Speaking Tuesday at the closing ceremony of Petrofan 1404, Afshin said the future “is intelligent,” and those who understand it earlier, decide earlier and build earlier will lead. He added that Petrofan reflects this very moment — a moment when Iran’s petrochemical industry is recognizing a major transformation and paradigm shift.

He said the power of the future does not lie in the size of reservoirs or distillation towers but in the depth of data and the courage to innovate. Referring to two decades of scientific and technological progress, he said Iran has now entered a phase where science is no longer solely for publication but for creating value — especially economic value.

Afshin said the goals of the Knowledge-Based Production Surge Law are becoming realities in the form of smart factories, optimized processes, predictable risks and powerful, innovative value chains.

Persian Gulf Holding’s Investment Fund on Track to Reach 500 Trillion Rials

Afshin said Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Co. must decide to move beyond production and become a driver of national technological development, a builder of value-added chains, and a reducer of raw-material exports. In today’s world, he said, development units in major industries are not peripheral departments but the intellectual hubs of industry.

He noted that the Office of the Vice President for Science and Technology acts not as a regulator but as a strategic partner to industry, supporting public–private partnerships, joint investments in strategic technologies, development of national innovation infrastructure, and commercialization efforts to align scientific and industrial pathways.

He recalled the establishment of one of the country’s largest industrial venture capital funds by Persian Gulf Holding, saying it began with limited capital and is now advancing toward a valuation of 500 trillion rials.

Iran’s Petrochemical Industry Decides to ‘See the Future Sooner’

Afshin said the global petrochemical industry is entering a new era in which artificial intelligence, the circular economy and green technologies are essential. “The future is intelligent, and the winner is the one who becomes intelligent before the future does,” he said.

He warned that industries that fail to become smart will eventually become consumers rather than producers; those that ignore the circular economy will lose future market share; and those that avoid green technologies will face global legal and environmental barriers.

Afshin said the main message of this year’s Petrofan is that innovation is no longer a choice—it is the foundation of industrial survival. In data-driven sectors, he said, the winner is the one who understands sooner.

He concluded that the future of Iran’s industry will take shape where major industrial holdings, the innovation ecosystem, venture capital, research and development, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence converge. “Petrofan is not just an event—it is a signal that Iran’s petrochemical industry has decided to see the future sooner,” he said.