Interview
Your talk focuses on complexity-based modelling for project management—how do you see this approach changing the way R&D organisations allocate scarce resources?
For me, complexity-based modelling is a way to bring more clarity and balance when we decide where to put our limited resources. Many times in R&D we rely on experience or gut feeling, and of course that is important, but it is not always consistent. With this model, we can quantify the effort needed for each project, considering the complexity, the duration, and also the seniority of the project manager. It gives us a more solid base to prioritize, avoid overload, and have better conversations with stakeholders about why we make certain choices. The goal of this model is not to give a perfect answer, because every R&D project is an ecosystem by itself, with its own dynamics. But it helps build the mindset that in R&D project management, sizing resources properly can make the difference between success and failure — and that this sizing is always the result of many factors coming together.
imec operates at the cutting edge of semiconductor and digital technology—how does that environment influence your perspective on balancing innovation ambition with execution challenges?
For me, complexity-based modelling is a way to bring more clarity and balance when we decide where to put our limited resources. Many times in R&D we rely on experience or gut feeling, and of course that is important, but it is not always consistent. With this model, we can quantify the effort needed for each project, considering the complexity, the duration, and also the seniority of the project manager. It gives us a more solid base to prioritize, avoid overload, and have better conversations with stakeholders about why we make certain choices. The goal of this model is not to give a perfect answer, because every R&D project is an ecosystem by itself, with its own dynamics. But it helps build the mindset that in R&D project management, sizing resources properly can make the difference between success and failure — and that this sizing is always the result of many factors coming together.
imec operates at the cutting edge of semiconductor and digital technology—how does that environment influence your perspective on balancing innovation ambition with execution challenges?
Not an easy question at all.. At imec, we are in a very unique environment. We work every day pushing the limits of technology, together with top scientists from all over the world, and this creates a lot of excitement but also a lot of complexity. We operate in an extreme pathfinder domain, where we have to move pretty fast from idea to data.. Within the R&D on Demand Program our project partners know what they want to achieve, but not exactly how to get there. Here, imec offers something unique in the semiconductor industry — a production-like environment, with top-level equipment and expertise, that allows these partners to experiment, learn, and progress much faster.
Balancing team dynamics and making people collaborate efficiently in such an extremely interconnected internal ecosystem is very challenging. What I learned is that ambition alone is not enough. We need to match this ambition with strong execution, otherwise the risk of delays becomes very high. So, I try to look at every project not only from the innovation point of view, but also from the perspective of how we can structure it in the best way — with the right resources, the right governance, and the right pace — so that we can deliver on our promises without slowing down the innovation.
What do you hope to learn or exchange with peers at this conference that could strengthen how imec approaches portfolio management?
What do you hope to learn or exchange with peers at this conference that could strengthen how imec approaches portfolio management?
What I really hope from this conference is to learn from peers who are facing similar challenges in managing complex R&D portfolios with limited resources. I am very interested in understanding how other organizations are connecting portfolio management with financial performance and how they translate complexity and capacity into decisions which are convincing for the executives. For me, these opportunities are also about inspiration. Sometimes, an idea from a completely different industry can help looking at our own challenges in a new way.
