Shell keynote speech to promote excellence in project management

Lewin’s speech, to be given on 24 April, will report that global energy demand could double or even triple between 2000 and 2050, according to the International Energy Agency. He will assert that the world needs energy to build economies and lift people out of poverty, and that the role of energy companies is to secure a responsible energy future in which people have access to the energy they need without jeopardising the environment or the ability of future generations to meet their own energy needs.

Lewin will go on to highlight the energy and construction industries’ shared challenges in meeting the surge in demand for their products. Both sectors have an increasing number of very large and technically sophisticated projects under way and are facing rising environmental challenges and expectations; increasing levels of investment to meet demand; rising commodity prices; and shortages of qualified people, especially in scientific and engineering disciplines.

Effective solutions, Lewin will suggest, should centre on excellence in project management. This is the founding principle of Shell’s global Project Academy, an integrated development programme for Shell employees working at all stages of a project’s life cycle. This academy, which provides a world-class curriculum, is run in collaboration with four leading universities.

The European Construction Institute is an international non-profit organisation that promotes best practices. This year’s conference, ‘Major projects, major issues – managing mega projects successfully,’ will be held in London on 24–25 April 2007.