Project-oriented Technologies – the Next Decade

Tools, Integration, Skills and

the Future Professional

COMMENTARY

By Dr Dimitris Antoniadis                                        

DANTON ProgM Ltd

London, UK

Introduction

Since the early career years, the author has been closely following the progression of technologies in the project management/control environment and was always trying to ‘surf the wave’, either as to where the department(s) needed to be steered towards or in terms of career development. At the start of this decade (in 2020) the author drafted a ‘thought’ paper looking at what technologies are/could be coming up and the possible implementation period.

Looking back six years later, it is clear that some of the author’s expectations around emerging technologies proved overly optimistic, for example, the pace of blockchain adoption in construction management, while others underestimated the speed of change. Artificial intelligence (AI), for instance, was once framed by the author as three separate domains – neural networks, machine learning, and BOTs, and it was expected that they would take more than a decade to achieve widespread implementation. In reality, the rapid acceleration of AI and the proliferation of tools now supporting project management and control have far exceeded those early projections.

Considering these shifts, the author decided to reassess how we understand and group these technologies, many of which are now converging into integrated ecosystems rather than remaining distinct fields. More importantly, it highlights the need to reorient our perspective, not just toward technology itself, but toward its impact on people, skills, and career development.

This article, therefore, aims to provoke thoughtful reflection on the evolving technological landscape, encouraging readers to critically evaluate both the opportunities ahead and their own readiness for change. As we look toward the next decade, one thing is certain: the professional landscape will continue to transform in ways that demand adaptability, continuous learning, and a willingness to rethink established assumptions.

The technology areas to be discussed are shown in the table below (Table 1) and the author has deliberately focused on the people side. From a company perspective, some of the questions are how these technologies change the way teams plan, make decisions, share information, manage risk, and deliver consistently, not just what tools we buy. From an individual’s perspective, it highlights how day-to-day roles may evolve and what capabilities people can build so they stay confident, employable, and able to lead change as these technologies become normal practice.

Table 1. Topics to be discussed as part of the technological development in the Next Decade

More…

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How to cite this work: Antoniadis, D. (2026).  Project-oriented Technologies – the Next Decade: Tools, Integration, Skills and the Future Professional, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VI, June.  Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/pmwj165-Jun2026-Antoniadis-Project-oriented-Technologies-the-Next-Decade.pdf

About the Author

Dr. Dimitris N. Antoniadis

London, UK

Dr Dimitris N. Antoniadis PhD MSc BEng(1^st) CEng FAPM FCMI MIMechE, based in UK, has 35+ years’ experience in Programme and Project Management positions, having covered project phases from concept to handover and operation / maintenance.  He is currently Director in the Programme, Project Management and PMO with DANTON PROGM, technical advisor to Novacept and has set up the BSc in Project Control that is currently delivered by the partnership between London Metropolitan College and the University of West London.

He has held Senior Management posts in major utilities, infrastructure and construction organisations delivering programmes of works ranging from £250M to £3.2Bn. As Head of Programme Management Office (PMO) he has set up and run the departments within challenging partnering environments, setting up all the processes from governance to reporting. He has also led / co-led major business transformation programmes for Client organisations in UK and abroad, integrating project management software tools with ERP systems.

He is the author of the book ‘Demystifying Project Control’; contributed chapters in books on complexity, leadership and other project management topics and has written a number of journal and conference papers. He has been a guest speaker at UK Universities as well as  International conferences on various project management topics.

He was awarded the PhD, from Loughborough University, UK, on the subject of ‘Managing Complexity in Project Teams’, where he developed a framework for managing the effects of complexity on projects.

Parts of his work can be seen in www.danton-progm.co.uk .His book Demystifying Project Control can be purchased from:  https://amzn.to/2Jm1Zeh

Dr. Antoniadis can be contacted at dnanton00@gmail.com

To view other works by Dr. Antoniadis, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-dimitris-n-antoniadis/