In this exclusive interview, The Energy Circle by IN-VR spoke with Jean Vézina, Co-Founder and CEO of Caltech Group, about the company’s evolution from a local project management firm into a multi-sector enterprise. He shares how Caltech’s pioneering recycling initiatives, decades of offshore experience, and commitment to local capacity building are helping drive Timor-Leste’s sustainable growth across both the environmental and energy sectors.
Q1. Caltech Group has grown from a local project management company into a multi-sector enterprise in Timor-Leste. What were the biggest challenges and opportunities along this journey, and how have they shaped your identity as a Timorese company?
A: Timor-Leste presents a limited market size. This forces companies who wish to grow to look for growth opportunities outside their initial core activities. The Caltech Group did just that. By diversifying we managed to maintain a consistent growth over the years and to continuously identify new venture opportunities. By diversifying we exposed some shortfalls in the Timor-Leste supply chain which in turns represented further business opportunities. In short, successful businesses in Timor-Leste must be dynamic and flexible to withstand a consistently oscillating market demand.
Q2. Your recycling initiatives, such as turning plastic waste into construction materials, have received strong recognition. How do you see these environmental projects contributing not only to sustainability but also to local job creation and community development?
A: Yes, our multiple Circul-R initiatives received a lot of recognition as what we do is of significance and has basically introduced the notion of recycling to Timor Leste and diverted so far more than 1 million kgs of material from being landfilled. Unfortunately, recognition is not what drive business – orders are. We trust that work givers will soon place environment protection at the forefront of their decision process and dare to specify some amount of recycled products in their tenders.
Q3. Caltech is also active in supporting oil, gas, and marine operations. What unique capabilities does your company bring to international operators who choose to work with a Timorese partner?
A: Caltech is the only private company with multiple decades of offshore presence; as such we have a very experience workforce. In addition, those years on the job have enable us to set a head office with robust systems and procedures to ensure quality and on-time delivery.
Q4. Many foreign investors are looking at Timor-Leste with fresh interest in energy and mining. From your perspective, what role can local companies like Caltech play in ensuring that growth benefits Timorese people and builds national capacity?
A: A Local partner is key in understanding the culture, strengths and limitations of a local workforce and set programs in motion to improve those shortfalls. A local partner’s role should be to be involved in the project, not processing offshore invoices for work done overseas – This presents no real benefit for skills development in Timor-Leste but is unfortunately a model often used.
Q5. How do you envision Caltech’s dual role (both as an environmental pioneer and as a service provider to the energy sector) contributing to Timor-Leste’s sustainable development over the next decade?
A: We perceive both as equally important for a prosperous future for Timor-Leste. Both sectors are at cross roads where deciders must make the right choice for the sustainability of both markets. Caltech remains dedicated to be part in both if those markets remain fair and competitive.
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