Amir Abedpour
Innovation Strategist | Advisor to CEO, NIOC
National Iranian Oil Company
Amir Abedpour is a petroleum engineer, technological entrepreneur, and interdisciplinary researcher bridging industry operations, startup ecosystems, and organizational neuroscience to address a central strategic question: why do large organizations—especially National Oil Companies—resist transformative innovation even when their survival depends on it?
With nearly two decades of experience across Iran's energy and technology ecosystem, and currently serving as Advisor to the CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company on innovation strategy and technological entrepreneurship, he works at the intersection of theory and practice—developing evidence-based frameworks for institutional reform and sustainable energy transition leadership.
PROFESSIONAL TRAJECTORY
Amir began his career with a BSc in Petroleum Engineering from the Petroleum University of Technology (2008). Rather than following a conventional engineering path, he moved into technological entrepreneurship, founding several knowledge-based companies and establishing iTech Accelerator—one of Iran's leading hubs for energy-tech venture development. These experiences provided firsthand visibility into how institutional constraints in resource-dependent economies restrict innovation and limit the creation of inclusive value.
RESEARCH & ACADEMIC FOCUS
His academic work builds on these operational insights. His MSc in Technology Entrepreneurship (University of Tehran, 2020) introduced blockchain-enabled business models for smart energy management, demonstrating how decentralized technologies democratize energy data and create transparent, competitive ecosystems.
His PhD research in Organizational Behavior at the University of Tehran (Defense: Q1 2026) adopts a neurocognitive perspective to explain institutional resistance to change. Drawing on organizational neuroscience and institutional theory, his dissertation examines how extractive structures generate organizational anxiety that suppresses creativity, risk-taking, and innovation capacity—while offering actionable pathways for institutional redesign that enable National Oil Companies to evolve into adaptive, innovation-driven organizations prepared for long-horizon uncertainty.
Together, these two bodies of work form a complementary framework: technological enablers from his Master's research provide operational tools, while his doctoral work defines the institutional conditions required for transformative innovation.
CURRENT ADVISORY ROLE
Since 2024, Amir has advised NIOC's CEO on innovation strategy, digital transformation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development—translating research-driven insights into national-level frameworks that strengthen organizational adaptability throughout the global energy transition.
INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Beyond his advisory and research roles, Amir contributes to global energy discourse as Editor-in-Chief of an English-language technical publication in drilling and as Secretary of several international petroleum congresses.
WPC 2026 CONTRIBUTION
At the 25th World Petroleum Congress, Amir presents research integrating technological, institutional, and neurocognitive insights—offering energy leaders integrated, science-based frameworks to navigate the industry’s most significant transition.
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Technologies
The methodology is qualitative, based on Grounded Theory and case studies, utilizing MaxQDA for data analysis. This optimal model, designed to enhance energy efficiency in oil-dependent economies, was developed using the Osterwalder framework and analysis of the business models of 25 successful global energy startups.
The proposed business model is built around two key technologies:
- Blockchain: Which establishes a decentralized, immutable platform that enhances data transparency, enables precise monitoring of consumption and production, strengthens systemic trust, and minimizes human intervention.
- Artificial Intelligence and Smart Data: By converting raw big data into structured, actionable information, it provides a layer for systematic data access via an Open Data Platform, facilitating the entry of new players to create value and shape an inclusive innovation ecosystem.
This model shifts the prevailing paradigm from hardware-centric to data-driven approaches, offering values such as smart management, data democratization, an open data platform, and a peer-to-peer (P2P) energy network.
For practical validation, the model was piloted using AI-based Measurement and Verification (M&V) techniques on the data of 452,000 residential subscribers in one Iranian province. The results demonstrated a significant potential for the model in providing accurate consumption forecasts. Furthermore, through the smart implementation of incentive policies via an electronic energy market, an annual energy consumption reduction of 10% is expected. These findings confirm the operational viability of the model in smartening the entire energy chain: production, distribution, and consumption.
The key innovation of this model is the provision of a comprehensive, multi-faceted technical and strategic framework that uses incentive mechanisms to encourage active consumer participation in reduction, creating sustainable value. This scalable and generalizable solution for the global energy transition is applicable to oil-dependent economies with similar inefficiencies, transforming National Oil Companies (NOCs) from mere consumers into key players in smart energy management.
Co-author/s:
Ehsan Chitsaz, Deputy Minister of ICT & Prof., Tehran University, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
