Shell TechWorks

Founded in 2013, TechWorks was created to infuse Shell with fresh perspectives by assembling a team with diverse experience beyond the energy sector. Our mission: to accelerate the discovery, development, and adoption of cutting-edge technologies, solutions, and new ways of working.

Located in Boston, TechWorks benefits from direct access to a vibrant ecosystem of cross-industry innovation—including emerging energy startups, leading enterprises, and world-class academic institutions. This proximity shapes our strategy and fuels our ability to deliver transformative value to Shell.

Today, more than a decade later, TechWorks has built a portfolio of solutions that has generated over $1 billion USD in cumulative value. This reflects not only our engineering depth but also our ability to deliver scalable solutions that meet Shell’s evolving operational and technology needs.

At TechWorks, we partner with teams across Shell’s global business to identify high-value opportunities and deliver innovative solutions that address operational challenges, reduce HSSE risks, and support Shell’s ambition to provide more value with less emissions. Our product development approach is rooted in Systems Engineering and Design Thinking, enabling us to rapidly prototype, iterate, and scale solutions that deliver impact.

We specialize in three core areas:

We apply Systems Thinking to uncover root causes of complex challenges and define holistic solution requirements. Our team brings deep expertise in modeling, analysis, and engineering to conceptualize and architect solutions that unlock near-term value and long-term scalability.

From concept to prototype to product, our team combines expertise in Hardware and Software Product Engineering to transform bold ideas into tangible solutions. We validate assumptions early, guide teams through agile development cycles, and leverage our prototyping workshop to rapidly source, build, test, and de-risk new technologies.

We ensure solutions are not only built—but adopted. Through field testing, asset deployment, strategic partner selection, and commercialization guidance, we scale innovations across Shell’s operations by leveraging a robust ecosystem of internal and external collaborators.

To explore opportunities in the Plastics Circular Economy, TechWorks was asked to assess the availability and economic viability of sourcing plastic waste feedstock in the U.S. The team developed a comprehensive techno economic model that evaluated hundreds of supply chain scenarios—factoring in waste sources, transportation methods, sortation and pyrolysis locations, and projected costs and profits.

The analysis revealed the value chain levers to unlock profitability, identified the number and location of required facilities, and clarified the process of sourcing plastic waste. This work provided a roadmap for enabling scalable, economically viable circular plastics solutions.

Corrosion remains one of the energy industry’s most persistent challenges. TechWorks applied Systems Engineering to evaluate corrosion detection methods and identified machine learning as the most promising approach for achieving accuracy and cost-eAectiveness.

Starting with a proof of concept, the team used historical asset data to develop a predictive model capable of identifying internal corrosion and erosion before leaks occur. The resulting architecture was commercialized through a partnership with C3.AI, enabling operators to better prioritize inspections, reduce HSSE risks, and lower maintenance costs. CARMA also minimizes the need for manual field inspections, delivering significant time and cost savings while enhancing production safety.

STS originated from a TechWorks system study focused on reducing construction and maintenance costs across Shell facilities. One high-impact opportunity identified was automating the flange installation and inspection process.

TechWorks developed the Smart Torque System—an integrated digital bolt management solution that pairs a Bluetooth-enabled torque wrench with a tablet interface, capturing flange records in a cloud-hosted platform. STS ensures precise torque application, improves traceability, and reduces inspection time and HSSE exposure.

Following successful large-scale pilots, STS was commercialized through the spinout of Cumulus Quality Execution System (QES), which now also supports the commercialization of other TechWorks innovations, including WeldScout and the Hydrostatic Testing System.