026ocirc;a, Marcos Pereira Estellita Lins. Angela Cristina Moreira da Silva, Roberto Fiszman(2015)- Integrating soft and hard operational research to improve surgical centre management at a university hospital. The European Journal of Operational Research, Volume 245, Issue 3, pp 629-878\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLin Tan.Liyan Xue.2021. Research on the Development of Digital Currencies under the COVID-19 Epidemic Procedia Computer Science.Volume187.pages89-96\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLukesch, Robert. 2009. Strategic area assessment. This paper is available for freedownload on the Web site of \u0026Ouml;AR Regionalberatung. It contains the most recent(English) version of the innovation compass, including detailed descriptions and a standard template for all 135 key questions. http://www.oear.at/e\u0026lt;-\u0026gt;downloads.html.Click on Innovation Compass V5\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePerrons, R,K, Cosby, T,(2020)- Applying blockchain in the geoenergy domain: The road to interoperability and standards, Appied Energy, Volume 262, 114545\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRam, C., Montibeller, G., \u0026amp; Morton, A. (2011). Extending the use of scenario planning and MCDA for the evaluation ofstrategic options. Journal of the operational research society, 62(5), 817-829.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchleicher-Tappeser, Ruggero, Robert Lukesch, Filippo Strati, Gerry Sweeney, and Alain.Thierstein. 1999. Instruments for sustainable regional development. Final Report of the Research Project INSURED (1996\u0026ndash;98), funded from the 4\u003csup\u003eth\u003c/sup\u003e Research and Development Framework Programme of the European Commission.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStriclkowski, W, Civin, L, Tarkhanova, E, Tvaronaviciene, M, Petrenko, Y,(2021)- Renewable Energy in the Sustainable Development of Electrical Power Sector: A Review, Energies, 14(24), 824044\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTasca, P., A. Hayes, S. Liu(2018)- The evolution of the Bitcoin economy: Extracting and analyzing the network of payment relationships, Journal of Risk Finance, Volume 19, Issue 2, Pages 94-126\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTodella, E., Lami, I. M., \u0026amp; Armando, A. (2018). Experimental use of strategic choice approach (SCA) by individuals as an architectural design tool. Group decision and negotiation, 27(5), 811-826.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable 1 to 4 are available in the Supplementary Files section.\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Mining Industry, Digital Currencies, Strategic Area Assessment, Torud village","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4049137/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4049137/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurpose\u003c/strong\u003e: Dynamism is the fundamental element in all phenomena in the world. Humans perceive phenomena through \"systems concepts\" and study their dynamic behaviors over time. One practical method of systems concepts is the Strategic Area Assessment used as a tool for local and regional development. This Strategic Area Assessment the potential facilities specific to a local area with the identification of the most probable strategies for innovation. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to investigate the application of the SAA method as a case study for sustainable development of the\" Torud\" region through the mining industry and digital assets (while addressing the issue of electricity shortage resulting from mining).\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eResearch Methodology\u003c/strong\u003e: In this study, a strategic assessment approach, which is considered one of the soft operations research methods, was used. Within this approach, a wide range of stakeholders is collected, and based on their knowledge, their readiness to pursue new pathways is strengthened. In this research, the five main stages of the SAA have been implemented as follows: a conference consisting of 54 stakeholders and experts in the mining and digital currency industry in Torud village was formed. Also, \"Innovation Compass\" was used as the main tool of SAA. After identifying the 9 components and 45 sub-components of SAA, and after conducting key questions in the past and present, the final score of each component and sub-component was obtained. These scores are plotted in a \"Spider web diagram\" to identify strategic priorities for innovation in the mining and digital currency industry, and in the final stage, the identified priorities are used to draw a forward path.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFindings\u003c/strong\u003e: With the help of the strategic area assessment tool, not only is the problem of electricity shortage for cryptocurrency miners solved, but also by utilizing the region's potential resources (solar energy), electricity becomes more accessible and cost-effective through solar panels. This approach not only results in cost savings but also generates additional income, fostering the sustainable economic development of this region.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin/Scientific Added Value\u003c/strong\u003e: Strategic area assessment, including methods of systems thinking and soft operations research, has been rarely used in Iran, and very limited in research worldwide. Hopefully, this present study will serve as a source for further research, both globally and especially in Iran.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"In the Name of God Sustainable Development through Potential Local Resources in the Area of Torud village in the Field ofDigital Currencies (Especially Mining) Using the Strategic Area Assessment Approach","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-03-13 16:48:09","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4049137/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"8362dc1b-4fd1-41c2-b970-57173f6afdd8","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 13th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-03-27T00:44:30+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-03-13 16:48:09","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4049137","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4049137","identity":"rs-4049137","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}