MAPNA Group President Mohammad Owliya says creativity and innovation are integral parts of engineering and act as prerequisites for the development of businesses.
He made the remarks while addressing an event held at Monenco Iran Consulting Engineers on February 21, 2024, to mark the Iranian National Engineer’s Day.
The ceremony was attended by a host of MAPNA Group managers and engineers.
“Engineering in MAPNA Group finds a more fundamental role as we move from the level of projects to that of products and parts manufacturing. But creativity and innovation are even more essential at all these levels,” he said.
Pointing to the importance of engineering for a developing economy, Owliya stressed that creativity and innovation along with the ability to analyze were the “main drivers” of such an economy.
“We need to have the potential for innovation and economic development at all these levels, and our country needs this synergy,” he said, adding that the growth of the knowledge-based ecosystem in the country has also created more opportunities for turning creativity into income.
“We at MAPNA Group must maximize innovation; both in terms of the number of innovations and their output, which generates income for the company and wealth for the country,” Owliya noted.
Engineering needs to collaborate with other disciplines and focus on teamwork, he reminded, adding, “We have 28,000 people working in MAPNA in different layers and levels and engineering and non-engineering disciplines, and this demands integration and cohesive teamwork.”
“MAPNA Group has always been distinguished in many fields and I hope we will achieve more success in the teamwork culture,” he said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he noted that MAPNA Group’s strategy for the next decade has recently been updated and announced.
“One of the main focuses is the development of renewables. We need to have more growth in this area with a suitable economic approach. We can also use different methods of international partnerships, and enter into different projects and combine new methods of investment and financing, to take a more serious approach to a relatively new field like renewables,” Owliya said.
Referring to the need for new strategies in the water industry, he added, “Energy efficiency is also a new and untapped business area that we need to make economical; the biggest source of energy in the country is the wasted energy and we have to create a new business from it.”
Following the president’s statement, a report on Monenco’s performance in the Iranian calendar year 1402 (March 2023 – March 2024) was presented. The report highlighted the achievements of the company, such as securing nine international contracts by Monenco Iran and four more by its branch in Oman. The report also reviewed the contractors’ satisfaction with Monenco, the operational revenues, and the strategic approaches of the company.
MAPNA Group can use AI to improve products, services
Alireza Yazdizadeh, deputy head of MAPNA Group for strategic planning, was the next speaker at the event who touched upon the potential to use artificial intelligence to improve products and services at MAPNA Group.
Artificial intelligence is introducing changes to the world as the global investment in this area will reach $200 billion in the next two years, he said.
Some 45% of the total profit of artificial intelligence, he maintained, is reinvested in enhancing its products, services, and processes.
He noted that besides China and the United States, the two major players in this field, regional initiatives in artificial intelligence are also progressing.
“MAPNA Group is a manufacturer of products and a provider of services, so it can use artificial intelligence tools to improve its offerings, including in the areas of value engineering and project construction,” said the senior manager.
He hoped that MAPNA Group would become active in the field of artificial intelligence, which he said would be an independent and competitive business.
Elsewhere, Yazdizadeh described Monenco Iran as the “hub of engineering” at MAPNA Group, adding, that the consulting group has been active and influential in the international arena, and has also developed its business well thanks to its engineering expertise.
Faramarz Ghelichi, Managing Director of Monenco Iran, was the next speaker at the event who said that innovative engineering solutions are used to turn challenges into opportunities.
Enjoying “outstanding” engineers, Monenco Iran has been able to “make impossible dreams come true” as it is now cooperating with 17 companies, he said.
“For the first time, we have been able to sign suitable international contracts, based on the trust that MAPNA has at the global level and the high technical scores that we have achieved,” he noted.
“We value the culture of innovation and growth in this company and we look forward to more productive cooperation with MAPNA Group,” Ghelichi said, vowing that the conglomerate would create an important legacy for future generations.
National Engineer’s Day is a celebration of the Iranian engineers and their achievements. It is observed every year on February 24, which coincides with the birthday of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (1201-1274 CE), a renowned Persian scholar, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and engineer. He is considered one of the greatest Persian scientists of all time and the founder of the Maragheh observatory, one of the most advanced astronomical centers in the 13th century. He also made significant contributions to trigonometry, geometry, and planetary models. A lunar crater is named after him as “Nasireddin” in recognition of his work.
