IT innovation, research and development

UKtech50 2023: The most influential people in UK technology

Computer Weekly has announced the 13th annual UKtech50 – our definitive list of the movers and shakers in the UK tech sector Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UKtech50 2023 winner: Michelle Donelan/Chloe Smith, secretary of state, DSIT

Computer Weekly looks at the achievements and successes of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, as its secretary of state is recognised as the most influential person in UK technology for 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NatWest and University of Edinburgh form partnership to research data use in banking sector

Scottish university and banking group set up research centre that will aim to improve the use of banking data Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Researchers in Belgium move towards industrial production of qubits

Using existing equipment and know-how, researchers at the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (Imec) in Belgium are finding ways of mass-producing qubits Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Open banking regulator sets out next steps

Plans for ongoing evolution of the UK open banking sector have been set out by regulator in bid to grow the open banking sector in a ‘safe, scalable and economically sustainable way’ Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Apple's $3,500 headset offers VR at a premium

Apple devices have always commanded a premium, but will consumers and business splash out $3,499 on its new Vision Pro headset? Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Mercedes Pay turns vehicles into payment devices

German car manufacturer add contactless payment feature to enable drivers to find and book parking spaces and pay automatically when they arrive Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TechUK publishes ‘UK tech plan’ for next government

Technology businesses are calling on UK politicians to devise a ‘comprehensive, forward-thinking strategy’ to realise the benefits of technology ahead of the next general election Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Bank of International Settlement sets up channel secure from quantum breach

The Bank of International Settlement has worked with two of Europe's central banks to explore preventing the security risks posed by quantum computers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK has time limit on ensuring cryptocurrency regulatory leadership, says Parliamentary report

Parliamentary report makes 53 recommendations to the government's plans to regulate cryptocurrency Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Sweden is developing its own big language model

Artificial Intelligence Sweden is leading an initiative to build a large language model not only for Swedish, but for all the major languages in the Nordic region: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Met Police director of intelligence defends facial recognition

The Met Police’s director of intelligence has appeared before MPs to make the case for its continuing use of facial-recognition technology, following announcements from the force and the Home Office that they intend to press on with its adoption Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How India’s DICV is tapping smart manufacturing

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has deployed augmented and virtual reality, advanced sensors, data analytics and other technologies to improve manufacturing processes and customer fleet management Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

HSBC explores quantum computing for finance sector

UK banking giant works with quantum computing specialist to explore the technology’s potential in the finance sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Generative AI – the next biggest cyber security threat?

Following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, several reports have emerged that seek to determine the impact of generative AI in cyber security. Undeniably, generative AI in cyber security is a double-edged sword, but will the paradigm shift in favour of opportunity or risk? Continue Reading

By

• Luke Witts

UK, US and Australia jointly trial AI-enabled drone swarm

British, American and Australian military organisations have trialled the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in drones in a collaboration designed to drive their adoption of AI-powered military tools Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Can the UK cash in on chips?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the UK government has committed £1bn to the semiconductor sector – but can it ever compete with the US and China? The potential of 5G networking could transform manufacturing – we examine the implications. And we talk to the global CIO at cloud storage provider Box about plans to incorporate AI and machine learning. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

BASF ramps up petaflops with new Quriosity HPE-build hardware

The AMD-powered 3 petaflops supercomputer will offer BASF the ability to run more complex simulations of chemical processes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Innovate UK hit with £36m unpaid tax bill over IR35 contractor employment status errors

UK's national innovation agency is the latest public sector organisation to have found itself saddled with a sizeable tax bill because of IR35 compliance issues Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Datacentre Editor

Build 2023: Microsoft wants developers to build IT with AI

Software giant Microsoft is pushing the idea of next-generation business applications, powered by AI-based copilots with data feed plugins Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dell outlines growth strategy in APAC

Dell Technologies is building on its momentum with Apex while eyeing growth areas such as edge computing and AI in a bid to expand its business in the region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Visa to recruit 1,500 tech staff in Poland

Visa’s latest global tech hub will recruit up to 1,500 staff, with focus on artificial intelligence, cyber security, and resilience in payments and ecommerce sectors Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Starmer pledges to reform the NHS through technology

The Labour Party wants to create an NHS powered by ‘groundbreaking technology’, with genomics testing for every baby, modernising appointment booking and overhaul incentives for tech adoption Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Worker-focused AI Bill introduced by backbench MP Mick Whitley

Using the 10-minute motion rule, backbench Labour MP Mick Whitley has introduced a worker-focused artificial intelligence (AI) bill to Parliament, which outlines a similar approach to AI being advocated by unions in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NAO calls for clarity on government’s net-zero innovation spending plans

The National Audit Office is calling on the government department responsible for overseeing the UK’s net-zero policy to clarify how the money set aside to support the endeavour will be spent Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

AI-powered robot starts sorting Melbourne’s recyclables

Melbourne’s APR Kerbside has been using an AI-powered robot to pick up used Tetra Pak beverage cartons that can be turned into poly-coated boards Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Navigating artificial intelligence: Red flags to watch out for

Lou Steinberg, founder of cyber security research lab CTM Insights, flags up the risks of the growing use of AI, and what organisations can do to tame the technology for good Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Inside MLC Life Insurance’s cloud journey

The Australian insurer spent a fair amount of time addressing people-related challenges in its move to cloud, which has improved its security posture and reduced infrastructure spending, among other outcomes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Home Office pushes for more police facial-recognition deployments

An independent report commissioned by the biometrics commissioner of England and Wales reveals that the UK policing minister is pushing for wider adoption of facial-recognition technology by police, and further criticises the government’s proposed changes to surveillance oversight Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How Rolls-Royce uses citizen developers

The engineering company is using Microsoft Power Apps to democratise digitisation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Plexal launches Cyber Runway 3.0 accelerator programme

The latest iteration of Plexal’s government-backed cyber security startup accelerator will run four work streams to boost startups at various stages of maturity and growth Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK renews tech and science deal with Japan

Deal focuses on innovation and will see countries collaborate on networking and investment, joint R&D programmes, and exchange schemes Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Why we need a secure side door for encrypted apps, not a back door  

Splitting a decryption key into multiple fragments held by 'guardians', including privacy rights group, may be an answer to policing encrypted messages Continue Reading

By

• Andersen Cheng

APAC digital leaders score wins in innovation awards

The region’s top industry innovators were recognised for their digital transformation efforts at the Computer Weekly Innovation Awards APAC 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

CW Innovation Awards: How Mondelez is driving innovation

The company behind Oreo biscuits is tapping low-code and no-code development, drones and blockchain, among other emerging technologies, to drive innovation and improve efficiency Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

CW Innovation Awards: Zuellig Pharma dispenses healthcare insights with data platform

The regional pharmaceutical giant’s business intelligence-as-a-service offering is touted to plug data gaps and has helped one pharmaceutical client improve customer loyalty Continue Reading

CW Innovation Awards: How open source mapping is bringing clean water to Andhra Pradesh

The state government of Andhra Pradesh has digitised information on water supply pipelines and implemented a geographical information system to help deliver clean drinking water to rural communities Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

MEPs vote in raft of amendments to EU AI Act

The proposed amendments to the EU’s AI Act have garnered a mixed reception from both industry and civil society, with the former seeing it as too stringent and the latter as not stringent enough in many areas, despite positive progress in others Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How to build an environmental cloud sustainability strategy

Environmental sustainability continues to be a top 10 business priority for organisations. Here are the factors to consider when evaluating the environmental sustainability efforts of cloud providers Continue Reading

By

• Autumn Stanish

Responsible innovation: 5 questions tech leaders must ask

For too long, innovation has occurred at the expense of environmental and social sustainability. Today's leaders must now prioritize responsible innovation. Learn how. Continue Reading

By

• Bruno Sarda and Karima Zedan

Australia to shore up cyber and digital capabilities in Budget 2023

Australia is spending more than A$2bn to strengthen cyber resilience, improve digital government services and fuel AI adoption, among other areas, in its latest budget Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

AI outcry intensifies as EU readies regulation

Policymakers are battling to keep pace with AI developments, while experts warn of societal impact Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UKtech50 2023: Vote for the most influential person in UK technology

Our judges have selected the top 50 leaders from a shortlist of more than 300 people – now it’s your chance to tell us who you think is the most influential person in UK technology Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UKtech50 2023: The longlist of the UK’s influential tech leaders

Each year, Computer Weekly launches a search for the most influential people in UK IT, asking the tech community who it thinks should be in the top 50 – here is the longlist of everyone nominated for 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How lab grown neurons could power the future of AI

Melbourne-based Cortical Labs’ lab grown neurons could speed up AI training in a more energy efficient way and its work has caught the eye of hyperscalers and Amazon’s CTO Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Employee perception may be key to success of UAE’s big data initiative

Study shows the impact employee perception can have on big data projects in the United Arab Emirates Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Icelandic researcher advocates for an overhaul of artificial intelligence

While technologies such as ChatGPT provide a glimpse of what may lay ahead, they are still a long way from real intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

CMA looks at competition in foundational AI

The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating consumer protection and market forces related to the use of emerging artificial intelligence models Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Google debuts passwordless login options for users

Launch of Google’s passkey service hailed as a great leap forward for passwordless technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber Action Plan for Wales launched

The devolved Welsh government has set out four priorities in an action plan designed to foster cyber resilience, talent and innovation across the country Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Quantum computing: What are the data storage challenges?

Quantum computing will be able to process massive amounts of data at extraordinary speeds, but challenges exist in data storage. How will today’s storage systems keep pace? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

The ethics of military AI

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the defence sector looks into using artificial intelligence to create autonomous weapons, we examine the risks and ethics of military AI. Amazon Web Services is under fire for not providing vital emissions data to customers – we investigate the issues. And we find out what IT security teams can learn from a year of cyber warfare in Ukraine. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

The role of AI as an everyday life assistant

We speak to the co-author of a book that explores the idea of artificial intelligence-powered automation that enables machines to become customers Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Tenable opens playground for generative AI cyber tools

A set of generative AI cyber tools designed to help security researchers in reverse engineering, debugging and other areas of work have been made available for the community to experiment with Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zopa’s emotional journey to becoming a bank

Zopa Bank’s CEO sees no reason why the app-based bank should not be as big as the high street giants Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Police Scotland receive formal notice about cloud system

Scotland’s biometrics watchdog has issued Police Scotland with an information notice over its deployment of a cloud-based digital evidence system, following disclosure of major data protection concerns by Computer Weekly Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government introduces Digital Markets Bill to Parliament

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will seek to level the playing field in digital markets by empowering regulators with new tools and powers to directly enforce competition and consumer protection laws Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK taskforce set to drive generative AI safety and opportunities

The government has committed £100m to helping the UK develop and build out generative artificial intelligence capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Just because it’s innovative, doesn’t make it good!

One of my hobbyhorses at the moment is how words and adjectives that ought to be simply descriptive acquire notions of ‘good’ or ‘bad’, and there’s one example that I think is quite dangerous. ... Continue Reading

By

• Dale Vile, Freeform Dynamics

UAE improves healthcare through information technology

Health authorities in the United Arab Emirates are increasing their emphasis on new, smart technologies to modernise healthcare services Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Data a driving force at Aston Martin Formula One

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we speak to Aston Martin Formula One’s Clare Lansley to find out how digital transformation helps the team to move further up the F1 grid. We explore how automation and AI is helping businesses tackle rising costs and also look into the maturity of Industry 4.0 initiatives. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How non-fungible tokens can be used to manage health data

Non-fungible tokens will give patients more ownership and control over their health data and improve its transparency in healthcare research, according to SingHealth clinicians Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Amazon Web Services selects 14 startups for space accelerator

The cohort of startups will use AWS and its resources to accelerate the research and development of their technologies and boost their growth Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Finland and Estonia deepen cross-border digital partnerships

Finland and Estonia, two global tech pioneers, are increasingly sharing their expertise Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Swedish university demos quantum chemistry simulation

A quantum computer, named after a slaughtered pig, is being used to test a new approach to modelling quantum chemistry Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Prototype cyber tech has revolutionary potential

The so-called CHERI protection model developed at the University of Cambridge is showing great promise for future cyber security technologies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC April 2023 – Trend Watch: Business applications

Tech’s role in the workplace continues to grow. In this handbook, focused on business applications in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at industry cloud platforms, how microservices improve customer experience, what automation brings to banking and Rimini Street’s approach to third-party support. Continue Reading

Beyond Web 2.0: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

Like others who have developed technology that powers the internet, David Holtzman, chief strategist at decentralised cyber security network Naoris Protocol, has an unusual background Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Good Friday Agreement key to growth of Northern Ireland cyber hub

Now 25 years since the historic Good Friday Agreement ended the Troubles, Northern Ireland has become a flourishing centre of cyber security excellence and has ambitions to grow further Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK SMEs are the most tech savvy in Europe

UK SMEs have taken to contactless payments faster than their counterparts in continental Europe Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TUC says government is failing to protect workers from AI harms

TUC issues warning about artificial intelligence leading to more widespread workplace discrimination if the right checks are not put in place Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

IT Priorities 2023: Budget optimism among EMEA IT leaders

IT leaders across the EMEA region are optimistic that their budgets will increase over the coming year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CyberUK 23: NCSC conference centres cyber collaboration

The NCSC’s annual CyberUK conference gets underway in Belfast this week, with collaboration and cooperation high on the agenda Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK presses on with post-Brexit data protection reform

The revised version of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill has had its second reading in Parliament as the government presses on with post-Brexit changes, but critics remain sceptical that the EU will be convinced to maintain the UK's data adequacy agreement Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech spending in India to grow by 9.6% in 2023

Digital initiatives in the public sector along with investments in telecoms and other areas are expected to spur technology spending in India this year Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Government launches Smart Data Council to lower utility bills

The council aims to find ways to use and encourage uptake of smart data to make it easier to switch utility providers and save money Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Alibaba Cloud unveils cheaper cloud options, new language model

Alibaba has introduced cheaper instances of its compute and storage services in China and is jumping on the generative AI bandwagon with its Tongyi Qianwen language model Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

AstraZeneca launches African healthtech hub

AstraZeneca has launched its latest healthcare innovation hub, which will focus on using digital technology to improve healthcare in Africa Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Agoda is shaping up to be a technology powerhouse

Agoda’s CTO Idan Zalzberg explains why the online travel agency with a massive technology footprint prefers to run things in-house and not rely too much on public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

With cyber attacks on the rise, businesses should prepare for quantum hacks now

Advances in quantum computing have brought the world is on the cusp of a technological revolution, but it is not without risk. Find out why you should start to prepare for post-quantum cryotography today. Continue Reading

By

• Ali El Kaafarani

Sweden and Finland make advances in quantum computing

Separate Swedish and Finnish quantum computing projects make promising advances in the technology of the future Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

ICO responds to UK government AI regulation plans

The ICO has officially responded to the government’s plans for regulating artificial intelligence as outlined in its recent whitepaper, but called for clarity on certain aspects before the proposals are taken further Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK police double down on ‘improved’ facial recognition

The Met and South Wales Police have doubled down on their use of facial recognition technology after research found improved accuracy in their algorithms when using certain settings, but civil society groups maintain that the tech will still be used in a discriminatory fashion Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Bank of England starts recruiting Britcoin team

The Bank of England is recruiting people to join its team focused on the development of a digital pound Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UKtech50 2023: Help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is back – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

DWP appoints former Boots IT chief Richard Corbridge as CDIO

In his new role as the chief digital and information officer for the Department for Work and Pensions, Corbridge will be responsible for a £1.4bn annual budget Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How India’s Cropin is tapping the groundswell in agritech

Cropin, one of the first movers in agriculture technology, has built an industry cloud platform that is now used by the likes of PepsiCo to maximise crop yields Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Government to pump more than £100m into digital social care

As part of its Better Care Fund framework, the government has allocated £100m to accelerate digitisation in social care, £50m to improve data, as well as £35m for the creation of an innovation and improvement unit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Inspired by the human brain, Belgian researchers develop a new generation of sensors

Belgian researchers have found ways of mimicking the human brain to improve sensors and the way they pass data to central computers Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Huawei upgrades OpenLab innovation centre in Singapore

Chinese tech giant Huawei has recently upgraded its OpenLab innovation facility in Singapore to drive the development of industry specific applications such as smart classrooms and horizontal ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Italy’s ChatGPT ban: Sober precaution or chilling overreaction?

Italy’s data protection authority issued a temporary ban on ChatGPT citing data protection concerns and alleged breaches of the GDPR. Is this a reasonable precaution, or a chilling restriction on personal freedoms? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Revitalising UK digital government

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the UK plummets down the international rankings for digital government, can its £400m identity system revitalise the UK’s digital strategy? We examine the container management platforms from the big six storage suppliers. And we look at the challenges of achieving IT sustainability while continuing to drive digital innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Wales launches innovation fund for pharmacy systems suppliers

The fund aims to help suppliers of pharmacy systems in the country to deliver an electronic prescription service Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Generative AI central to Accenture’s tech vision

Generative AI will play a central role over the next 10 years as the digital and physical world become more and more integrated Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Wales is building a dragon of an NHS app

As NHS Wales is due to launch the public version of its own app, Computer Weekly takes a deep dive into the technical aspects of the Welsh NHS app, future plans and whether the expectations for the programme have stacked up to reality Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How millions of consumers and businesses are using open banking

SMEs and consumers are increasingly turning to open banking services to help them manage their businesses and lives Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Preventing artificial deception in the age of AI

The proposals contained in Westminster’s AI whitepaper are a good start, but more creative thinking and investment will be required to achieve a truly pro-innovation regulatory environment Continue Reading

By

• Alwin Magimay

Naver Cloud teams up with Korean tourism body

The South Korean hyperscaler has teamed up with the Korea Tourism Organisation to improve visitor experience using its cloud capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

UK government publishes AI whitepaper

Artificial intelligence whitepaper outlines UK government’s proposals to regulate the technology, which are based around creating an agile, “pro-innovation” framework Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lloyds Bank looking for fintech partners

Lloyds Banking Group wants to partner startups in the financial services sector in its latest fintech and insurtech programme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA