With the advent of artificial intelligence, many industries are currently experiencing enormous upheavals. The congress therefore focused on the question of whether - in view of rapid technical developments - project management also needs to be redefined. The new challenges project managers are facing in the age of chatbots and artificial intelligence were discussed, and also how this affects the methods used in PM.
Brigitte Schaden, President of Projekt Management Austria (pma) and host of the annual leading event for project management in Austria, has a strong opinion: "Managing change is nothing new for project managers, but a central content of their work! And the 20.000 or so pma/IPMA® certified project managers prove this day after day!"
Project management: More diverse than ever
Project managers are confronted with an ever faster and more complex working environment. "Whereas projects used to have clear objectives and plans, planning cycles are now much shorter," says Brigitte Schaden. All of this necessitates agile methods in project management in addition to the classic ones. "It is important that established and new methods are not played off against each other. The key here is to find the right mix," says pma President Schaden.
In the future: new work and artificial intelligence?
In his opening keynote, trend researcher Kai Gondlach took a look at the world of work in 2030: "We are on the threshold of a new age. For digital nomads, it doesn't matter where they do their jobs or who they get them from." Hans-Joachim Gergs of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg spoke about the self-renewal of companies, saying that "those who are successful in the long term are those who have the ability to continuously reinvent themselves."
Austria's probably best-known cyberneticist and AI pioneer Robert Trappl shed light on why there is hype about artificial intelligence right now. Brigitte Schaden: "It is still the human skills such as creativity, empathy and communication that distinguish project managers from robots. It is precisely these skills that we will need even more in the future," she continues.
The approximately 670 congress participants experienced a day full of inspiring impulses, agile workshops and informative practical examples, as well as plenty of space for further education and networking.