Top Tech: Keeping a focus on technical talent
Along with the University of California Berkeley, DNV has launched its new technology development programme for technical experts. Last autumn 36 DNV engineers and technologists were handpicked to take part in a pioneering venture exposing them to state-of-the-art technologies and unique entrepreneurial insight.
The purpose? Ensuring that DNV is at the forefront; both in terms of technological trends and developments and of investing in its most valuable resources – its people.
‘A small city with a big reputation,’ Berkeley in California is perhaps best known as the home of the Ivy League university of the same name. However, with its roughly 100,000 inhabitants, Berkeley has become a symbol of something much more than that. The recipient of numerous awards for green policies and practices, the city has become a symbol for green awareness. And with one foot firmly planted in academia and one in business and Silicon Valley just a short drive away, the city is a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship. For 36 DNV engineers, the meeting with Berkeley became the start of a journey full of insight, inspiration and idea generation.
An idea brought to life
The very idea of designing a programme for DNV’s technical experts, as opposed to another leadership development programme, was not a novelty in itself. DNV project manager Einar Venold elaborates; “although the idea of organising a seminar for the company’s technical experts had been raised from time to time over the past few years, the initiative that eventually led to Top Tech came in the autumn of 2006.”
As it turned out the concept that was developed was not just any kind of training programme. And none of the universities approached by DNV had any previous experience of developing this type of programme.
Content manager Stein B. Jensen explains; “most of the schools we approached offered excellent, but quite narrow, executive development programmes. None had any experience of the type of technical programme we were asking for.”
For DNV it was imperative that the school of choice understood the desire to develop a programme that would manage the balancing act between breadth and technical depth.
“What we were looking for was a university that could help us develop a technical programme that would be generic while simultaneously being technically and scientifically challenging. Knowledge and insight should not be pursued at the expense of gaining a broader understanding of the challenges we face in terms of sustainability and climate,” says Mr Jensen.
The duo finally had a list of three universities, all with excellent reputations and a lot of experience in executive development training. “Several institutions caught our attention, but after a thorough process it was quite clear to us that Berkeley was the university that best met our requirements and needs,” says Mr Venold.
Support from the top
According to Mr Venold, the support of DNV’s management has been a prerequisite for the success of the programme. “Competence development in general and Top Tech in particular are close to the heart of President and CEO Henrik O. Madsen.” Mr Madsen and two of his Chief Operating Officers, Remi Eriksen and Tor E. Svensen, each participated in a module at Berkeley.
According to Mr. Svensen, the experience was both valuable and insightful. “It’s been great to see DNV’s technical experts discuss and work together across business areas in order to look for new opportunities for the company.”
Communicating complex issues
Although he has extensive experience of leadership development programmes, the task at hand was also a first for Einar Venold. “Of course you wonder about the result. Although we had weekly preparatory telephone conferences with the Berkeley staff for months, once you get to a certain point and the programme is finalised and approved, all you can do is wait and see.”
In the end, the programme was crafted in a way which ensured that each topic was illuminated in a variety of ways; through both lectures and field-visits. And the list of lecturers was nothing short of impressive.
According to Mr Venold “the programme clearly reflects the extensive and extremely impressive network our Berkeley project partners possess. Throughout the three modules, we had an unprecedented list of world-class and renowned professors, philanthropists and entrepreneurs from academia, private enterprise and NGOs come in and talk to us; many of them Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, some Nobel Laureates and a few presidential advisers. That’s quite extraordinary.”
The verdict
So, with his previous experience from executive development programmes, what was Mr Venold’s final verdict?
“Well, first of all I was amazed at the lecturers’ ability to communicate intricate technical subjects in a comprehensible manner. Furthermore it was a great joy to see the engagement and inspiration with which our technical experts actively participated in discussions and group projects. They were all working hard in between the seminars, and there truly seemed to be a constant flow of ideas and information.”
One of the long-term goals is of course that the programme will inspire and stimulate new business ideas. And some of the ideas developed throughout the course of the pilot programme have already been presented to DNV management as new business and R&D proposals.
A second round of Top Tech was launched this autumn, drawing on the experience gained from the pilot. “This round builds on the successes of the pilot, such as the most important subjects and lectures, while we have added a few new subjects,” says Einar Venold.