Hassan Abbasszadeh made the remarks in an online address to an event
hosted by Pars Petrochemical Co.
Abbasszadeh said Iran’s petrochemical excellence award, a long-running
internal performance scheme, helps companies familiarise themselves with
“modern global concepts” in environmental management, technology and corporate
governance. He noted that the framework is designed not to reward competition
for medals but to encourage companies to launch improvement projects.
He highlighted the role of Pars Petrochemical CEO Abdolkarim
Pahlavani, describing him as one of the founders of the national excellence
award and a key figure in developing its updated models.
The NPC chief said the number of petrochemical companies in Iran has
grown from about 30 in the early 2010s to nearly 80 today, but added that
leadership skills and management knowledge among new executives still require
“serious work.” He urged managers to understand the full petrochemical value
chain, warning that knowledge gaps between divisions can undermine strategic
decision-making.
Abbasszadeh said the industry must pay closer attention to
stakeholders, including neighbouring communities, as several complexes are now
located close to expanding residential areas. He noted that global efforts to
curb plastic pollution – including negotiations on a legally binding plastics
treaty – require petrochemical companies to accelerate adoption of circular-economy
practices, such as recycling and returning polymers to the production cycle.
He added that the excellence award model is flexible enough to
incorporate emerging priorities, from safety and environmental performance to
stakeholder engagement and technological adaptation.
Abbasszadeh thanked the award’s secretariat, assessors and
company-level excellence teams, expressing hope that continued cooperation and
knowledge-sharing would help sustain the sector’s improvement efforts.