On Monday, during the 17th “Made in Iran” exhibition, Omid Shakeri discussed the ministry's initiatives for developing infrastructure and policymaking. He outlined several key measures, including the establishment of a comprehensive research, technology, and commercialization system, the creation of policies and research directions for the Ministry of Petroleum, and the strategic roadmap for advancing technology in the oil industry.

Shakeri also highlighted the formation of a working group to enhance oil and gas production technologies within the Ministry of Petroleum. This group’s activities include identifying top experts in the field, gathering technological development proposals from universities across the country, supporting the best projects, facilitating the signing of contracts, and removing barriers to research agreements and technology development contracts with university-based firms, especially those dealing with low-yield wells.

Support for 150 Master's and Doctoral Theses

In his remarks, Shakeri mentioned that the Ministry of Petroleum’s special portal within the National System for Ideas and Needs (NAN) has recorded 843 technological requirements. He added that from the beginning of 2024 to the end of the first half of the year, 312 research contracts with universities and research centers had been signed, worth more than 1,700 billion rials.

He further noted that the ministry had supported 150 theses at the master's and doctoral levels, awarded 17 research scholarships, and provided funding for doctoral students through the Shahid Tondgouyan Scholarship Program. The ministry also allocated 320,000 square meters of space for the establishment of startup and technology companies.

Shakeri referred to several strategic and technological projects under the Ministry of Petroleum aimed at commercialization. These include the revival of closed and low-yield wells, the manufacturing of strategic items for the oil industry, optimizing fuel consumption, and developing the petrochemical value chain, as well as improving the quality of petroleum products.

At the end of the meeting, the book "Research and Technology Priorities of the Ministry of Oil" was unveiled in the presence of Shakeri, and Mohammad-Saeid Seif, Director-General of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology’s Office of Community and Industry Relations.