It’s a tough thing to do, we all wear our own symbolic robes and masks, those which we hope will keep us safe by hiding our true selves.
Significant investment approvals come to senior executives who rightly ask many difficult questions, while they may mistakenly expect and demand certainty.The demands and difficulties in getting through these governance processes drive both a false optimism in justifying product demand and drive the scale of the investment; “this is our one chance, so go with what we know and go big!”.
The resources needed for change (above the day-to-day).Changing platform technology could place additional demands on operations above and beyond those of securing ongoing supply and product transfer..The compulsion to change seems not yet powerful enough to overcome these barriers or to put it another way, has not yet reached the activation energy threshold.
That said, some companies are getting closer..The compulsions to invest in capacity, whether new or replacement capacity, are clearly there.
All the companies have made strong sustainability commitments, all of them have ageing assets which over the next decade require significant investment, all of them have new products which they want to get to the market as quickly as possible.
The problem which loomed behind the stated barriers is that continuing with the historical mode of investment will simply not deliver the stated intent and aspirations of the industry and society at large..If we are truly the dominant species we should and need to demonstrate the fact, through leadership and adaptation of what we do as individuals, but more importantly how we can come together to find expansive solutions to the problems we have caused..
In the edited words from a memorable speech: -.We shall go on to the end,.
We shall fight with the power of the sun, winds, atoms and oceans,.We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in our abilities, we shall defend our world, whatever the cost may be,.
(Editor: Heavy-Duty Cameras)