Fozieh Morovvat, director of strategy and product-development
infrastructure at PGPIC, told the opening ceremony of the Petrofan 2025
conference that the industry can no longer be evaluated solely by production
metrics. She said its future will depend on its ability to generate technology,
expand technical know-how and contribute to an innovation-driven economy.
Morovvat cited global examples, noting that companies such as Aramco
and BASF derive significant portions of their economic growth from
digitalization, research and development, and new product creation. She said
BASF has invested an average of €2 billion annually in R&D despite periods
of economic volatility, demonstrating the long-term strategic value of innovation.
She added that Iran must decide whether to remain a consumer of global
technologies or build its own technological base through innovation in business
models, production processes, energy optimization and product development.
According to Morovvat, 58 petrochemical companies from outside the
PGPIC group participated in this year’s innovation award process, supported by
the National Petrochemical Company. More than 840 expert-hours of evaluation
were conducted, and 357 technological needs were identified, including 127
priority needs communicated to the country’s knowledge-based ecosystem.
The Petrofan 2025 event includes 20 technical meetings between
petrochemical producers and 287 knowledge-based firms, with results to be
announced at the closing session on Tuesday.
Morovvat said more than 400 innovation cases have been recorded in the
industry’s innovation database, calling it a unique asset that could help align
the Iranian petrochemical sector with global technological frontiers. She
outlined future objectives for Petrofan, including strengthening its role as a
national innovation platform, increasing international engagement, and
reinforcing the sector’s innovation value chain.