The fifth Neuquén edition of the ProPymes get-together: Tecpetrol and its value chain shared progress and challenges of one of the Techint Group's flagship programs.

More than a hundred SMEs from across the Neuquén Basin gathered at the company’s Neuquén headquarters for a new edition of the ProPymes program. The event brought together players from every corner of the value chain to exchange results, discuss challenges, and share insights on competitiveness, innovation, and working collaboratively.

“Artificial intelligence is here to speed things up, and those who embrace it will go much further,” said tech expert Santiago Bilinkis as he wrapped up the day. His message captured the overall mood perfectly: moving forward together, staying open to change, and constantly improving how people manage their work to stay efficient and competitive.

The meeting kicked off with remarks from Ricardo Ferreiro, President E&P, who offered a look at the global energy landscape. “Energy demand keeps climbing, and gas is emerging as the key driver of the transition. This gives us a bigger stage to show what we can do, and a clear push to be more competitive and adaptable,” he said.

Ricardo also emphasized the central role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the growth of Vaca Muerta. “After laying down the core infrastructure, we need to scale up. And for that, we need a network that’s solid, innovative, and ready to perform,” he noted. He pointed to the experience at Fortín de Piedra as a milestone: “When the industry and its value chain move as one, world-class achievements become possible. The task ahead is to keep that level of excellence and scale up even more.” The challenge now, he added, is “to sustain that momentum in new developments such as Puesto Parada and Los Toldos II Este.”

The applause that saw Ricardo off made way for Guillermo Murphy, Vice President of Supply Chain, who walked everyone through the program’s results and its impact across the region. “Our industrial well factory runs because of you, the SMEs,” he said. “Behind every piece of equipment, every rig, every drilling job, there’s a whole chain of suppliers we need to strengthen with better standards, processes, and training.”

Guillermo shared the key indicators for the 2025 cycle: 35,169 hours of training, 6,654 hours of consulting, and 141 Neuquén-based companies actively participating in the program. “The stronger each SME is, the more flexible and resilient the whole value chain becomes,” he emphasized. He also highlighted the power of education-focused initiatives that bring industry and community together, like Tecpetrol Conecta, which links technical students with SMEs, and Soldando Comunidades, where a dozen companies opened their workshops to train young people from the region.

For the closing session, Santiago Bilinkis returned to explore how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping productivity, decision-making, and access to knowledge. He described AI as “a shift in scale, a technology capable of multiplying competitiveness if adopted intelligently,” he added, pointing out that the real task ahead is learning how to integrate these tools to continue progressing.

The day wrapped up with a clear takeaway: growth doesn’t happen alone. It depends on teamwork, constant learning, and the ability to adapt. It’s a network that must be strong, connected, and forward-looking in order to sustain Vaca Muerta’s momentum and support Argentina’s broader energy ambitions.