The APGA Women in Pipelines Forum is connecting research, industry and students towards shaping the future of the pipelines industry.
The pipeline industry is feeling the pressure of a labour and skills shortage, battling to attract young talent in a competitive market, while industry veterans retire from the field. As an industry-wide challenge, association bodies like the APGA Women in Pipelines Forum (WPF) are leading the way in tackling these issues.
In September, the NSW WPF committee hosted a panel discussion and networking day at the University of Wollongong (UOW), which was sponsored by ROSEN and newly established Gas Infrastructure Research Australia (GIRA). The event brought together researchers, industry professionals, and university students to highlight the critical role of research and industry collaboration.
Over the course of the seminar, the audience heard from senior leaders spanning pipelines, future fuels, materials-engineering and asset-integrity, from organisations such as GIRA, APA Group, Jemena, and ROSEN.
Key themes included how research and industry must collaborate to tackle the technical, regulatory and commercial challenges of transitioning energy networks toward hydrogen, biomethane and other future fuels; how pipeline infrastructure and materials must evolve; and how universities like UOW are willing to engage with commercial partners to translate research into real-world deployment.
APA Principal Materials and Welding Engineer, Maina Portella, was one of the presenters. As a former researcher at UOW and a current pipeline professional, Maina perfectly embodies the spirit of the event. Her presentation focused on how she bases her engineering decisions on industry research.
“The idea was to help students make the connection that the things they will learn in university – the research they can be part of – have real world impacts on engineering projects,” she told The Australian Pipeliner.
“We also talked about potential career paths in our industry, planting the seeds to attract future pipeline professionals.”
NSW WPF Chair Larissa Villas-Boas, Jemena Risk and Assurance Specialist, said she is extremely proud of the committee’s efforts in conceptualising and bringing such event to life, highlighting the importance of collaboration and inclusion.
“This event was unique in bringing together not only industry members but also academia representatives and students,” she said. “It was very rewarding to see students interested in learning more about the topics presented and potential career pathways into the pipelines industry.”
The event also included a tour of the UOW’s hydrogen lab – a leading hydrogen pipeline safety facility and the only one of its kind in Australia.
“People really enjoyed visiting the lab,” Maina said. “ROSEN’s lab technician Brad Davis did a wonderful job explaining the functioning of the equipment and how tests are performed. The feedback on the tour was excellent.”
In fact, the entire day was very well received by attendees, who had much to say in praise of the event:
“Everything was perfectly arranged. The WPF Chair [Larissa Villas-Boas] made a special effort to personally introduce herself to everyone, which created a truly warm and inclusive atmosphere. Kudos to the entire team for organising such a fabulous session, especially the NSW Chair. A wonderful experience at the Women in Pipelines Forum!”
“A good mix of speakers and excellent lab tour.”
“The topics and format chosen were excellent, and the location was thoughtfully selected to include university students in the discussions. It was great to see such inclusive planning.”
“Maina did a fantastic job presenting, and Laura [Fothergill] chaired the sessions – both of them did so with confidence and professionalism. They were an excellent representation of APA, creating opportunities for and building connections between the industry and the UOW, as well as showing real courage in initiating, leading and managing the event.”
Overall, the event emphasised that future of the pipeline industry will not be about academia working in isolation nor industry simply buying technology. Instead, it will require cooperative designed research and development, shared risk, real-world trials, and a workforce with the right mix of skills and experience.
