The initiative is mandated under Article 9 of the Petroleum Ministry’s
Research, Technology and Commercialization Bylaw, which requires affiliated
companies to prepare technology development plans for submission to the
ministry’s Engineering, Research and Technology Directorate. The document will
also feed into the National Oil Technology Development Plan.
NPC said the strategic document aligns with national policy
frameworks, including the General Policies of Energy (Articles 4 and 8), the
General Policies of the Resistance Economy (Articles 2 and 15), and the Seventh
Development Plan (Article 8). It also supports the Knowledge-Based
Production Leap Act and the petrochemical industry’s Seventh and Eighth
Development Programs.
Key objectives include enhancing value creation across the
petrochemical value chain, developing first-of-a-kind strategic equipment, deepening
local manufacturing, integrating advanced technologies, and boosting the
sector’s global competitiveness.
According to NPC, the strategy will be developed in five main
sections:
- Foundational
Studies:
This section establishes the scientific and legal framework of the
document through detailed analysis of upstream policies, legal mandates,
and current industrial conditions. It includes SWOT and PESTEL
assessments, trade data analysis from Iranian Customs and Trademap,
benchmarking against leading companies such as SABIC, BASF, ExxonMobil,
LyondellBasell, BP, and CNPC, and examination of regulatory factors such
as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
- Technology
Foresight:
The document will track global technology and energy megatrends, assess
domestic and international innovation systems, and update Iran’s
petrochemical technology roadmap to 2051, emphasizing digital
transformation.
- Strategic
Framework:
This section defines NPC’s core principles, long-term vision, and
measurable five-year operational objectives in technology development.
- Strategies
and Roadmap:
The operational core of the plan, this section will identify priority
technologies, determine acquisition methods (in-house development,
transfer, or joint ventures), assess current capabilities, and design
collaborative models with domestic and international stakeholders. It will
also outline major technology projects with estimated budgets and
timelines through the end of the Eighth Development Plan.
- Innovation
System Enhancement:
The final section focuses on strengthening Iran’s innovation ecosystem
through R&D policies, support for entrepreneurship and local
manufacturing, improved governance, market formation, and mobilization of
financial and human resources.
NPC stated that the strategic document will serve as a roadmap for
transforming Iran into a regional hub for petrochemical technology. Expected
outcomes include reducing reliance on imported strategic equipment, raising the
share of domestically produced key items to over 70%, advancing Industry 4.0
integration across petrochemical complexes, and enhancing Iran’s position in
the global petrochemical value chain.