Signing ceremony of a joint cooperation memorandum between the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and the Mostazafan Foundation was hosted by Behran Oil Refinery — one of the subsidiaries of Sina Energy Holding.
According to Sina Energy: The memorandum was signed by Hossein Simaei-Sarraf, Minister of Science, Research and Technology, and Hossein Dehghan, President of the Mostazafan Foundation at Behran Oil Refinery.
During the event, which was attended by deputy heads of the Foundation, CEOs and deputies of its affiliated holdings, as well as presidents of leading Iranian universities, the Minister of Science and the President of the Foundation also toured various sections of Behran Oil Refinery.
In his remarks, Dehghan emphasized that one of the Foundation’s key areas of focus is the energy sector, particularly activities in the upstream oil and gas industries. He noted that “this sector requires substantial investment, is vital for the country, and lies beyond the reach of most private enterprises.” Dehghan added that through the implementation of major oil and gas projects, the Foundation has become one of the main pillars driving the development of Iran’s energy industry.
He further stated that the Foundation is now placing a strong emphasis on knowledge and innovation, explaining that “over 220 companies currently operate under the Foundation’s umbrella.” However, he noted that this diversity has limited efforts to advance in knowledge-based fields. “We are now moving toward a more focused approach,” he said, expressing hope that within the next two years, the Foundation will transform into a more specialized and innovative entity.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Ali Kazemi, CEO of Behran Oil Company, described the selection of an industrial venue for the signing as a significant step toward strengthening university–industry collaboration. He also presented a brief report on the company’s operations and products.
It is worth noting that, under this memorandum, more than 30 areas of cooperation and mutual commitments have been defined. These include an investment of 5 trillion tomans—from the Foundation’s industrial group tax credits—for conducting 270 research and technology projects, in collaboration with universities, science and technology parks, and knowledge-based enterprises. The agreement also highlights investment in 100 innovative and knowledge-based projects located within national science and technology parks.
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