Statoil (previously StatoilHydro) has sponsored a new academic research program at the University of California at Berkeley and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Statoil has been working with Berkeley’s Center for IT Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) since 2006 to develop and run a program for managing its large and complex development projects. The $580,000 agreement kicks off a new R&D initiative, ‘Understanding Success and Developing Management Leadership on International Mega Projects,’ to be headed by CITRIS professor Iris Tommelein and NTNU professor Asbjørn Rolstadås.
Statoil Projects & Procurement VP Gunnar Myrebøe said, ‘We wish to develop the best project and functions managers in the industry and we believe that collaboration between academics and industry is crucial to develop our skills in project management.’ The ‘P2SL Mega-projects’ initiative will develop educational material to strengthen Statoil’s supplier companies’ capabilities in managing mega-projects in geographically and geopolitically diverse settings. Myrebøe concluded, ‘Large-scale projects may cost billions of dollars to perform and deliver. As our projects become more geographically diverse and complex, they also become increasingly challenging to lead and manage.’ More from statoil.com.
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