Hossein Afshin, speaking at the opening ceremony of the second Iran Petrochem Conference and Exhibition on Saturday, stated that the technology park for oil and gas industries, serving as a technological and AI ecosystem, will mark the beginning of sustainable economic growth at the forefront of technical knowledge in the industry.

He explained that the technology park, along with an AI center, will be built on Kish Island with the goal of leveraging advanced AI knowledge.

The project is a collaboration between the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company, and the Kish Free Zone Organization.

Afshin emphasized that the establishment of this advanced, globally informed center will utilize the country’s indigenous knowledge, which he described as its most significant advantage.

He added that this initiative will not only create competitive opportunities but also accelerate sustainable development.

The vice president identified three principles as the foundation of macroeconomic growth: the accumulation of innovation, the dissemination of knowledge, and creative destruction.

He noted that at this stage of global development, where the world is rapidly advancing toward sustainable economic growth through new technologies like AI, it is essential to allow new innovations to replace older technologies.

The offical urged older, state-supported companies to seize the opportunity to adopt and benefit from these innovations.

Afshin referred to this process as "creative destruction," a critical principle of sustainable development that moves toward the cutting edge of knowledge.

He stressed that operating at the forefront of knowledge requires less capital in the long term. When a pervasive technology emerges, it does not generate wealth on its own; rather, the technologies dependent on it create wealth.

AI, he said, is currently a pervasive technology, and its benefits will shine in services and products derived from it, such as those in the petrochemical industry and its value-added chains.

He described companies like the Persian Gulf Holding as intermediaries between knowledge-based companies, national producers, and petrochemical industry players, noting that this connection fosters industry development based on modern knowledge.

The second Iran Petrochem Conference and Exhibition, themed "Supporting Technology-Based Production," opened on Saturday and will run for three days.

The event, held at the Kish International Exhibition Center from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., features over 140 petrochemical companies, domestic firms, and knowledge-based and technology-driven entities in the petrochemical sector.