OMEGA Seminar Programme 2024-25: Third Edition

Legitimacy defined as the “felt obligation to obey” is seen by many as the holy grail of stakeholder management in megaprojects. It is in stark contrast to the “legal obligation to obey“ that often comes at a cost of years-long litigations, destroyed stakeholder relationships and the general loss of trust in institutions. Having most stakeholders peacefully accept or at least tolerate a project despite it being in collision with their own interests or ideals is far from easy.

Perceptions of the project may vary substantially across communities and interest groups and so do people’s reactions. But there are promising signs from some of the recent endeavours that the most critical escalations can or could be averted through a careful legitimation process (as one can imagine, the potential benefits are untold). A level-playing field and admittance that no megaproject is too big to fail should belong among the essential principles shaping the modus operandi of anyone who is in charge.

This presentation, a part of the OMEGA seminar series, seeks to answer the crucial questions of how legitimacy in megaprojects can be assessed, how it is earned and how it is lost. We will look at cases including the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, Stuttgart 21, a rail tunnel near the foundations of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, a redevelopment of the Prague central railway station and others.

The Seminar Programme allows the OMEGA Centre to provide a platform to present findings of recently completed and on going infrastructure projects globally, and to engage with a wide audience from academia and praxis.

The OMEGA Centre has undertaken a wide range of research and consultancy studies on several pressing issues related to: the treatment of “Risk, Uncertainty and Complexity” in project decision making, the “Power of Context” on such decision-making, and the role of “Sustainability and Sustainable Development Visions” for mega project infrastructure investments. The seminar programme invites speakers involved in a variety of aspects of mega infrastructure project developments with a view to encouraging cross disciplinary collaboration and knowledge-transfer.

Past and current contributions to the Seminar Programme draw from OMEGA Centre researchers, as well as external speakers, including: journalists, public officials, consultants, investment bankers, industry leaders and academics. The OMEGA Seminar Programme is open to everyone interested in issues, challenges and achievements in mega infrastructure development across all sectors, especially those associated with major project developments overseas. The seminars are recorded and videoed, with outputs posted (subject to permission) on the OMEGA Centre Website.

By drawing on experts from many disciplines, various sectors and different countries, the OMEGA Seminar Programme looks to stimulate debate on crucial topics, such as: infrastructure investments as agents of change, project challenges of sustainability, financing and technological opportunities for projects within the global market.

The seminars look to foster the generation of innovative approaches to tackling/ addressing current and future threats, risks and opportunities of contemporary megaproject decision-making and decision making in future environments.

This is a hybrid event.