Shakeri made the remarks Wednesday, Aug. 26, during a meeting with
researchers and experts at the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company,
emphasizing the need to strengthen links between the research organization and
petrochemical producers.
“The petrochemical industry is one family,” Shakeri said, arguing that
the research company should no longer be viewed as an entity belonging solely
to the National Petrochemical Company. Its technological capabilities, he said,
should be integrated across the industry so that petrochemical producers regard
the research company as a strategic partner in addressing technological
challenges.
Shakeri criticized what he described as fragmented approaches within
the industry, saying some of the problems facing petrochemical companies stem
from a form of “self-sanctioning” caused by insufficient use of domestic
capabilities.
He called for greater reliance on local expertise, equipment and
research capacity, saying petrochemical companies should be encouraged to turn
to the research company for solutions to technological and production
challenges.
Turning Research Capacity into Economic Value
The NPC chief said the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company
has accumulated significant assets over more than two decades, including
skilled personnel, specialized laboratories, equipment and technical knowledge.
Those capabilities should be converted into economic value and placed
at the service of the petrochemical industry, he said.
The company should develop technology-based businesses whose benefits
first strengthen the research organization itself, then the petrochemical
industry and ultimately Iran’s wider economy, according to Shakeri.
He said the company was established as a business rather than merely
as a research institute because its mission extends beyond generating knowledge
to commercializing technology and creating new technology-based businesses.
The ultimate objective should be to translate the work of researchers
into technologies that can generate multiple layers of economic value for Iran,
while revenues from those activities can help finance new projects and
research, Shakeri said.
Greater Reliance on Domestic Technology
Shakeri also called for reducing reliance on foreign technology and
increasing the use of domestic expertise to address the industry's
technological needs.
The research company should identify problems facing petrochemical
producers and demonstrate that domestic solutions are available, he said.
Expanding into new areas of knowledge, entering new domestic and
international markets and developing technology-based businesses could position
the company as a leader in innovation, according to Shakeri. Technologies
developed by the company could also be deployed in other sectors of Iran’s
economy.
The restructuring of Iran’s petrochemical industry following the
transfer of many complexes to private ownership has created a new operating
environment, Shakeri said, requiring a different strategy for connecting the
research company with producers across the industry.
Research Centers Near Production Hubs
Shakeri also called for stronger links between the company’s research centers
in Arak, Mahshahr and Asalouyeh and petrochemical producers operating in those
regions.
The centers should become more closely integrated with the economies
of their respective petrochemical hubs, while local producers should channel
their research, technological and knowledge-based needs to those facilities, he
said.
Shakeri pointed to the experience of major international companies,
where research centers are often located close to production hubs to maintain a
continuous connection between research and manufacturing.
Iran’s petrochemical industry already has the infrastructure for such
a model, he said, but the links between research and production need to be
strengthened.
Short-Term Focus on Structural Problems
The meeting also addressed financial constraints, human resources and
infrastructure needs at the research company.
Shakeri said the necessary infrastructure should be provided to allow
the organization to pursue its plans more effectively, adding that the issues
raised during the meeting would be followed up.
“I have worked in research and technology for years and consider
myself alongside the colleagues at this company,” he said.
Shakeri also cited Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad’s support for
technology development, saying the minister has emphasized the need to maintain
technology as a prominent and influential pillar of Iran’s oil industry.
He expressed hope that a significant portion of the company’s problems
could be resolved in the short term, rather than through long-term commitments,
paving the way for a technological expansion at both the research company and
the wider petrochemical industry.
At the meeting, managers and researchers from the Petrochemical
Research and Technology Company presented their views and outlined challenges
facing the organization.
Separately, the company received a three-star award under the
Petrochemical Industry Excellence Award program. The award was presented to
Mohammad Kermani, chief executive officer of the Petrochemical Research and
Technology Company, in the presence of Kamran Dehghani, Ghodratollah Nasiri,
Shahram Rezaei and Fahimeh Abdi, secretary of the Petrochemical Industry
Excellence Award.