Insights for what's next

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

466 items
Business people working with a digital tablet in a meeting
Thought Leadership

From insight to impact: Transforming future program management through learning organizations

Driving performance is critical for major programs as it can drastically impact communities, local economies, ecosystems and the client’s budget. Central to positive program execution is how teams learn together across organizational and community boundaries. A culture of learning drives greater results as companies increase in scale and ambition. The more moving parts, third-party stakeholders and business functions involved (typically hallmarks of large infrastructure programs), the greater the need for a learning organization approach. Research by Deloitte shows that companies with learning cultures experience 37% higher productivity and are 92% more likely to innovate. It’s also critical for health and safety, repeatedly proven across sectors. These lessons are particularly vital for major programs as they rely on industry knowledge and track record, newly formed networks and an institutional body comprising multiple external sources. Success hinges on a learning culture that leans on existing intellectual capital and quickly adapts to lessons in future work. The question is: what is a true learning organization? The foundation relies on systematic learning from mistakes and successes and the seamless and accurate transfer of that knowledge across an organization. Peter Senge, senior lecturer at MIT and author of The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, explains that successful learning organizations are ones where people continually expand their capacity to create the desired results. This should include learning from experience (LfE) and learning from incidents (LfI). Three specialists from our programs and advisory team and two leading industry partners analyzed past projects

mining
Thought Leadership

Delivering complex mining programs at scale: Governance, integration and digital advantage

Mining portfolios are facing a level of complexity that few organizations were designed to manage. Sustaining capital workloads, brownfield optimization and modernization initiatives are colliding with volatile supply chains, labor shortages and rapid technology disruption. Traditional project-by-project delivery inflates design effort, dilutes procurement leverage and leaves leaders reconciling inconsistent data long after capital is deployed. A disciplined program delivery model offers a scalable solution. By unifying governance, pooling procurement, integrating digital platforms and mobilizing talent through resource hubs, mining leaders can compress risk, accelerate schedules and unlock operational resilience. Experience from tier-one mines (world-class, large scale mines) demonstrates measurable benefits — reduced cost variance, faster delivery and improved predictability across multi-site portfolios. Market dynamics driving program delivery Mining companies face a convergence of pressures that strain traditional delivery models: Capital allocation shifts: Sustaining capital and brownfield optimization dominate investment priorities as greenfield megaprojects decline. Supply chain volatility: Concentration of critical minerals in a few geographies amplifies geopolitical risk. Labor scarcity: Skilled resources for automation, analytics and advanced engineering are increasingly scarce. Technology disruption: Digital twins, Artificial Intelligence-driven predictive maintenance and remote operations are redefining productivity benchmarks. These dynamics demand a delivery model that can manage complexity at scale. Incremental fixes and fragmented projects fall short of the predictability and resilience required for today’s mining portfolios. Why fragmented delivery models fail Under portfolio-level complexity, project-by-project delivery exposes systemic weaknesses: Duplicated design and procurement: Each site reinvents specifications, forfeiting economies of scale. Inconsistent standards: Engineering and reporting vary widely, creating audit gaps

Australia high speed rail corridor
Thought Leadership

The ABC of Australia’s high-speed rail

High‑speed rail is more than a transport project — it reshapes nations, unlocks new housing and industry, and drives low‑carbon mobility for generations. The question for Australia is no longer whether it needs faster, higher-capacity intercity rail, but whether it can define, design and deliver it with confidence. Jacobs draws on experience from major rail and tunneling programs worldwide to inform the pathway forward. From the approvals that build public confidence, to the complex tunneling that pushes engineering boundaries and disciplined project governance that keeps mega‑programs on track — Jacobs brings global insight and local certainty to every stage of high‑speed rail development. Because when nations move faster, communities thrive. When complexity is greatest, certainty matters most. A for approvals — defining the vision and securing buy-in High-speed rail projects fail when approvals precede clarity High-speed rail programs rarely falter because engineering solutions are unavailable — they struggle when scheme definition is unstable at the point of approval. Governments are often asked to commit substantial resources before objectives, benefits and affordable costs are fully aligned. International experience on major programs shows that when benefits, staging and requirements are not clearly defined upfront, cost pressure and political risk quickly follow. Approvals should build confidence by locking in purpose, pathway and end-state early. Avoid commitment to “headlines” like maximum speed or shortest journey time and focus on economic drivers like capacity, connectivity, housing, employment and regeneration. B for boring — tackling tunneling challenges head-on In constrained corridors, tunnel design determines performance, cost

Lake George Diversion Dam
Thought Leadership

Advancing nature-based solutions for resilient infrastructure

As the infrastructure sector responds to escalating climate, biodiversity and flood risks, nature positive solutions are becoming central to how resilient systems are planned, designed and delivered. Moving from theory to widespread implementation, however, requires clear pathways that integrate ecological principles with engineering practice. Jacobs is playing an active role in advancing this shift, working alongside government, academia and industry to help translate nature-based concepts into scalable, deliverable infrastructure solutions. By contributing technical expertise and applied experience, we’re strengthening consistency and quality of — and, consequently, confidence in — how natural infrastructure is designed and implemented across river banks and coastal systems. One example is the growing adoption of floodplain benching — reshaping riverbanks to reconnect rivers with their floodplains — as a solution for inland river systems where historical development has constrained natural floodplain function. Well-designed floodplain benches can reduce flood risk while restoring natural processes, improving ecosystem health and enhancing resilience to changing flow and sediment regimes. Integrating these approaches into mainstream engineering practice is critical to addressing long-standing flood and environmental challenges. “The need for progress is enormous as our systems are out of kilter,” says Dr. Todd Bridges, professor of practice at the University of Georgia, founder of Engineering with Nature® and leader of the International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-based Features for Flood Risk Management. “Restoring balance and improving long-term performance requires integrating conventional and nature-based engineering — and accelerating that shift by equipping all stakeholders to deliver 21st-century solutions.” Beyond floodplain restoration, Jacobs’ work

Q&A: Talking with Program Manager, Jackie Roe
Q&A

Q&A: Talking with program manager, Jackie Roe

Jackie Roe is an experienced Program Director who has spent more than half her life managing some of the world’s most complex, time-sensitive and publicly sensitive infrastructure projects, including the Thames Tideway Tunnel Project, Rio 2016 Olympics and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She has also worked in Australia supporting some of our Australian clients deliver their large-scale infrastructure projects, and is currently working on a major clean energy program in the U.K. We’re connecting with our team of engineering heroes around the world to showcase their careers and how each of them help Jacobs to live up to our promise of Challenging today. Reinventing tomorrow. Here, we talked wit Jackie about career, the STEAM heroes who inspire her and what she gets up to outside of work . Tell us a bit about what you’re working on these days. Having spent nearly eight years in the U.K. working on the Thames Tideway Tunnel project in London and prior to that on the Rio 2016 and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, last year I took the opportunity to travel to Sydney. There, I worked with a variety of our Jacobs teams to share major infrastructure project best practice and key learnings, as well as to help steer and support some of our clients as they embark on larger and more complex infrastructure projects and programs than ever before. Since returning to the U.K., I have joined the integrated client team at Hinkley Point C in Somerset, where Jacobs

A nighttime cityscape featuring tall, illuminated buildings, overlaid with abstract digital circuit patterns to symbolizing technology and connectedness
Thought Leadership

Realizing digital ambitions for the built environment

By: Kurt Moroney Digital technology is transforming how we design, operate and experience buildings and infrastructure. Advanced technologies and vast data insights are unlocking new opportunities for greater efficiency, sustainability and resilience, as well as personalized, interconnected and immersive services and experiences. Digital enablement is no longer “nice to have” but rather a critical component that enhances community connectivity, increases asset value and delivers revenue returns on major infrastructure investments. As investors and developers set more ambitious digital goals, urban planners and designers must seamlessly integrate a growing range of technologies into building, precinct and city-wide plans and designs, alongside other critical systems. This requires an expansive skillset that bridges up-front strategy, urban planning, engineering design and technology procurement and deployment. Growing digital ambition creates new challenges Today’s buildings and infrastructure projects are far more than physical structures. Traditional operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) systems are converging with technologies such as sensors, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, digital twins and other “smart” enhancements to drive asset performance. Emerging technologies, such as interactive surfaces and holography, atmospheric technologies, gaming technologies, robotics and blockchain, are also changing how we interact with and experience built spaces. Buildings and infrastructure are now intricate ecosystems with digital layered into the overall building design to enhance, customize and personalize the end-user experience. This is especially true in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where giga projects are redefining the scale of ambition for digital enablement in the built environment. Most developers outsource this work to

From Hype to Impact
Thought Leadership

From hype to impact: How the middle east can turn artificial intelligence ambition into real-world value

The Middle East is emerging as one of the world’s most dynamic regions for digital transformation — from smart cities powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced transport systems, to digital twins, integrated data platforms and model-based delivery. But as ambition grows, so too does the need for trusted, explainable and value-driven digital delivery. Governments and clients across the region are asking a vital question: How do we translate digital enthusiasm into tangible benefits for projects, citizens and economies? This question was central to a recent industry panel discussion held as part of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) UAE’s ongoing Beyond Engineering: Digital Transformation in the Middle East series. The session was moderated by Jacobs and brought together senior leaders from across the engineering, design and construction community to share insights on how engineering rigor, trusted data and professional oversight can turn digital ambition into meaningful outcomes. Here, we share three key insights from the discussion and explore how Jacobs is helping clients deliver safe, ethical and value-based digital transformation across the region. Explainability-by-design: Building trust into AI solutions As AI and advanced analytics enter the mainstream, clients are increasingly focused on building trust into their digital strategies from the outset. Panelists emphasized that without professional oversight, AI-driven models risk becoming “eager graduates” — powerful yet inexperienced “black boxes” that undermine transparency and accountability. To address this, engineering-led delivery should embed explainability-by-design: model-card level documentation of models, expert validation checkpoints, integrated ethical assessments and comprehensive audits across building information

Port of Miami Tunnel
Thought Leadership

How public and private partnerships deliver real value for clients and communities

By Jacobs’ Director of Commercial Funding and Finance Adam Price In the Red River Valley in central North America, flood risk isn’t an abstract climate statistic — it’s a shared memory and a part of life. When spring snowmelt and heavy rain arrive together, communities worry if emergency calls can be answered, whether hospitals stay accessible and when businesses can reopen. The Fargo-Moorhead Flood Diversion Project exists to answer these questions. It’s a generational investment in protection for a region of roughly 235,000 people, delivered with Jacobs as program manager and public-private partnership (P3) advisor, helping translate public need into a long-term delivery and governance reality. That’s what the best P3s (also known as PPPs or PFI — Private Finance Initiatives — in the U.K.) are really for. Not alternative financing, but certainty, reliability and the right application of experience and talent. A P3 brings private sector expertise and private finance together to deliver public infrastructure, then operates and maintains it to a pre-agreed contractual standard over a long concession, often 25 to 30 years. It’s like a mortgage that includes the upkeep: You don’t pay the full cost upfront, and the monthly payment includes maintaining the asset through its life cycle. The key here is smarter asset management and efficient operations — that's where the greatest value is earned. Across stakeholder roundtables and industry events, the mood is clear: Governments, funders and contractors see P3s as a key tool in stimulating infrastructure delivery globally. Here are five insights I've

Keoki Sears Q&A
Q&A

Rethinking the legacy of global program management: A Q&A with Keoki Sears

Delivering a program today requires lessons from the past and a keen eye toward the future. Keoki Sears shares his insights from 30 years of multi-billion-dollar program management and leadership. He describes how our track record in teamwork, innovation and talent empowerment delivers more than just a program. How are you solving your client’s biggest challenges? It starts with our strategy, purpose and values, defining who we are and what we want to be. The growth accelerators Jacobs has committed to are the mechanisms that help guide us in the sectors we serve and reflect current global conditions. Our growth accelerators cut across the entire organization, creating connections between the global market trends, our solutions and company purpose. I believe program management is the most powerful vehicle for delivering our strategy. For example, programs allow us to rethink climate resiliency through several projects and programs for the global energy transition, which offer fantastic opportunities for our clients and Jacobs to keep playing a significant role in the climate response. In the programs we deliver, we harness data solutions to help our clients operate more efficiently and unlock better outcomes. It's where we use data and tech-driven insights to make better decisions, digitize more assets, empower more reliable and accurate long-term planning, and better operate the infrastructure of the future. Lastly, we're increasingly experiencing incredible opportunities to get involved earlier in program conceptualization and strategy at the source. In some cases, even before clients have conceived of the need for a

water aerial
Q&A

World water day: How is water shaping our future?

World Water Day is a moment to consider water’s importance to life, the environment and thriving communities. It’s also a call to action. As climate impacts intensify and water challenges grow more complex, the need for integrated, forward-looking solutions has never been greater. At Jacobs, that responsibility sits at the heart of our global water team. Leading our team of 9,000 water professionals is Senior Vice President Susan Moisio. From advancing watershed-scale strategies to championing digital innovation and mentoring the next generation of leaders, Susan understands that water connects everything — from energy and food systems to equity and economic resilience. In this World Water Day Q&A, she explains how the industry is evolving, her role championing women leaders and what it means to know water. World Water Day is an opportunity to reflect. You’ve been leading our water team for five years — how has the industry changed in that time? The pace of change has accelerated dramatically. Climate impacts are more visible and more urgent. Extreme events — whether flooding, drought or water quality crises — are happening more frequently. Each one reinforces the need to look at systems holistically. We often say water challenges fall into three categories: too much water, too little water or poor water quality. But the real shift has been in how we address them. We’re thinking regionally and adaptively. Instead of solving a single asset issue, we’re asking: how does this fit within the broader water system? What does this mean over

Aerial view of Dubai skyline at sunset
Q&A

Building with purpose: How architecture shapes placemaking

In this Q&A, Morné shares how his team in Dubai is helping redefine the built environment through future-ready design, digital innovation and human-centered solutions. Tell us a bit about your background, career journey and what brought you to Jacobs. I’ve worked across the design spectrum for more than two decades, from small studios to large, multidisciplinary firms. Originally from South Africa, I moved to the United Arab Emirates to lead architecture on complex, high-profile developments. What drew me to Jacobs was the ambition to bring real purpose to design — not just in aesthetics or function, but in impact. At Jacobs, I saw an opportunity to help shape a culture that values innovation, integrity and deep human insight. I now lead a passionate team of architects and urban designers committed to future-focused, place-based design. What does Jacobs’ tagline “Challenging today. Reinventing tomorrow.” mean to you in the context of architecture and urban transformation in the Middle East? To me, it’s a call to action. In this region, where transformation happens at a scale and speed that’s unprecedented, we have a responsibility to question convention and reimagine the possible. “Challenging today” means confronting legacy systems, outdated processes or design-by-default. “Reinventing tomorrow” means creating environments that are inclusive, sustainable and culturally resonant — not just for now, but for generations to come. That mindset is central to our work across Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and the wider region. What makes Jacobs’ approach to architecture unique in this region? We’re not just designing

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Landscape at night
Thought Leadership

Shaping saudi arabia’s future cities through bold ambition

Saudi Arabia’s transformation is redefining how cities are planned, funded and delivered. Abdulelah Alsheikh reflects on lessons learned from giga projects, the role of governance and systems, and how ambition itself has become a national capability shaping Vision 2030. From projects to systems One of the biggest lessons I’ve carried into my role at Jacobs is that urban transformation isn’t only about delivering physical projects. True transformation happens when institutions are strengthened, governance models are refined and systems are built to last. Infrastructure can be constructed in years but institutions endure for generations. That’s why my focus with clients is not only on assets delivered but also on capabilities embedded — ensuring the systems behind those assets are resilient enough to support ambition well beyond Vision 2030. The defining shift Looking back over the past decade, the Kingdom’s defining achievement is not a single metro line, airport or giga project — though these are remarkable in scale and speed. The real shift has been philosophical. Urban development has moved from being reactive to growth to becoming a proactive tool for competitiveness, quality of life and global positioning. That mindset shift — treating urbanism as a strategic lever rather than a byproduct — is perhaps the most valuable infrastructure Saudi Arabia has built. Opportunities and challenges at scale As we accelerate toward Vision 2030, the opportunity before us is unique: to leapfrog legacy models. Most global cities retrofit sustainability, mobility and cultural identity into systems already in place. Saudi Arabia can

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