Insights for what's next

Explore practical perspectives that turn complex challenges and emerging trends into real-world outcomes.

138 items
Coastal Resilience
Q&A

Navigating risk, cost and complexity in coastal resilience

Coastal resilience is no longer just an engineering challenge; it’s a complex balancing act shaped by climate risk, funding realities and long-term uncertainty. Jacobs’ Global Principal, Flood Infrastructure Engineering, Charles Schelpe explores the critical decisions behind funding, trade-offs and long-term resilience — and what it takes to deliver future-ready coastal solutions.

Charles Schelpe
Highway
Thought Leadership

Engineering for complexity: How the UK’s next decade of mega programs can create lasting social value

The U.K. is entering a decisive decade for major infrastructure delivery defined by scale, scrutiny and complexity. Drawing on experience across water, transport and national programs, Project Management Director James LeVesconte explores how integrated leadership, smarter consenting, early social value and strong data foundations turn complexity into durable public outcomes.

James LeVesconte
PFAS in Semiconductors
Thought Leadership

PFAS and the future of semiconductor manufacturing

Semiconductor manufacturers are confronting a new generation of PFAS-related risks and regulatory uncertainty. Learn how forward-looking organizations are integrating adaptive planning and water stewardship along with infrastructure flexibility into future-ready manufacturing strategies.

Dora Chiang
Raffles Marina Lighthouse
Big Questions

How can island nations build resilient water futures?

Climate change is reshaping how water moves, putting pressure on Singapore’s coasts, reservoirs and stormwater systems. Working at the intersection of water and environment, Michael designs climate resilient solutions that strengthen coastal and water infrastructure.

Michael Gillen
Coast
Big Questions

How can coastal cities strengthen marine infrastructure while adapting to rising seas?

Technical Director for Ports and Maritime Alan Cowley works with clients to optimize port and terminal operations by planning and designing infrastructure that improves safety, efficiency and reliability. As climate risks intensify, he works with clients to strengthen resilience while safeguarding trade, productivity and long-term asset value.

Alan Cowley
water droplet
Thought Leadership

Redefining risk for a more complex water future

Australia’s water industry faces rising cost pressures and climate uncertainty as well as aging infrastructure. As complexity grows, utilities must rethink how risk is assessed, governed and shared to support more adaptive and resilient outcomes. Jacobs Director of Operations, Water, Australia and New Zealand, Kate Simmonds outlines why evolving governance frameworks will be critical to improving performance and decision-making.

Kate Simmonds
water treatment plant
Big Questions

How can community-rooted leadership shape the future of water reliability?

Since 2023, Jacobs has provided operations and maintenance services to Jackson, Mississippi’s O.B. Curtis and J.H. Fewell water treatment plants (WTPs) with one clear mission — deliver safe, clean and reliable drinking water to a community that has endured years of chronic failures. By improving operations and automation and employing skilled talent, Project Manager Amy McLeod and her team enabled the WTPs to achieve full compliance for the first time in a decade. For Amy, her work is more than just a job; it’s a responsibility and commitment to her operators and the community she has come to call home. Answering Jackson’s call Originally from Kentucky, Amy planted her roots in Mississippi more than 20 years ago. After earning her degree in geological engineering from the University of Mississippi, she spent nearly two decades with the Mississippi State Department of Health, overseeing 100 water systems across the central region. While Amy was with the Department of Health, an emergency was declared in Jackson, and she immediately stepped in to help stabilize operations at the WTPs. What she saw during that response — the dedication of the operators and the need for long-term support — made a lasting impact. In 2023, she joined Jacobs to focus her efforts fully on Jackson, first as an assistant project manager, and later as project manager. A team built from the community it serves For Amy and her team, their work at the WTP is personal. Several team members were born and raised in Jackson

Amy McLeod

  • Future Foundations

    Co-creating the world to come

    From developing climate resilience and transitioning to a low-carbon future, to modernizing and transforming infrastructure, governments and businesses face critical challenges. How they respond will define our future.

    As our clients navigate these challenges, we help them think differently – working together to pioneer tomorrow's infrastructure solutions and build the foundations for a prosperous, secure future. 

    Visit Future Foundations
    Future-Foundations