UTC President and CEO Louis Chênevert visits Research Center
 Left to right: Parag Kshirsugar, scientist/research engineer; Lutz Gutenberger, power electronics intern; Vice President, Research, and UTRC Director David Parekh; UTC President and Chief Executive Officer Louis Chênevert; UTC Senior Vice President, Science & Technology Michael McQuade; and Vlado Blasko, UTRC Fellow and manager of the Power Electronics Lab. |
Speaking to a crowd of employees that filled the 200-seat auditorium and nearly half of the nearby Technical Education Center, Chênevert celebrated the impact of technology and innovation in the past, present and anticipated future of the company.
Citing the impact of past innovators who have created companies within UTC that still bear their name -- Willis Carrier, Elijah Graves Otis, Igor Sikorsky -- Chênevert summarized the character of UTC with the simple phrase, "We are inventors at heart."
Assessing the current competitive marketplace, Chênevert went on to discuss the importance of delivering the best in technology across all product lines.
"Continually raising the bar and improving the product portfolio that we have is critical to our long-term success, and a lot occurs in UTRC," he said.
Founded in 1929, UTRC currently operates headquarters in East Hartford, Conn., and also a research and development center in Shanghai, China. UTRC also partners with national laboratories, universities and organizations across the globe to bring the best talent to bear on some of the modern world's most pressing issues.
Chênevert went on to state that the many aspects of energy and environment represent key opportunities for future business growth and technology advancement, particularly as current trends toward urbanization create emerging markets.
Chênevert also discussed how pollution, noise, emissions, and general efficiency and optimization are common concerns among customers and consumers served by UTC businesses, cutting across commercial and aerospace markets.
While at UTRC, Chênevert toured laboratories engaged in research, exploration and validation into areas of power electronics, water purification, heating and ventilation, and fuel cells.
Over the past two years, Chênevert has visited more than 60 UTC facilities worldwide. His presentation to the Research Center marked his first address to employees since assuming his current position as chief executive officer.
