Innovation never stops: What’s next for the tech startups in Bird & Bird’s Digital Innovators showcase pushing boundaries? March 14, 2017 When Bird & Bird and City A.M. sought to unearth, and then celebrate, the most innovative digital companies shaking up the worlds of finance, health, education, media and security, we knew the collective 20 companies we found were an outstanding demonstration of the UK’s leadership in cutting edge technology. Now, just four months on, the visionary founders [...]
Google’s DeepMind is in talks with National Grid to apply artificial intelligence to energy use March 12, 2017 The Google-owned star British artificial intelligence company DeepMind is in talks with the National Grid about a potential partnership, with the possibility of using the technology to make the supply of energy across the UK more efficient. “There's huge potential for predictive machine learning technology to help energy systems reduce their environmental impact," said a spokesperson for the [...]
Cyber Security in a Transport Revolution March 9, 2017 The transport industry is undergoing a technological revolution driven by connectivity, Big Data, autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Driverless cars are on the horizon and the Internet of Things is being developed throughout our current transport infrastructure. However, these technologies pose some significant issues, particularly in the area of cyber security. To address some of [...]
How Google’s DeepMind is using blockchain-like technology to make patient health data transparent and secure March 9, 2017 Google's DeepMind has lifted the lid on its development of "blockchain related" technology that it's planning to use to make patient health data both more transparent and secure. The British artificial intelligence company which is working on trial projects with the NHS in London, is seeking to allay fears over access to patient's personal health data, and [...]
IBM is commercialising quantum computing to solve mind-boggling problems March 6, 2017 IBM has revealed its ambitions to bring the power of quantum computing to the business world. The tech firm is making available its IBM Q quantum systems to firms wanting to analyse and explore data that's too complicated for standard computing. Read more: The organisations of tomorrow – and the technologies already building them “Classical computers [...]
Absolute rubbish: Waste entrepreneur Bruce Bratley on building his recyling empire March 6, 2017 Did you know that it takes 10 days to recycle a cardboard box, and for it to become a new cardboard box? When the material is too old to re-use in the same guise, it’ll become an egg box. Another recycling factoid: coffee grounds are recycled all over London and turned into biofuel. It’s easy [...]
Ford set to axe 1,160 jobs at Bridgend engine plant, Unite warns as it gears up for strikes March 1, 2017 Unite has said up to 1,160 jobs will go by 2021 after Ford said it will cut investment in a new engine programme. The union has warned workers at Ford's Bridgend plant in Wales will be "one step closer to strike action" if the company doesn't commit to protecting jobs. At the moment, the headcount is [...]
Dyson’s new Apple-style campus: Here’s what you need to know March 1, 2017 Wiltshire is in danger of becoming the Cupertino of the Cotswolds after Dyson announced plans for yet another massive, Apple-style campus in Hullavington, not far from its current HQ in Malmesbury. It's not the first time the engineering firm has built a Silicon Valley-type campus for its workers, but this one promises to be bigger, shinier [...]
It’s pure rubbish to claim a low tax, low regulation Britain would be a disaster March 1, 2017 Dame Minouche Shafik, deputy governor of the Bank of England, is leaving to become director of the London School of Economics. Last weekend, she gave her final interview wearing her Bank hat. Shafik issued what was described in the media as a “thinly-veiled warning” to the chancellor Philip Hammond. She stated that it was an [...]
Why artificial intelligence is about to get real backing in the government’s Digital Strategy February 27, 2017 Artificial intelligence (AI) has long captured people’s imaginations. It has been a theme of science fiction novels and films for more than half a century and, while reality has always seemed a long way behind the fiction, that is now changing. AI is finally living up to its promise and has the potential to improve almost [...]