As 2025 draws to a close, we present a special episode reflecting on insights and lessons from the past year of Shaping Sustainable Places. This episode brings together highlights from seven episodes, all united by a powerful common thread: innovation thrives when we collaborate.
Join us on a journey showcasing transformative industry-wide collaborations, from electrifying construction to harnessing AI's potential, then exploring strategic procurement, and culminating in global climate initiatives. Our guests demonstrate that by working together across industries, disciplines and communities, we are truly building a more sustainable future, together.
In this special episode, you'll discover:
- The power of industry-wide collaboration in electrifying construction, fostering an ecosystem where municipalities, manufacturers and contractors move together towards a cleaner future.
- How AI and data are unlocking immense value in construction, with partnerships enabling the adoption of new technologies for efficiency, safety and sustainable outcomes like carbon footprint reduction.
- How strategic public procurement is taking advantage of market competence and collaboration to drive innovation and deliver long-term value beyond just the lowest bid.
- The critical role of teamwork and collaborative problem-solving in complex, high-stakes projects, from achieving net-zero water consumption in hospitals to designing human-centric, healthy workplaces.
- How inclusive urban planning and interdisciplinary collaboration are revitalizing neglected sites into vibrant, sustainable residential communities.
- The crucial need for multi-sectoral collaboration and diverse perspectives to address global climate challenges and scale innovative solutions, as highlighted during New York Climate Week.
Featured guests in this episode (in order of appearance):
- Julia Casagrande, Deputy Director of Clean Energy, New York City Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
- Carl Slotte, Senior Vice President for Region Europe, Volvo Construction Equipment
- Gustaf Werner, Vice President for Innovation and Development, Skanska Group
- Dareen Salama, CEO and co-founder, Gryps
- Mike Zeppieri, Vice President for Emerging Technologies, Skanska USA Building
- Magnus Persson, CEO, Skanska Sweden
- Karl Jonasson Collberg, City Development Department, City of Stockholm
- John Penndorf, Associate Principal, Perkins and Will
- Mark Humbertson, Construction Administration Manager, University of Virginia Facilities Management
- Dr. Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President, International WELL Building Institute
- Myrrh Caplan, Senior Vice President for Sustainability, Skanska USA Building
- Ondřej Flanderka, Sustainability Manager, Skanska Residential Czech Republic
- Petr Dušta, Senior Project Manager, Skanska Residential Europe
- Dr. Stephen Hammer, CEO, New York Climate Exchange
Listen to our full episodes for more in-depth insights on these topics.
Connect with Us: Follow Shaping Sustainable Places on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss out on future episodes. Have feedback or suggestions? Email us at podcast@skanska.com or reach out via our Skanska Group LinkedIn account.
Host: John Ambrose