We’re not yet sophisticated enough to know our readers’ demographics, such as your age.  We do know that EarthPM is enjoying immense popularity, and that the visits are coming from all over the world and from diverse sources.  But we don’t know our visitors that well, other than you’re interested in project management, sustainability, and most likely, your careers.  We do remember Sputnik, because we are (now how do we put this?) well-seasoned PMs who have been in industry since the 1970s.  Old, in other words.

So, since we don’t know your age, we don’t know whether you remember Sputnik.  Ah yes, dear old Sputnik.  President Obama invoked its memory last night in his State of the Union address.  Here is the key extract:

“This is our generation’s Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven’t seen since the height of the Space Race. And in a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We’ll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology — (applause) — an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.”

Now, when the President says “especially clean energy technology”,  your ears should perk up – whether you work in America or not.  This is significant.  President Obama is issuing a challenge not unlike President Kennedy did when he promised to land a man on the moon.

How many NASA project managers did that employ?  How many government contracts were issued that, in turn, generated projects for project managers to manage for years to come?   We calculated the answer: it was 349,331 jobs.  Okay, so we made that up.  But it was a lot.

The President, as he is prone to do, gave a specific example:

“Already, we’re seeing the promise of renewable energy. Robert and Gary Allen are brothers who run a small Michigan roofing company. After September 11th, they volunteered their best roofers to help repair the Pentagon. But half of their factory went unused, and the recession hit them hard. Today, with the help of a government loan, that empty space is being used to manufacture solar shingles that are being sold all across the country. In Robert’s words, “We reinvented ourselves.”"

These “reinventions” will be happening to businesses large and small.  Even if you don’t reinvent yourself, you will likely be called on – as a project manager – to lend your talent to a reinvention.

Will you be ready?

You can find the entire transcript of President Obama’s State of the Union address here.

…and for you youngsters who know not of Sputnik, you can quench your curiosity here.