In this episode of Citizen One: Exploring Our Urban Future, an urbanNext original podcast series, host Doug McDaniel sits down with Misha Nikulin, a digital innovation veteran in global engineering, procurement and construction, or EPC. Misha’s career spans over two decades at Bechtel, executive consulting at Deloitte, and leadership in digital transformation across the energy sector. Their conversation explores the evolution of technology in megaprojects—from Chernobyl's second sarcophagus to disaster-ready mobile command units—and what it means to build smarter cities and more resilient infrastructures today.

Key Highlights:

* The Long Arc of Innovation:Misha shares his journey from supporting radioactive storage and remote operations at Chernobyl to enabling real-time response systems for U.S. disaster relief. His insight reveals how emerging tech, from early smart job sites to digital twins, matures over time but often suffers from hype cycles and misaligned expectations.

* The Integration Gap:One of the biggest industry failures? Digital integration across the entire lifecycle—from EPC to operations and maintenance (O&M). Misha explains how digital often lives in silos: owned by IT, poorly connected to operations, or lacking clear strategic alignment.

* Digital Strategy on a Napkin:Doug and Misha reminisce about crafting digital strategies over drinks on a bar napkin—a reminder that the most powerful transformation begins with clear intent, not technology selection. Misha’s core advice: “Don’t skip the strategy. Don’t take it lightly—even if it’s written on a napkin”.

* Rethinking Legacy:Legacy isn’t a dirty word. Misha reframes it as an asset—an opportunity to capture the knowledge of 30- and 40-year veterans before they retire. These individuals hold the keys to operational wisdom that tech alone can’t replicate.

* The Emotional Vocabulary of Innovation:They dive into how words—like “digital twin”—carry emotional baggage, what digital threads and ecosystems represent, and why UX (user experience) is what finally makes tech real to people. GenAI’s breakthrough wasn’t just technical—it was giving people a window into AI they could feel.

* Holistic Thinking is the Future:True transformation comes from seeing the full picture. Misha urges leaders to stop implementing isolated tools and start thinking holistically, aligning digital ecosystems with business outcomes, people, and culture.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone working at the intersection of engineering, construction, infrastructure, operations, and innovation. Whether you’re a digital strategist, civil engineer, or systems architect, it challenges you to think bigger and bolder about what digital transformation really requires.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Digital Innovation in Construction

05:02 Challenges in Digital Transformation

10:10 The Role of Leadership in Digital Integration

15:12 Understanding Legacy and Innovation

19:55 Exploring Digital Twins and Their Applications

24:55 The Importance of Digital Threads

29:59 AI's Impact on Engineering and Construction

34:49 Modularization and AI in Construction

45:53 Rethinking Supply Chain Management

48:15 AI in Real-Time Decision Making

51:46 Trust and Adoption of AI

55:18 Safety and Trust in Automation

58:22 Foundational Technologies for Automation

01:03:03 Predictability in Construction Projects

01:11:36 Killer Apps for the Construction Industry

01:21:38 Holistic Thinking in Digital Transformation