The inaugural New Zealand Project Management Research Symposium, hosted by Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in November 2025, is continuing to gain momentum as a nationally significant initiative supporting the development of project management capability in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Following its successful delivery, the symposium was nominated for a project management award, recognising its contribution to public value, cross-sector collaboration, and the advancement of research-informed practice. While we didn’t make the finals, it has been an honour to be nominated.
Designed as a platform rather than a one-off event, the Project Management Research Symposium 2025 created new pathways for connecting postgraduate research with real-world project delivery challenges. It provided emerging researchers with opportunities to present their work in a professional forum, while enabling practitioners to engage directly with new thinking in areas such as digital transformation, agile delivery, and the future of project leadership.
The initiative also introduced a structured academic review and publication process, resulting in formal symposium proceedings and creating a pipeline for selected research to be submitted to the inaugural New Zealand Journal of Project Management launching this year. The combination of research dissemination, industry engagement, and publication pathways reflects a growing emphasis on strengthening the evidence base that underpins project delivery across sectors including infrastructure, engineering, and information technology.
The project to create the annual symposium was delivered over a 12-month period and involved collaboration across faculties, operational teams, and external partners. Delivered within budget and achieving strong participant satisfaction, the symposium demonstrates how targeted initiatives can generate meaningful value for both the academic community and the wider profession. For many participants, the symposium represented a significant milestone in their development. Presenting research, engaging with industry professionals, and contributing to published proceedings has helped build confidence, capability, and professional identity as future project leaders.
Looking ahead, planning is underway for the 2026 symposium, with the ambition of growing a sustainable national platform for project management research and knowledge exchange.