Thierry Van Landegem Chairman, GreenTouch, Vice President, Global Operations, Bell Labs
A Runner's Heaven
30 May, 2014
Our recent Members Meeting in Milano, Italy definitely had a different feel to it than any previous meeting I've attended. It was all about focus. Focus on our end goal of 1000X, focus on tangible demonstrations, and focus on integration of all the technologies we are working on.
I remember some time ago discussing with Thierry Klein, about how to mobilize the researchers to focus on delivering on our ambitious goal. Given our successful demonstrations in the past, and learning from the questions of members, parties interested in joining, journalists, as well as analysts who wanted some tangible demonstrations of the technologies we are working on, we both wanted to see a good roadmap of demonstrations straight into May 2015. The Technical Committee turned that into an action of focus and integration. And they did a great job.
During the closing plenary, never had I witnessed in a research environment so many due dates, project deliveries, and committed demonstrations. This is atypical. Why was there such focus on these deadlines? Because all the researchers and all the members felt that we have been working hard for four years now and with only one year left to go, they rightfully want to show the world the results of this great effort. And we cannot miss on that.
Or, as Ulrich Barth articulated so nicely during his closing plenary presentation: we have been running the marathon, and we are almost there: the finish is in sight. So, you take all your energy you have left and you go for it, because just after the finish line there is what marathoners call 'Runner's Heaven'. That is why we do it.
Thierry Van Landegem
Chairman, GreenTouch Executive Board