Roderick Larson on technology evolution
From UTC 2017 Keynote Presentation by Rod Larson, CEO | Oceaneering · · Oceaneering
“If you ask them what comes next, you know we've got telephones and that we're living in the future, what else can we need? Would they have thought of things like video phones or fax machines or maybe Wireless? If it took 30 years to get 50,000 telephones, how long will it take before we can actually have wireless telephones that we could carry with us? They probably said a hundred years, but it actually took about 100 years to get wireless telephones, with the first mobile call in 1973 by Motorola.”
On , Roderick Larson, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, spoke about technology evolution during UTC 2017 Keynote Presentation by Rod Larson, CEO | Oceaneering on Oceaneering.
About Roderick Larson
Rod Larson, president and CEO of Oceaneering, described the company as a $2.5 billion robotics and engineering firm with about 10,500 employees operating in 52 countries, with roughly 70% of revenue from energy and 30% from government work including space and defense. In a September 2024 interview, Larson stated that hydrocarbons will be needed for a long time and that Oceaneering works with customers to develop resources "in a really responsible way," focusing on safety and reducing carbon footprints. He noted that deepwater reservoirs have some of the lowest carbon footprints for development and cited West Africa, Guyana, Surinam, and Brazil as regions with long-term offshore growth potential. Larson also highlighted Oceaneering's government services, including work for NASA and submarine repair as the only SubSafe certified contractor outside of submarine manufacturers. Larson has emphasized innovation and adaptation, stating that the secret to success includes "saying yes to opportunities, being curious, and gaining experience across different parts of the business." He has discussed Oceaneering's development of an autonomous counterbalance forklift for automobile manufacturing as an example of applying technology beyond oil and gas. In a 2017 keynote, Larson argued that being first to market is not sufficient, citing companies like Blackberry and Kodak that failed to maintain leadership, and stressed that technology must be safe, integrated, and supported by a culture of service. He has also advocated for Houston as a center for innovation beyond Silicon Valley, saying companies like Oceaneering can help attract investment by showcasing technology leadership.
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