What use is innovation if no one adopts it?

The research, delivered in partnership by RGU's Aberdeen Business School and the Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), will evaluate how psychological processes interact with attributes of the upstream oil and gas sector, such as organisational culture in relation to change. The research will ultimately establish best practice and develop a practical toolkit to support the rapid adoption and deployment of new technology for the industry.

Dr Ruby Roberts, Organisational Psychologist and Research Fellow from RGU has completed the first two phases of the project. This includes an extensive literature review and a series of interviews with those who work in the sector to identify existing knowledge gaps.

The literature review reinforced the importance of the topic but highlighted limited research into the area. It identified five psychological factors that are essential to technology uptake – personality, attitudes, social, cognition and organisation. Building on this, an in-depth interview study with a range of people involved in technology innovation in the industry identified similar psychological factors, highlighting the importance of leadership in developing a culture that embraces technology adoption.

Dr Roberts commented: “Innovation is key to the oil and gas industry, critical to its success. Whilst it is no surprise that the industry needs to harness the potential of technology adoption, uptake can still be incredibly low. While market and organisational factors can impact on adoption, it’s the psychological barriers that are the strongest and least understood.”

“The review and interview study confirmed whilst there has been very little research to identify the factors that impact on technology adoption, these factors play a significant role on successfully introducing technology. If harnessed correctly, these factors can be powerful for the industry.”

Dr Roberts will be presenting the findings from phase two at the Technologies for a Mature Basin session (session 14T) at SPE Offshore Europe 2019, on Friday 6 September at 11.30am.

Professor Paul Hagan, Vice Principal for Research and Deputy Principal commented: “The Fourth Industrial ‘Digital’ Revolution is driving rapid evolution of technology leading to fundamental changes in the way we work. If we are to benefit fully from the power of this new technology we need to understand how to overcome the psychological barriers to technology adoption and deployment. These barriers may not be unique to the oil and gas sector. Every industry needs to adapt. So, the potential impact of this project in realising economic benefits is huge.

“This project builds on RGU’s existing strong links with the OGTC and the oil and gas industry. For decades the university has partnered with industry to deliver demand-led solutions to their major challenges. Such collaborations are essential to ensuring business success and economic growth.”

Luca Corradi, Innovation Network Director, who supports the project on behalf of the OGTC commented: “To maximise the opportunities for the adoption of newly developed products, there is a need to better understand how psychological factors impact on the acceptance and deployment of innovative technology in industry.

“This is particularly prevalent given the OGTC are at the heart of supporting the delivery of game-changing technologies that will unlock the full potential of the UKCS and support the transition towards a lower carbon society. Our elite start-ups and technology developers are shifting the dial, and there is an appetite for what they can deliver, however understanding the barriers to adoption will really give us the edge to increase uptake.”

In the next phase of the project, the knowledge gaps identified will be addressed through case studies (phase three) and experimental ‘Dragon’s Dens’ (Phase 4). Based on the findings, the final phase will involve the development and evaluation of a psychological toolkit, set up to support technology adoption in the upstream oil and gas industry of the UKCS. The findings are expected in July 2020.