Interview Insights: A Look Into Greece’s Megaprojects

In an interview with the Greek publication Kathimerini, Pierre Santoni, president of Parsons South Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, provides insight into some of the challenges Greece may face when implementing their upcoming infrastructure megaprojects and how Parsons is positioned to successfully navigate their projects’ delivery.

“Supply chain shortages of material, labor, and transport options, exacerbated by the pandemic and the current political climate, not only have the potential to slow down government plans for project implementation, but also create drastic fluctuations in market prices and project budget pressures.” This is pointed out by Mr. Pierre Santoni, Parsons President for South Europe, Middle East and Africa, during his interview to “K”. The executive of Parsons, a US based, leading project management consulting firm, speaks of “challenges that may intensify as Greece executes its impressive pipeline of megaprojects, creating the need for innovative approaches by the local supply chain. He boldly declares that “we look forward to the release of the procurements of the infrastructure projects”, in Greece

In your opinion, what are some global challenges that might affect the execution of such major projects in Greece?

Supply chain shortages of material, labor, and transport options, exacerbated by the pandemic and the current political climate, not only have the potential to slow down government plans for project implementation, but also create drastic fluctuations in market prices and project budget pressures. These challenges may intensify as Greece executes its impressive pipeline of megaprojects, creating the need for innovative approaches by the local supply chain.

The potential supply chain pressures on infrastructure megaprojects requires a sophisticated approach to planning and overall management to ensure budget and schedule requirements can be met. Parsons has helped our clients navigate these challenges in different parts of the globe by leveraging our strategic partnerships with organizations, agencies, and individuals with core capabilities and resources in the areas of design, procurement, logistics, and construction.

Will Parsons chase new projects in Greece?

Given our rich history in Greece, we are committed to supporting the critical infrastructure initiatives underway and look forward to the release of the associated procurements that will enable our continued involvement and leadership as a project management consultant. We believe these critical infrastructure investments, which are so important to Greece’s economy, provide potential synergies for Parsons and the implementing ministries to capitalize on our capabilities. Parsons will add value to the delivery of these projects using our international best practices, global and local talent, and technology enabled solutions.

Parsons has had a strong presence in Greece for many years. Could you provide more background about Parsons’ work in Greece?

Our work has spanned across Greece’s vast transportation network, connecting the nation internally and internationally through roads, bridges airports and railways. Our first project in Greece began in the 70’s with an urban transportation study of Athens’ Rapid Transit Railway System, Electrikos. Since then, we have been a part of the continuous modernization and development of Greece’s large critical infrastructure projects, providing project and program management services for the delivery of the Athens International Airport, the west/central section of Egnatia Odos highway, and the Greek Railways Investment Program from 2003-2009, which led to the master plan that is currently under implementation. We also provided specialized consultancy and independent engineering services for projects like the Rio-Antirio Bridge, the North Crete Motorway Axis, the Maliakos highways, and the Athens Tramways.

We are very excited about Greece’s initiative to expand and modernize their transportation infrastructure and we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Greek stakeholders to make their vision a reality.

As Greece evolves into a transportation hub, it will launch one of the largest railway projects in Greek history. Does Parsons participate in similar projects in other markets?

We have more than 60 years of experience working in the rail and metro industry, so we understand the challenges and needs of modern transportation systems.

Partnering with more than 400 transit clients, we have worked on large, complex brownfield expansion and greenfield projects in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Parsons is currently delivering more than a dozen rail transit projects totaling more than €10 billion in construction value.

Our sustainable solutions reduce emissions, create greater mobility with increased energy efficiency, and provide long-term economic and social benefits. Our team, best practices, defined requirements, and innovative solutions de-risk projects and ensure optimized delivery. For each new challenge, we leverage our international PMC experience to complete projects on time, within budget, and ensure they are designed with an optimized lifespan.