Anything to declare? The ‘S’ of ESG makes its move September 25, 2020 The central component of the increasingly prominent ‘ESG’ – the ‘S’ – is typically neglected in discussions about environmental, social and governance (ESG) data and non-financial disclosure. But developments such as the Boohoo garment workers controversy and Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the trends such as gender pay-gap reporting – not to mention [...]
Healthtech: are ‘virtual’ doctors here to stay? September 17, 2020 Earlier today, the heads of NHSX and NHS Digital, discussed ‘digital transformation in the National Health Service’ in front of a parliamentary committee in Westminster. NHSX is a government unit set up last year to focus on NHS technology, digital and data (the ‘X’ stands for ‘user experience’). NHS Digital provides IT infrastructure and support. [...]
Biotech seeks to seize the moment September 11, 2020 Biotech was outperforming the broader market before the pandemic hit – since then its relative performance has been stronger still. So proclaims a timely publication showcasing investment trends, performance and opportunities published last week by the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), which seeks to ‘lift the lid’ on one what is naturally an R&D-heavy sector. Biotech [...]
Red card to business cards? Not just yet September 4, 2020 For many entrepreneurs and start-ups, it is one of the most exciting elements of launching a company: ordering business cards. The very act of commissioning and receiving shipments of 88x55mm cards showcasing your new enterprise is a visible and tangible sign that you’re ready for business. Could the increasing number of new companies springing up [...]
Share and share alike: electronically? August 28, 2020 Where – if you’re lucky enough to own shares – do you store the paperwork? A drawer? The attic? Share certificates – possessed by millions of Britons – and dividend cheques seem on a path becoming obsolete. A trend towards digital delivery of shareholder-related communications means that the era of private investors filing away their [...]
From protein to plastics – EU funding continues to flow (for now) August 21, 2020 Portugal’s off the list. Croatia’s on the list. Spain and France have been on the list for a while. As far as Europe is concerned, the headlines are dominated by the latest quarantine rules for people returning to Britain from holiday hotspots. It’s tough to keep track of the changing rules and timings. On a [...]
Mind the gap? Financing scale-ups takes sharper focus August 19, 2020 ‘There is a risk… of a lost generation of innovative businesses unable to access the right capital to scale and go global’: so warns an analysis published this month entitled The Future of Growth Capital. The report – co-produced by Innovate Finance, the ScaleUp Institute and Deloitte, in collaboration with industry, investors and the recently [...]
‘Edtech’ surges to the top of the class August 6, 2020 From near-ubiquitous interactive whiteboards to cloud platforms, coding and coaching via video-call, education technology has travelled a long way since schools introduced basic computing laboratories in the 1980s. These advancements have been given a further powerful push by the digital acceleration triggered by coronavirus: most visibly in the need for teaching professionals to deliver classes [...]
Fintech review flags sector’s status as one to watch August 3, 2020 Six figures from the business world have set sail on a six-month voyage to investigate and recommend priorities for the financial technology sector. Ron Kalifa is helmsman of the ‘Fintech Strategic Review’, announced in March’s Budget but – until now – stuck in the harbour as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Sherry Coutu, Anne Glover, [...]
3D printing takes on new dimensions July 24, 2020 3D printing’s evolution has dished up developments galore to chew over recently. Six months ago a company ‘making’ a (plant-based) steak captured headlines, with the BBC asking: ‘would you eat a ‘steak’ printed by robots?’. The same firm – a Barcelona start-up, NovaMeat – was in the headlines again a couple of months ago, unveiling [...]
