2021 GII Summit
Preliminary Agenda
**Note: All times listed local to Montréal [UTC-4] **
Tuesday, April 06
WELCOME & FRAMING
DELIVERING THE PROJECT OF THE FUTURE
Global industry trends—such as digitization, industrialization, vertical and horizontal consolidation, and rising technology investment—are poised to dramatically disrupt all stages of the project life cycle. Rather than having independent project stages, the project of the future will operate as a single production system where technology will be integrated from design, procurement and planning through to construction, commissioning and operations. How do we prepare for the projects of the future and manage the inevitable disruption?
ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
While most infrastructure owners and contractors recognize the potential for digital transformation, there are few examples of successful transformations at scale. Too often, organizations fail to progress further than individual pilot projects. Why is digital transformation in this sector so difficult and what can we do to accelerate adoption? What mechanisms are required to quantify, capture, and distribute the financial benefits? How do roles, skillsets, and organizational cultures need to change to realize the project of the future?
RETHINKING ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Global leaders are increasingly aware that the delivery and management of critical assets must include robust resilience and risk reduction planning, accounting for cybersecurity, resource scarcity, natural disasters, and extreme weather events. What should investors, owners, contractors, and operators be doing to manage these issues? How can we adapt economic models to address current and future vulnerabilities? What role should the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals play, and how do we tie these goals to outcomes?
KEYNOTE INTERVIEW
CLOSING OF DAY 1
INDIVIDUAL NETWORKING TIME
Wednesday, April 07
WELCOME BACK
INSPIRING IDEA
USING INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Investing in infrastructure is a critical tool to create jobs, drive economic recovery, and position our economies for sustainable growth. However, the immense COVID-19 fiscal burden is limiting the funding available for investing in infrastructure. To facilitate economic recovery, governments will need to prioritize infrastructure projects, deploy stimulus funding in an impactful way, and leverage other sources of funding—including the private capital. How and where can we most effectively invest capital and resources into the shovel ready and shovel worthy projects to support national and global recovery? What tangible steps can governments take to broaden their role and help catalyze projects? How will governments and the private sector ensure that projects deliver on both economic and community criteria?
DEVELOPING A WORKFORCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Shifts in digitization, industrialization, and consolidation are changing the industry and will require a different mix of skills across the value chain. What new skills and capabilities will be essential to shape and deliver the projects of the future? How should companies plan for knowledge management and apprenticeship? What are the new expectations for attracting and retaining talent, and how do you build a culture of continuous improvement?
DISCUSSION SESSIONS
Participants select one of four concurrent pillar discussion sessions
CREATING A COMMON DIGITAL PLATFORM
Using advanced analytics to uncover critical insights from the vast amounts of data already being collected can improve both the quality and speed of infrastructure delivery and operations. To optimize these results, it is vital for all players to be able to collaborate on a common digital platform. Should industry leaders come together to create an open platform and industry standards for digital collaboration? What can we learn from other industries that have done this successfully, and how do we quantify the ROI?
CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR COLLABORATION
Realizing collaborative project delivery requires certain conditions to be in place and a clear implementation roadmap. What needs to be true for an owner’s Capex operating model and project portfolio to consider collaborative contracting? How do we enroll and transition project teams to collaborative contracts? What changes are required to the business model, and what specific skills and capabilities are required by project leaders?
PLANNING AND OPERATING INFRASTRUCTURE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE
Over the past decade, climate change and storm events have cost the world nearly $2 trillion and impacted almost 4 billion people. Looking ahead, our new and existing infrastructure needs to be resilient to a changing environment and contribute minimal carbon emissions. How should we define climate-smart infrastructure and cities? What role can technology and new materials play to increase resilience and decarbonize the industry? How do we deal with critical infrastructure that cannot adapt and how do we finance all that needs to be done?
STAFFING THE PROJECT OF THE FUTURE
Over the next decade, project teams will be required to deploy technology-based solutions, new materials, collaborative practices, and use agile ways of working to deliver resilient projects faster, at lower cost, and with improved schedule predictability. How will owners and contractors find, train, and retain new skills for their project teams? What current models of successful teams, including agile teams, can be applied to the projects of the future? How can we use analytics and technology to improve team performance?
INDIVIDUAL NETWORKING TIME
Thursday, April 08
INFRASTRUCTURE SITE VISITS (time option 1)
Integral to the Global Infrastructure Initiative Summit program are six infrastructure and technology site visits. These will allow attendees to see first-hand how infrastructure is planned, financed, delivered, and operated at some of Montréal’s leading organizations. Please note that availability is limited.
CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE
The Samuel De Champlain Bridge is a 3.4 km twin cable-stayed bridge spanning the Saint Lawrence River between the Island of Montréal and the South Shore suburbs. Replacing the 57-year old original, the new bridge’s two-lane rail corridor for the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM), six-lane corridor for vehicles, and multi-use corridor for cyclists and pedestrians are expected to serve 40-60M vehicles annually for the next 125 years. This complex project was completed in just four years by employing modern construction technologies and methods. www.newchamplain.ca
REM PROJECT
Réseau express métropolitain (REM)—a new, 67 km integrated public transit network under construction in Greater Montréal—is the largest public transit project undertaken in Québec in the last fifty years. The fully automated electric light rail network will feature 26 stations and link downtown Montréal, universities, South Shore, West Island, North Shore, and Montréal-Trudeau International airport. CDPQ Infra’s innovative approach to this megaproject has resulted in a 6-year timeline from conception through first operation. http://rem.info
TURCOT INTERCHANGE
The Turcot interchange connects three major highways and serves over 300,000 vehicles per day. A 10-year, $3 billion project has completely replaced 145 km of four interchanges, delivered 35 elevated structures, and has relocated the nearby CN railway tracks while minimizing user disruption. As it nears completion, the logistically and technically complex project—described as “performing open heart surgery while running a marathon”—is still running on-time and on-budget. www.turcot.transports.gouv.qc.ca
SECTOR-SPECIFIC ROUNDTABLES
GII will host four concurrent sector-specific roundtables covering engineering & construction, energy & resources, real estate, and transportation. These sessions will encourage participants to take a more in-depth look at the most exciting topics in specific sectors. Details to be announced
ENERGY AND RESOURCES
ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION, & BUILDING MATERIALS
FUTURE OF MOBILITY
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
REAL ESTATE
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
INFRASTRUCTURE SITE VISITS (time option 2)
Integral to the Global Infrastructure Initiative Summit program are six infrastructure and technology site visits. These will allow attendees to see first-hand how infrastructure is planned, financed, delivered, and operated at some of Montréal’s leading organizations. Please note that availability is limited.
CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE
The Samuel De Champlain Bridge is a 3.4 km twin cable-stayed bridge spanning the Saint Lawrence River between the Island of Montréal and the South Shore suburbs. Replacing the 57-year old original, the new bridge’s two-lane rail corridor for the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM), six-lane corridor for vehicles, and multi-use corridor for cyclists and pedestrians are expected to serve 40-60M vehicles annually for the next 125 years. This complex project was completed in just four years by employing modern construction technologies and methods. www.newchamplain.ca
REM PROJECT
Réseau express métropolitain (REM)—a new, 67 km integrated public transit network under construction in Greater Montréal—is the largest public transit project undertaken in Québec in the last fifty years. The fully automated electric light rail network will feature 26 stations and link downtown Montréal, universities, South Shore, West Island, North Shore, and Montréal-Trudeau International airport. CDPQ Infra’s innovative approach to this megaproject has resulted in a 6-year timeline from conception through first operation. http://rem.info
TURCOT INTERCHANGE
The Turcot interchange connects three major highways and serves over 300,000 vehicles per day. A 10-year, $3 billion project has completely replaced 145 km of four interchanges, delivered 35 elevated structures, and has relocated the nearby CN railway tracks while minimizing user disruption. As it nears completion, the logistically and technically complex project—described as “performing open heart surgery while running a marathon”—is still running on-time and on-budget. www.turcot.transports.gouv.qc.ca
