According to new data from Canalys, AI-capable computers represented 14% of all PCs shipped in the second quarter of 2024—and the stage is set for a significant ramp-up in device availability and adoption in the second half of the year.
The global technology market analysis firm found that 8.8 million AI-capable PCs were shipped to end-users in Q2 2024. An AI-capable PC is defined as a desktop or notebook with a dedicated chipset or block to run on-device workloads. Apple’s Neural Engine, AMD’s XDNA, and Intel’s AI Boost are all prominent examples of such chipsets.
With its entire Mac portfolio incorporating M-series chips with the Neural Engine, Apple boasts the highest AI-capable PC shipments and share of the portfolio currently. When it comes to the Windows space specifically, Lenovo took a 6% share of AI-capable Windows PC shipments in Q2, while HP had around 8%, and Dell fell just below 7%.
Speaking on the developments within Q2, and how such progress will help to propel AI PC availability and adoption moving forward, Ishan Dutt, principal analyst at Canalys, said: “The second quarter of 2024 added significant momentum to the expansion of AI-capable PCs.
“June saw the launch of Copilot+ PCs incorporating Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series of chips, based on Arm architecture. While shipment volumes in the quarter were relatively small due to the limited weeks and geographical coverage of availability, the broad commitment of Windows OEMs to adopt these products into their portfolios bodes well for the category’s outlook.
“In the x86 space, Intel ramped up its delivery of Core Ultra chipsets, reporting strong sequential performance for its AI PC products, while AMD announced its Ryzen AI 300 series of notebook processors in June, with product releases starting in mid-July.”
“With a strong foundation now set, AI-capable PC shipments are poised to gain further traction in the second half of 2024,” added Dutt.
“The market performance of AI-capable PCs has largely aligned with expectations and the industry remains on track to ship around 44 million units in 2024 and 103 million units in 2025, according to Canalys forecasts.”
Interestingly, Canalys’ data and analysis comes around half a year after Gartner found that the stagnating PC market as a whole was beginning to show signs of life after a significant period of downturn.
The consulting firm discovered that worldwide shipments of personal computers—regardless of AI capabilities—rose in Q4 of 2023, marking the first time that quarterly shipments increased after eight straight quarters of decline.
Everyday AI, as well as digital employee experience (DEX), have been forecast to reach mainstream adoption in less than two years, according to Gartner, the technological research and consulting firm.
“Everyday AI” can be surmised as the artificial intelligence technologies and products that can be used to augment daily business operations and tasks. Meanwhile, “digital employee experience” is how employees interact with the digital tools while at work, and organisational efforts to improve that experience.
“Everyday AI promises to remove digital friction, by helping employees write, research, collaborate and ideate,” further explained Matt Cain, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner.
“It is a core part of DEX, which is a concentrated effort to remove digital friction and improve workforce digital dexterity, which itself is one of the key factors that will drive organisational prosperity through 2030,” he added.
2024 has been a critical year for digital workplace application leaders, as the focus on hybrid and remote work dwindles and the need for a strategic concentration on everyday AI rises.
As indicated by the research firm’s Hype Cycle for Digital Workplace Applications, 2024, everyday AI is on the Peak of Inflated Expectations. This phase is characterised by the fact that, while there are many implementation-related success stories, there are also many failures. And while some firms take action due to proof-of-concept stories and media interest generating hype, many don’t.
Everyday AI “Crucial” For Enhancing Workforce Productivity
As technology vendors seek ways to improve productivity among workers that go beyond traditional application and feature enhancements, Gartner suggests they can look towards everyday AI.
On top of productivity benefits, the technology can provide new marketable offerings such as tools to help workers find and synthesise relevant information, answer questions more comprehensively, and produce work artefacts more easily.
“Everyday AI will become more sophisticated, moving from services that, for example, can sort and summarise chats and email messages to services that can write a report with minimal guidance,” said Adam Preset, VP analyst at Gartner.
“In many ways, everyday AI is the future of workforce productivity.”
An Emphasis On Organisational DEX Strategy
Nearly all employees are becoming digital employees, as they spend more time utilising and working with technology than ever before.
Because of this, organisations should have a strategy to measure and improve DEX to attract and retain talent, increase employee engagement, and maximise discretionary effort and intent-to-stay, Gartner recommends.
Business leaders are currently looking for guidance on how technology can help boost productivity and organisational alignment. DEX can emphasise best practices that boost digital dexterity, attract and retain talent, and help employees deliver against business outcomes.
As it stands, DEX is in the Trough of Disillusionment on the research firm’s Hype Cycle, meaning that interest is waning as experiments and implementations fail to deliver.
However, to increase the appeal and relevance around DEX, Gartner advises that business leaders should take a holistic approach across IT and non-IT partners to build a meaningful environment that empowers employees to adopt new ways of working.
Smart Data Foundry (SDF), the Edinburgh-based data innovation organisation, has launched what’s been called the world’s first self-service, agent-based synthetic data generation product.
SDF has released version 2.0 of its Aizle platform, which allows users to independently generate secure, high-quality synthetic data without the need for real data as input nor specialised data science expertise.
Aizle requires no real input data, as AI agents simulate the activities of synthetic people and businesses within a customisable framework of behavioural rules and patterns. This generates data about people’s jobs, spending, and financial relationships, as well as business’ bills, cashflow, and obligations.
It can also help address some of the privacy and security concerns associated with using real-world data. New data breaches and scams occur every day with recent victims including AT&T, which saw the personal data of 73 million current and former AT&T customers leaked online, and NHS Dumfries and Galloway, which had a large volume of patient and staff data stolen by cyber-criminals and published on the dark web.
Speaking on it, David Tracy, head of data products at Smart Data Foundry, said: “This new platform will open up the toolbox to synthetic data – until now, financial services institutions have been spending months tracking down and tidying up training data, clearing it for use with their compliance teams, and then spinning up teams of machine learning specialists to generate data, on for example financial fraud.
“Instead, they can log in to their Aizle account, set their parameters, and the data will be ready to use within a matter of minutes or hours depending on how detailed their requirements are.
“By democratising data access, Aizle’s self-serve platform empowers users to independently generate and utilise agent-based synthetic data effortlessly, driving innovation and efficiency in their operations.
“While we are initially targeting the UK market, we can develop synthetic data for any market. We’re already building on interest internationally and intend to offer the service to financial institutions and regulators around the world.”
Created by Smart Data Foundry in 2023, Aizle has grown from a small research initiative employing two data scientists to a 15-strong division, with enterprise clients including NatWest Group, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), TISA, and the Department for Business and Trade.
Smart Data Foundry itself was established a year prior, in 2022, to help unlock the power of financial data to tackle big issues and create positive impact across society, the economy, and the environment.
Located in Edinburgh Futures Institute, the company is a University of Edinburgh subsidiary. Last year, DIGIT spoke with a few people at the helm of SDF to understand the mission-led projects taking place inside the organisation.
Hundreds of thousands of rural homes and businesses with outdated broadband infrastructure will receive major internet speed upgrades, as the UK government looks to help bridge the digital divide across the country.
Up to £800 million in government investment will be provided via contracts to Openreach, the telecoms provider, to modernise broadband infrastructure in rural areas of England, Wales, and Scotland.
The deal with the telecoms provider is being made under Project Gigabit, a broadband rollout initiative which targets locations too expensive for providers to reach in their commercial build, and which would otherwise be left behind with poor digital infrastructure.
The investment will provide access to lightning-fast, gigabit-capable (1Gbps+) broadband to around 312,000 homes and businesses across the country, helping remote residents and businesses finally gain access to the fastest connection on the market.
Contracts worth £288 million have already been signed with Openreach under the agreement to connect approximately 96,600 homes and businesses in England and, for the first time, Wales.
Talks are now underway with them to agree further contracts to benefit around 215,800 more premises across England, Scotland and Wales. The government said that more announcements are expected in the coming months.
The announcement follows the government’s vow to redouble its efforts to achieve full gigabit coverage by 2030, and help grow the economy, accelerate innovation, and improve people’s lives.
It also comes around a year after DIGIT covered a report which found that, funding-wise, regions like Scotland and Wales had thus far been comparatively left in the dark with Project Gigabit.
Speaking on the news, secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, Peter Kyle, commented: “Over the past decade, the UK’s broadband rollout has clearly not happened fast enough and has overlooked too many areas, especially in Scotland and Wales.
“Robust digital infrastructure is essential for growth, productivity and competitiveness and this shortfall not only poses risks to our economic stability, but also entrenches existing inequalities across the country.
“We are fixing this by delivering for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses up and down the country, focusing on the areas that were not prioritised by the previous government, such as Wales.
“Today marks a significant milestone in delivering on our promise to redouble our efforts to achieve full gigabit coverage by 2030 and lay the foundations for a more inclusive, dynamic and prosperous future for all citizens.”
The CEO of Openreach, Clive Selley, added: ”Research shows that full fibre provides a host of economic, social and environmental benefits – and I believe we’re the best in the business at delivering it.
“I’m proud we’ve been chosen, through a fiercely competitive process, and we’re already cracking on with the job.
“This is a British infrastructure success story. Our network already reaches more than 15 million urban and rural premises and, wherever we build, we bring the widest choice of providers for customers.
“I’m confident we can reach as many as 30 million homes by the end of the decade if the conditions remain supportive.”
Former YouTube boss Susan Wojcicki has passed away after two years of living with lung cancer.
The news concerning the ex-YouTube chief executive—and also one of Google’s earliest employees—was confirmed this weekend by Dennis Troper, Wojcicki’s husband, and Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and its parent company, Alphabet.
“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of Susan Wojcicki passing. My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today after 2 years of living with non small cell lung cancer,” wrote Troper in a Facebook post.
“Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable. We are heartbroken, but grateful for the time we had with her.”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Pichai said: “Unbelievably saddened by the loss of my dear friend @SusanWojcicki after two years of living with cancer.
“She is as core to the history of Google as anyone, and it’s hard to imagine the world without her.
“She was an incredible person, leader and friend who had a tremendous impact on the world and I’m one of countless Googlers who is better for knowing her.
“We will miss her dearly. Our thoughts with her family. RIP Susan.”
Wojcicki’s association with Google began in 1998, when she rented out her home’s garage in Menlo Park, California, to Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin for $1,700 a month.
Her 15-year stint at Google proper started a year later, in 1999. While at Google, she led teams across consumer products and helped build its ad business.
In 2014, Wojcicki became the chief executive of YouTube, a now household name which Google bought in 2006.
In February last year, it was announced that Wojcicki would step down from YouTube’s helm after nearly ten years to focus on personal projects, health, and family.
In an email sent to Google and Alphabet employees commemorating Wojcicki’s life and career, Pichai wrote: “Over the last two years, even as she dealt with great personal difficulties, Susan devoted herself to making the world better through her philanthropy, including supporting research for the disease that ultimately took her life.
“I know that was very meaningful to her and I’m so glad she took the time to do it.”
Iconsys, the provider and systems integrator of power and automation solutions, has opened its first Scottish office in Lanarkshire.
The move to open an office at the Regus Eurocentral site, which has been made in a bid to both increase market share in Scotland and attract new engineers, follows a record year for the firm.
Iconsys, whose headquarters is in Telford in Shropshire, England, saw a turnover of around £14.5m by the end of the 2024 financial year. It had a £5 million increase in sales thanks to numerous new contract wins in industries including energy, maritime, transportation, and consumer goods, among others.
In addition to the new Scottish office, the firm has also recently appointed Chris McComb to head up its Scottish operations. McComb has previously worked for companies such as Siemens, Booth Welsh, and iTech.
Iconsys’ staff numbers have increased to over 80 in 2024, and a drive to recruit 15 more engineers and support personnel is also currently in progress.
Speaking on the new Lanarkshire office and the firm’s recent growth, managing director of Iconsys, Nick Darrall, said: “Our Scottish office, which is ideally located between Edinburgh and Glasgow, offers greater flexibility for our Northern clients and allows for a more engaging experience for our existing staff living in and around Lanarkshire.
“It also opens up the talent pool to boost our growing team of ‘best in class’ engineers.
“Sales have rocketed towards £15m and our pipeline is looking very healthy for the next twelve months.”
“Some of the decisions we have taken over the last two years have been pivotal to our expansion and have laid the foundations for the next phase,” added Darrall.
Autonomous, AI-enabled drones that allow human operators to locate, disable, and destroy ground-based targets have been trialled by AUKUS, the trilateral defence and security partnership between the UK, US, and Australia.
The recent exercise has been cited as the first use of autonomy and AI sensing systems in a real-time military environment.
It took place as part of a series of trials named AUKUS Resilient and Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Technologies (RAAIT), and as part of the annual US-hosted multinational Project Convergence experimentation exercise.
The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) said that AI and autonomous systems were used to reduce the time it takes to identify enemy targets and to operate with reduced risk to life.
This included several drones from each nation operating in the same airspace to achieve a “common outcome,” whilst being augmented by an AUKUS AI team, who retrained and deployed AI onto the platforms.
Dstl noted that the trial demonstrated the “significant” improvements AUKUS partners have made to the application and viability of RAAIT since the first UK trial in April 2023.
Further, Dstl said that, once proven, the technology will be incorporated into national platforms, providing the military with “operational advance through a quick response to current and future threats.”
“AUKUS continues to develop and deploy AI and autonomy technologies in a safe and responsible manner that ensures context-appropriate meaningful human control,” added Dstl.
The recent exercise is just one of the latest examples where new technologies are being tested and developed for a military context.
For instance, back in April, DIGIT reported on how an energy laser weapon dubbed “Dragonfire,” which was trialled in the Hebrides, will be installed on Royal Navy warships for the first time from 2027.
Able to fire at any target visible in the air, and with an accuracy equivalent to hitting a pound coin from a kilometre away, the laser energy weapon uses an intense beam of light to engage targets like drones.
Also in the first half of this year, DIGIT wrote on how a “game-changing” weapon that uses radio waves to disable electronics and take down multiple drones at once is under development for the UK’s armed forces.
Known as a Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), it beams radio waves to disrupt or damage the critical electronics components of enemy vehicles, causing them to stop in their tracks or fall out of the sky.
The system can detect, track, and engage a range of threats across land, air, and sea, and affect targets up to 1km away—with further development being undertaken to extend the range.
A bi-annual report on fintech investment trends has uncovered that total UK fintech investment has nearly tripled so far this year, hitting $7.3bn (£5.7bn~) in H1 2024, compared to $2.5bn (£2bn~) in H1 2023.
However, despite the almost threefold increase, high levels of inflation, the high interest rate environment, and geopolitical uncertainty have all contributed to more subdued levels of UK fintech investment compared to 2021’s record highs.
KPMG’s latest Pulse of Fintech report discovered that H1 24’s investment total was largely bolstered by the size of many of the deals, not least the $4bn (£3.1bn~) buyout of financial software company IRIS Software Group by Leonard Green, and the $999m (£800m~) VC round by Abound, the loan provider.
In total, 198 UK merger and acquisition, private equity, and venture capital fintech deals were completed in H1 2024, down from 284 in H1 2023. That said, the UK still remains the centre of European fintech investment, with British fintechs attracting more funding than their counterparts in the rest of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) combined.
Comparatively, the EMEA region saw total fintech investment drop considerably in the first half of 2024, falling from $19.1bn (£15bn~) in H2 23 to $11.4bn (£9bn~) in H1 24. The largest EMEA deals outside of the UK included the buyout of payments firm Banco BPM Gruppo for $652m (£513m~), and the acquisition of Switzerland-based e-invoicing company, Pagero, by Thomson Reuters.
The Americas also saw a comparative dip in investment, with total investment falling from $38.5bn (£30bn~) to $36.6 billion (£28.8bn~) between H2 23 and H1 24, including from $35bn (£27.5bn~) to $27.4b (£21.5bn~) in the US.
Speaking on the report and the findings, Hannah Dobson, partner and UK head of fintech at KPMG UK, said: “With the new UK government in situ and the potential long awaited drop in interest rates having finally arrived, there are hopes that fintech investment will start to show signs of recovery as we move into the latter part of the year and early 2025.
“We are expecting to see growing investment interest in AI and its use in the fintech and regtech space. Regulation remains a key focus in the EU – particularly with crypto and digital asset businesses as they navigate the new EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation, which is expected to arrive in December 2024.”
Karim Haji, UK and global head of financial services at KPMG, added: “The high cost of capital and geopolitical uncertainty – linked to conflict and elections, have put a significant damper on all global investments so far this year, and the fintech market isn’t immune to that.
“Investors are acting cautiously, and not only when it comes to large transactions. On the M&A front, in particular, given concerns about valuations and the profitability of potential targets, investors are focussed on improving the companies they already own rather than buying new.”
Following an initial finding that Advanced Computing Software Group Ltd failed to implement measures to protect the personal information of 82,946 people, the UK’s data privacy regulator has provisionally decided to fine the firm £6.09 million.
Advanced provides IT and software services to organisations on a national scale, including the NHS and other healthcare providers. It also handles people’s personal information on behalf of these organisations as their data processor.
The Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) tentative decision to issue a fine concerns a ransomware incident that took place in August 2022. The ICO provisionally found that hackers initially accessed a number of Advanced’s health and care systems via a customer account that did not have multi-factor authentication.
The ICO has also tentatively found that personal information belonging to 82,946 people was exfiltrated following the attack. The cyber-attack was widely reported at the time of the incident, with reports of disruption to critical services such as NHS 111, and other healthcare staff unable to access patient records.
The data exfiltrated included medical records and phone numbers, as well as details of how to gain entry to the homes of 890 people who were receiving care at home. People impacted have been notified, and Advanced found no evidence that any data was published on the dark web.
The ICO has reiterated that its findings are provisional. Further, that no conclusion should be drawn at this stage that there has, in fact, been any breach of data protection law or that a financial penalty will ultimately be imposed.
The commissioner is to carefully consider any representations Advanced make before a final decision is made, with the fine amount also subject to change.
“This incident shows just how important it is to prioritise information security,” said John Edwards, UK information commissioner. “Losing control of sensitive personal information will have been distressing for people who had no choice but to put their trust in health and care organisations.
“Not only was personal information compromised, but we have also seen reports that this incident caused disruption to some health services, disrupting their ability to deliver patient care. A sector already under pressure was put under further strain due to this incident.
“For an organisation trusted to handle a significant volume of sensitive and special category data, we have provisionally found serious failings in its approach to information security prior to this incident. Despite already installing measures on its corporate systems, our provisional finding is that Advanced failed to keep its healthcare systems secure.
“We expect all organisations to take fundamental steps to secure their systems, such as regularly checking for vulnerabilities, implementing multi-factor authentication and keeping systems up to date with the latest security patches.
“I am choosing to publicise this provisional decision today as it is my duty to ensure other organisations have information that can help them to secure their systems and avoid similar incidents in the future.
“I urge all organisations, especially those handling sensitive health data, to urgently secure external connections with multi-factor authentication.”
Welcome to the July 2024 edition of DIGIT’s Movers and Shakers!
Each month, our Movers and Shakers feature gives you the low-down on recent news in the Scottish tech ecosystem.
This July boasted a mix of innovative Scots organisations and key players doing exciting things — read on to find out what exactly’s been happening!
Recruitment
Scottish Space Network Recruits Founding Partners
The Scottish Space Network has announced the appointment of its first wave of “founding partners,” a crucial step in the company’s mission to support the burgeoning space sector in Scotland.
The new partners include commercial lawyers Burness Paull, innovation experts Eureka!Europe, accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael, and international intellectual property specialists Marks & Clerk.
“With Scotland at the heart of the UK’s space industry, we’re very excited to join the Scottish Space Network as a founding partner and play our part in helping the sector realise its ambitions,” Callum Sinclair, partner and head of technology and commercial at Burness Paull, said
Sue Dawe has been appointed as chair of Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE), the member body for financial and related professional services in Scotland, with immediate effect.
Dawe brings over 35 years’ experience to the role and currently leads EY’s Financial Services Practice in Scotland.
Dawe has been director of SFE’s board since 2019, and deputy chair since 2022. She becomes the first female chair in the organisation’s 38-year history.
“It’s a privilege to be appointed as the chair of SFE and to represent Scotland’s diverse and innovative financial services industry,” she said.
Scottish supplier of EV infrastructure, FOR EV, has further expanded its team with the appointment of Graham Neill as chief financial officer (CFO).
Neill joins FOR EV from his previous role as investment director at N4 Partners. With a background in professional services, debt finance and private equity, Neill has expertise across strategy and finance, having worked with several global businesses spanning sectors including oil and gas, renewables and financial services.
“As a company that puts all of its effort into positively impacting both people and the planet, FOR EV has established a leading market position within the EV sector and is perfectly positioned to lead the pack,” said Neill. “I look forward to contributing to its growth journey.”
Commsworld Appoints HR Director to the Board
Edinburgh-based telecom firm Commsworld has announced that the company’s human resources director, Denise McDonnell, has joined its board.
McDonnell has more than 20 years’ experience in HR, gained in a career that has included senior roles across organisations in the public, private, and the third sector.
She joined Edinburgh-headquartered Commsworld two and a half years ago, tasked with leading the company’s HR department through an unprecedented period of growth and change.
“I am very proud to join the Commsworld board. I look forward to adding a unique HR perspective and voice to discussions at board level, using my skills and experience in HR from not only Commsworld, but a wide cross section of businesses and organisations spanning a diverse range of sectors,” said McDonnell.
InnoScot Health Makes New Regulatory Hire
A new appointment for formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health is expected to further boost its regulatory expertise in medical device development, from initial selection through to commercialisation.
Representing a highly experienced addition to the team, quality manager Lauren Brophy will work closely with head of regulatory affairs, Elaine Gemmell, to help accelerate the development of innovative products and technologies with NHS innovators, partners and clients.
She will be responsible for the maintenance of InnoScot Health’s quality management system (QMS) whilst also supporting its quality and regulatory activities after having worked closing with distributors around the world, registering medical devices in countries including Thailand, India, and Taiwan.
“With six years’ experience in the medical device industry, successfully managing quality management systems and ensuring all is maintained and controlled, Lauren is a valuable addition to our regulatory team,” said Gemmell.
Brightsolid Appoints New Regional Sales Director
Cloud services company Brightsolid has announced the appointment of Tony Capper as regional sales director.
Established over 25 years as part of DC Thomson & Co Ltd Group, Brightsolid is one of Scotland’s leading managed hybrid cloud and cybersecurity services providers.
Based out of its newly-opened Manchester office, Capper brings over 25 years of IT and computing sales experience to the role, which will see him leading sales development in support of Brightsolid’s strategic growth across the UK.
“With Brightsolid already recognised as one of Scotland’s leading cloud services providers, we will initially be seeking to work with public and private sector organisations across the North of England from our new Manchester office,” said Capper.
ScotlandIS Begins Search for New Board Members
ScotlandIS, the membership and cluster management organisation for Scotland’s digital technologies industry, has started the search for two new senior representatives to join its board.
Currently, ScotlandIS has 12 board members, but there is an opportunity for two new faces to join the leadership team. The appointment will be for three years and is designed to add additional expertise and experience to the organisation.
ScotlandIS chair, Dermot Murray, said: “Our small in-house team, led brilliantly by our CEO Karen Meechan, does a terrific job of representing and promoting our members’ best interests, but it’s important we have the right balance of experience and expertise at board level to best support them.”
A new control centre to turbocharge the UK government’s mission to provide Britain with cheaper and clean power by 2030 has been announced.
The centre will have Chris Stark, the ex-chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, and ex-director of energy and climate change in the Scottish government between 2016 and 2018, at the helm.
With what the new Labour government has called “a relentless focus” on accelerating the transition away from volatile fossil fuel markets to clean, local power, Mission Control will bring together industry experts and officials to troubleshoot, negotiate, and clear the way for energy projects.
“It is a privilege to head up this work alongside the country’s top energy experts who will make this mission a reality,” said Stark.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced 3 senior appointments to help lead preparations for the new digital markets competition regime.
The passing of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act in May granted the CMA new responsibilities to promote competition through a new, forward-looking digital markets competition regime.
The 3 senior directors—Cat Batchelor, Tania Van den Brande, and Euan MacMillan—will lead the CMA’s preparations as it gets ready for the new regime, which is expected to come into force later this year.
“They are part of a brilliant team we are building to oversee a new, targeted regime – ensuring we will be best placed to tackle harmful practices and deliver positive outcomes for people, businesses and the UK economy,” said Will Hayter, executive director for digital markets.
Partnerships
OnFife, CodeBase Partner to Drive Tech Startup Growth
OnFife, Fife’s Cultural Trust supported by Fife Council, has partnered with CodeBase, which runs the Scottish government’s startup support programme Techscaler, to help drive tech startup growth in the region.
The new partnership plans to build Fife’s tech ecosystem, and a network of Techscaler “pop-up” hubs will be established at Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy, Rothes Hall in Glenrothes, and Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries.
Commenting, OnFife chief executive Heather Stuart said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Fife tech businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs.
Pathways Forward, Female Founders Rise Partner for Summit
Pathways Forward is set to stage the inaugural Female Founders Growth Summit at the RBS Conference Centre at Gogarburn in Edinburgh on Thursday 5th September, in partnership with Female Founders Rise—a UK-wide resource and community for female founders building growth businesses.
The all-day event will focus on women who are already scaling or planning to scale their business, enabling female founders to connect with investors from Scotland, London, and the rest of the UK, and to hear from established founders to gain learnings and insights.
SSE, with headquarters in Perth, has signed an agreement with TotalEnergies to create a joint venture establishing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the UK and Ireland, under the brand Source.
The new business will deploy in both countries up to 3,000 high-power charge points, aiming to meet demand from EV and fleet owners to provide fast and reliable charging.
“TotalEnergies is proud to contribute to the development of electric mobility to decarbonise transportation in the UK and Ireland,” said Mathieu Soulas, senior vice president new mobilities at TotalEnergies.
Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 have entered a long-term network sharing agreement aimed at transforming the mobile experience for tens of millions of customers across the UK.
This partnership is set to enhance rural connectivity, provide improved services, and rebalance the mobile market by establishing a third scaled network operator.
The agreement builds on the existing collaboration between Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2, including the Shared Rural Network initiative, to deliver quality mobile coverage in hard-to-reach areas across the UK.
A new Connectivity Demonstration Centre—the first of its kind in Scotland—has been opened by The Clarus Networks Group, the connectivity and network specialists.
The brand new centre in Bathgate has all of the latest high-tech connectivity, and has attracted attention from major companies, as well as created 10 new jobs for Clarus.
The new Demonstration Centre has already been used by partners from across the UK, including the NHS, East Ayrshire Council, and BT, as well as SpaceX visiting from the US.
Provider of workspace, IT, and telecom solutions, Agilicon has opened its new, purpose-built office facility with an EPC rating of A/A+ in Aberdeen.
The firm has moved to City South Business Park, which is located around five miles from the city centre, after nearly two decades at Grampian House.
Warren Colby, managing director – agile print division at Agilico, said: “We’re optimistic about the positive impact our new home in Aberdeen’s newest business park will have on our operations, employees and the community in Aberdeen and wider Scotland as we continue our journey towards a more sustainable future.”
Heriot-Watt to Launch Cyber Quantum Hub
Heriot-Watt University is set to lead a quantum technology initiative that could help combat the £27 billion annual cost of cyber-crime to UK businesses, as part of a £160m government investment to establish Britain as a global leader in quantum innovation and cybersecurity.
The Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN) Hub, led by Heriot-Watt, is one of the five new quantum technology hubs announced by the UK government. It will focus on creating the core of a national quantum network capable of distributing quantum entanglement.
“The launch of five new quantum hubs is a significant milestone for the UK and represents a major shift in data security and cutting-edge applications across all sectors,” professor Gill Murray, deputy principle for enterprise and business at Heriot-Watt University, said.
Strathclyde Facility to Combat Climate Change via Imaging Tech
A new £5 million Scottish facility aims to combat the adverse effects of climate change through high-speed imaging technology.
The project, developed with input from more than 100 academics and led by the University of Strathclyde, will use X-ray computed tomography (XCT) to help revolutionise the understanding of material behaviours.
The high-resolution technology will support research, from new ways of combating the effects of climate change, to reducing the carbon footprint of manufacturing, and from new battery technology to personalised medicines.
Burness Paull has become the first employer in Scotland to be reaccredited as Menopause Friendly, recognising the ongoing work the firm is doing to support colleagues experiencing menopause.
This comes three years after the firm was the first employer in Scotland and the first law firm in the UK to receive the industry-recognised Menopause Friendly accreditation accolade.
Assessment is carried out by an independent panel who award accreditation based on an organisation’s continued efforts to focus on menopause in the workplace.
“For us, our work on menopause is no longer a project or initiative but embedded into our ‘business as usual’ efforts to ensure everyone in the firm is supported and able to be the best they can be,” said Emma Smith, inclusion and wellbeing manager at Burness Paull.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being harnessed by a Glasgow college to imagine the futuristic jobs its students could potentially be working in 20 years’ time.
Glasgow Clyde College has implemented AI software to transform photographic portraits of students into lifelike recreations of some of the career opportunities which may be commonplace across the next two decades.
From a virtual reality experience illustrator to an avatar stylist, staff at the college combined course offerings with expert forecasts and AI’s predictions. They then used AI to create ultra-realistic images of the potential workspaces and even how the students might look performing these roles to come.
Enabling students to creatively visualise their career options is a proven technique to encourage motivation, help with goal-setting and boost academic performance.
The jobs which have been visualised and spotlighted by Glasgow Clyde College include:
Avatar stylist: With virtual fashion set to be a booming industry as demand to style characters in the metaverse increases, fashion and textile students will be presented with new opportunities.
Virtual reality educators: VR is set to revolutionise the classroom, so education students may eventually want to create immersive learning experiences for their pupils.
AI and machine learning specialists: As AI and machine learning technologies advance, there will be a high demand for experts who have studied computing to develop, implement, and maintain these systems.
Virtual reality experience illustrator: Technical drawings have traditionally been 2D despite the complexities they need to recreate. Anyone studying illustration will have a whole new dimension to explore.
Robotics engineers: Designing and building advanced robots for various industries will be a new avenue for electrical engineering graduates.
While many of the jobs which may be prevalent in 20 years time are yet to exist, Glasgow Clyde College has identified lots of the crossover skills from courses which are taught today.
Commenting on the endeavour, Jon Vincent, principal at Glasgow Clyde College, said: “We’ve been able to use some of the most advanced AI technology available to transport our students into potential jobs of the future.
“Helping them visualise what working life in 20 years might look like not only provides inspiration for the next steps after life at Glasgow Clyde College, but also offers new possibilities about what roles will be available down the line.
“Technology is progressing at a pace never before seen and we provide a wide range of courses to help prepare anyone studying at the college for the workplace of tomorrow.”
A £33 million initiative for sharing digital evidence from crime scene to courtroom is being rolled out across Scotland, it’s been announced.
The Scottish government said that the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) allows police officers, prosectures, defence lawyers, court staff, and judges to access a unified secure system to collect, store, process, and manage evidence digitally.
DESC handles evidence including CCTV footage, photographs, as well as data and other materials from computers and mobile devices. It’s to be expanded to include documents and recordings of police interviews.
The system means members of the public and businesses can submit digital evidence—such as material recorded on mobile phones—by email when sent a link by a police officer.
The benefits of the system that’s been put forward include fewer victims and witnesses needing to attend court, cases coming to court and concluding quicker, and police time being saved.
According to a pilot of the programme undertaken in Dundee, roughly 19,500 pieces of evidence were handled through DESC, and meant 550 of police officers’ time was consequently freed up.
DESC’s expansion across Tayside and Forth Valley marks the start of a phased national rollout that’s expected to be completed by autumn 2025.
Commenting on the initiative and its rollout, assistant chief constable Tim Mairs said: “The national roll-out of DESC is a significant step forward in modernising the collection, management and secure storage of digital evidence.
“Until now, police officers have relied on transferring digital evidence such as mobile phone images or CCTV onto USB sticks or discs, before delivering them to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“Through DESC, officers can obtain and share digital evidence securely and efficiently, saving them time and reducing delays. This supports victims and witnesses to achieve faster justice outcomes.
“The national roll-out will also provide the groundwork for further modernisation of the criminal justice process including supporting the introduction of body worn video for frontline police officers.”
Andrew Laing, deputy head of local court at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, added: “Being able to see CCTV evidence of an assault or shoplifting taking place, or Ring doorbell footage of a person committing an act of domestic abuse as soon as the matter is reported by police has allowed prosecutors to make better and quicker decisions and faster sharing with the defence to enable the early resolution of cases.
“COPFS and criminal justice partners in Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the defence community and judiciary will continue to work to transform the justice system and ensure cases move through the system as efficiently as possible, with speedier outcomes and significantly less inconvenience to victims and witnesses.”
Eleven semiconductor startups working on chips that make AI more efficient and healthcare better have joined a UK government-backed incubator to help turn their research into reality.
Semiconductor chips are integral to the technology that we interact with on a daily basis, underpinning everything from smartphones, to AI, to advanced medical devices.
The eleven firms will be the second group to go through the programme, called ChipStart. The incubator was launched in October 2023 with £1.3 million in backing to help nurture and grow participating companies.
POM Health is among the startups joining the incubator’s second round. It’s leading the use of semiconductors to create a wearable patch for continuous hormone monitoring, offering real-time insights into hormonal health.
Meanwhile, HeronIC, another new joiner, has developed a software design tool that quickly creates custom chips for AI applications, boosting their energy efficiency and increasing performance for complex tasks.
The full list of firms that have joined the second cohort is as follows:
Apitronix Semiconductor
Chevin Technology
HeronIC
KuasaSemi
Metahelios
Nanomation
PhovIR Technologies
POM Health
Qontrol
Rigpa
Visionchip
The second round follows the first group of participants closing over £10 million in funding from private investors and grants, and with a total of nearly £20 million in commitments currently being finalised.
The incubator will continue to provide the early-stage semiconductor companies with:
access to commercial design capability: Including the full Silicon Catalyst ecosystem, design tools, IP, and prototyping capability;
commercial expertise and mentorship: Startups receive guidance from experienced semiconductor industry executives and connections to Silicon Catalyst’s global network, and;
exposure to private capital: Access to over 270 Silicon Catalyst advisors, Strategic Partners, and an extensive network of investment groups.
On completion, the initial two-year pilot of ChipStart will have provided a pipeline of new UK startups that have an innovative product, a route to market, and routes to future seed funding.
Speaking on ChipStart, minister for science, Patrick Vallance, said: “Innovation in semiconductors can underpin technological advancements in every field, from AI to consumer devices and healthtech.
“British researchers across the country are leading in R&D in this essential field and the support we are delivering through ChipStart is helping their ideas become reality.
“As well as the commercial success of the first cohort, the innovations ChipStart is supporting could help to change lives, from helping to develop new fertility treatments to optimising AI and extending the battery life of devices we use every day.
“We are making sure British science leadership converts to help address critical global challenges and drive economic growth.”
Sean Redmond, managing partner at Silicon Catalyst UK, the startup accelerator delivering the programme, further added: “ChipStart UK is leveraging the UK’s position as a global centre of semiconductor research to transform academic innovations into market-ready technologies.
“Nine of the eleven firms in the next group come from UK universities and are set to build on the success of the first cohort, which secured a strong position in the international semiconductor supply chain through private funding and global partnerships.
“After nine months of rigorous training, ChipStart has created over thirty new UK semiconductor executives, ready to scale their businesses towards global success.”
Scottish scientists using AI to analyse medical data have been able to predict a person’s probability of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s up to 10 years before a diagnosis.
The researchers have used machine learning to study blood samples from more than 45,000 people—with the samples taken from the UK Biobank, a database of genetic and health information from 500,000 British participants.
The study team, which involved researchers from the University of Edinburgh and commercial collaborators Optima Partners and Biogen, used the tech to identify protein patterns in the blood that were indicative of the development of the aforementioned conditions.
The team then tested whether the patterns could be used to diagnose conditions in the blood samples of a separate group of individuals, whose data had not been used to create the protein patterns.
They found that the protein patterns improved prediction accuracy beyond traditional risk factors such as age, sex, lifestyle behaviours, cholesterol, and other commonly-measured clinical variables.
Being able to detect early warning signs for a broad set of conditions may lead to opportunities for early intervention and prevention, experts say.
Implementation of this form of analysis is not expected to be immediate, but it’s been said that their research is a promising step forwards in health risk prediction.
Dr Danni Gadd, a PhD student who’s a part of the Riccardo Marioni Research Group at the University of Edinburgh, said: “It’s encouraging to see how much potential there is from a single blood sample that allow us to predict a range of disease outcomes.
“Being able to detect early warning signs for a broad set of conditions may lead to opportunities for early intervention and prevention, marking a significant moment for the healthcare industry.”
Dr Chris Foley, managing director and chief scientist at Optima Partners, added: “More work is still needed to convert these findings for practical use in clinical settings. However, our discoveries set strong foundations for the inclusion of new risk prediction signatures to shed light on possible pathways and mechanisms that underlie diseases.
“Pattern recognition like this would not be possible without modern machine learning technology, and its capacity to analyse data at this scale, and this will in turn allow us to address some of the most pressing healthcare challenges of our time.”
Scottish laser technology firm Chromacity has secured over £1 million in new funding from existing investors Eos Advisory, Kelvin Capital, and Scottish Enterprise, as well the UK government.
The investment will mainly support the launch of the company’s latest ultrafast laser technology focussed on the healthcare market, while the funding from the UK government’s Innovate UK programme will also help to develop Chromacity’s tech for monitoring agricultural emissions.
Based in Edinburgh, Chromacity develops and manufactures ultrafast, tuneable, compact, and affordable infra-red lasers used in quantum applications, microscopy, spectroscopy, and advanced research.
Though sales in the UK have previously been focussed on the university sector, with the firm’s new healthcare-focussed product now creating much broader commercial applications.
The new “920” product is ideally suited for medical imaging, providing an affordable light source used in medical diagnostics, including in biological imaging of collagen, which can deliver early diagnosis in a wide range of medical conditions.
The 920 helps to illuminate collagen, the primary building block of the body’s skin, muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues, allowing researchers to probe inside living cells by generating a pulse of light as small as 100 femtoseconds in duration.
A femtosecond is one quadrillionth, or one millionth of one billionth of a second. The short pulse brings benefits to the user because the period of time the laser is active is very short, meaning there is little collateral damage to the sample being examined.
Chromacity has also been awarded funding from an Innovate UK programme to create a new monitoring instrument, using its infra-red laser technology to provide real-time measurements of key greenhouse gasses—including methane and ethane, as well as ammonia—to support the drive towards net zero in agriculture.
Speaking on the firm and the new funding, Kerry Sharp, director of entrepreneurship and investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Chromacity is a fantastic example of an innovative company with global ambitions, capable of scaling quickly. As an existing investor, we’re excited to see the company make progress towards its goals.”
Andrew McNeill from Eos, and Susie Fisher from Kelvin Capital, both further added: “Chromacity is at the forefront of knowledge-intensive engineering in Scotland and both Eos and Kelvin, with co-investment from Scottish Enterprise are proud to have helped them develop their range.
“The coming years are now focussed on engaging in new UK and international markets, including biological imaging.
“The funding from the Innovate UK programme also highlights the broad applications of the company’s patented technology in agricultural sustainability.”
The company has also confirmed the appointment of Julian Hayes as CEO. Hayes has held directorial positions with Gas Sensing Solutions and Power Photonic, which also trade internationally from Scotland.
Hayes joins a board that includes industry experts such as, Robert Black, an experienced executive and non-executive director in the photonics, IT, and robotics industries; Richard Laming, an academic, founder, executive, and non-executive director of technology businesses spanning optoelectronics, MEMS, and electronics; and investor director Graham Miller, who is director of global sales and business development at Agilent Technologies.
Gartner, the technological research and consulting company, surveyed around 275 senior risk executives and managers to document and compare emerging risks in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024.
According to the newly-published results, artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced malicious attacks have once again topped the emerging risk rankings. Additionally, fresh concerns regarding soft ransomware targets are also coming to the forefront of enterprise risks.
“Similar to AI-enhanced malicious attacks, soft ransomware targets require minimal experience and cost to cause significant financial and reputational damage,” explained Gamika Takkar, director, research in the Gartner Risk & Audit Practice.
In fact, three of the top five most cited risks are in the technology category; AI-enhanced malicious attacks in first place, AI-assisted misinformation in fifth place, and the aforementioned risk of soft ransomware targets now coming in at second place.
Meanwhile, escalating political polarisation—which entered the track in Q4 of 2023—held steady as the third-most cited concern, while misaligned organisational talent moved up from the fifth to the fourth most cited risk.
Causes of Soft Ransomware Targets
Soft ransomware targets include the types of systems that may be especially vulnerable to ransomware due to underinvestment or technical debt, leading to longer disruptions in business operations when attacks occur.
The ease of carrying out such attacks, via what’s known as ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS), allows cybercriminals with even minimal experience and technical skill to deploy attacks at low cost.
As Takkar further explained: “Ransomware-as-a-service lowers the barrier to entry for inexperienced cybercriminals who know just enough about how to attack and disrupt business operations, creating worse impacts than usual when attacks occur.”
Mitigating Potential Consequences
The potential impacts of soft ransomware targets range from operational disruptions and delay of services, to increased exposure to multi-extortion, to increased financial burden in the form of direct and indirect costs.
Direct costs include ransoms, remediation, litigation, and public relations, while indirect costs, such as reputational damage and loss of intellectual property, also create burden on the organisation.
“While operational disruption and increased costs are dire consequences of soft ransomware targets, the exposure to extortion can impact not just the organization itself, but any and all associated third-parties as well, further underscoring the importance of understanding and preventing such risk,” noted Takkar.
These latest survey results follow a string of other findings from Gartner where AI has featured prominently.
For instance, earlier this month, it was discovered just under two-thirds (62%) of CFOs and over half (58%) of CEOs believe that, out of all technologies, AI will have the most significant impact on their industries in the next three years.
Further, at the beginning of this month, another survey from the research firm found that 64% of customers would prefer companies not use artificial intelligence in their customer service.
In a bid to boost energy security, secure cheap power, and unlock economic growth across the country, the UK government has announced that it’s providing £1.5 billion in funding for clean energy projects.
Energy secretary Ed Milliband announced the record sum this morning, which has been increased by £500 million, representing an uplift of more than 50% on the budget previously set in March.
The renewable industry will now be able to bid for a share of the sizable funding through the government’s renewable auction, Contracts for Difference (CfD). Now in its sixth run, it provides developers with initial subsidies for clean electricity projects and with a built-in design to keep costs low for billpayers.
The funding helps successful bidders to accelerate the delivery of clean, cheap, low-carbon electricity generated through renewable energy technologies such as on and offshore wind turbines, offshore tidal, and solar panels.
The funding uplift also comes on the day of the first meeting of the Clean Energy Mission Board—to be chaired by the energy secretary and attended by ministers from across Whitehall—as part of plans for a mission-driven government. The board is set to meet to ensure a “relentless” focus on delivering the mission of clean power by 2030 and accelerating towards net zero.
Speaking on the announcement and the CfD scheme in general, energy minister Michael Shanks said: “It is our mission for the UK to be more energy secure and to do that we need more renewable energy projects connected to the grid and powering our homes.
“Increasing the budget by more than 50% will boost industry confidence to back clean energy, attracting cutting-edge clean technologies to Britain as we accelerate to a decarbonised power sector by 2030.”
Andrew Deeley, director of strategy and development at the Low Carbon Contracts Company, the government-owned company helping to facilitate CfD, added: “The increase in budget allowance acknowledges the critical role the Contracts for Difference plays in accelerating net zero.
“At LCCC we stand ready to work with new and existing generators to bring new renewable generation online.”
Last week, the government launched Great British Energy in partnership with the Crown Estate, backed by £8.3 billion of new money, which is estimated to create up to 20-30GW of new offshore wind developments reaching seabed lease stage by 2030.
To get up to speed with the new publicly-owned energy generation company, read DIGIT’s breakdown of it here.
London-headquartered fintech Revolut has officially received its UK banking licence—albeit currently with restrictions—from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the financial services regulatory body.
The approval comes after years of trying to secure it, with the fintech having filed an application for the licence in 2021. A licence affords the ability to offer lending products such as credit cards, personal loans, and mortgages, as well as hold customer deposits.
Now, Revolut is entering the “mobilisation stage”, also referred to as “Authorisation with Restrictions,” which is a common step for many new banks in the UK. This period allows new banking entities to complete the buildout of their UK banking operations ahead of launching in the market.
Speaking on the announcement, Nik Storonsky, CEO of Revolut, said: “We are incredibly proud to reach this important milestone in the journey of the company and we will ensure we deliver on making Revolut the bank of choice for UK customers.”
Francesca Carlesi, UK CEO of Revolut, also commented: “Today’s announcement is a significant step forward for Revolut and for our customers.
“It is a tremendous responsibility to be a bank in the UK and we will work relentlessly to offer products and services that improve the financial lives of everyone who uses Revolut.
“This is the next phase in Revolut’s journey in the UK – we can’t wait to get going.”
As it stands, the fintech has around 45 million global customers, with over nine million in the UK alone, and is widely-recognised as one of the prominent neobank players.
Revolut also recently published its financial accounts for 2023. It was announced that Group revenues had surpassed $2.2 billion (£1.7bn~), with record profits before tax of $545m (£423m~).
One of the last times DIGIT reported on Revolut was when we covered Storonsky’s criticism of Britain’s “extreme bureaucracy.”
More recently, we reported on the fintech venturing into the cryptocurrency realm with the launch of Revolut X; a specialised crypto trading platform tailored for retail users in the United Kingdom.
Scots researchers have discovered that 3D-printed blood vessels could improve outcomes for heart bypass patients.
The University of Edinburgh academics said that, by replacing the human and synthetic veins currently used in surgery with a 3D-printed option to reroute blood flow, there’s potential to limit scarring, pain, and infection risk.
Further, the product could also alleviate the failure of small synthetic grafts, which can be hard to integrate into the human body.
In a two-stage process, a team of researchers led by Edinburgh’s School of Engineering used a rotating spindle integrated into a 3D printer to print tubular grafts made from a water-based gel.
They then reinforced the printed graft in a process known as electrospinning, which uses high voltage to draw out very thin nanofibres, coating the artificial blood vessel in biodegradable polyester molecules.
Subsequent tests showed that resulting products are as strong as natural blood vessels themselves.
The 3D graft can be made in thicknesses from 1 to 40 millimetres in diameter, for a range of applications. The team noted that its flexibility also means that it could easily be integrated into the human body.
The next step of the study will involve researching the use of the blood vessels in animals, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, followed by trials in humans.
Lead author Dr Faraz Fazal, of the School of Engineering, said: “Our hybrid technique opens up new and exciting possibilities for the fabrication of tubular constructs in tissue engineering.”
Principal investor of the research, Dr Norbert Radacsi, also of the School of Engineering, added: “The results from our research address a long-standing challenge in the field of vascular tissue engineering – to produce a conduit that has similar biomechanical properties to that of human veins.
“With continued support and collaboration, the vision of improved treatment options for patients with cardiovascular disease could become a reality.”
The research, published in the materials technology journal Advanced Materials Technologies, was carried out in collaboration with fellow Edinburgh-based university, Heriot-Watt.
Four major high street banks—HSBC, Lloyds, TSB, Allied Irish Bank (AIB)—have failed to comply with banking rules to help customers that were set by the CMA, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
Under its Retail Banking Market Investigation Order 2017, banks and building societies are required to follow strict rules when it comes to informing customers about their products and services. This includes showing correct interest rates for loans and accurately displaying the right locations for bank branches and ATMs.
Open Banking—the initiative which sets high standards for retail banking services in the UK—was also put in place by the Order. It enables a wide range of data on products and services to be used by third parties to create technological innovations and improve services.
However, the four aforementioned banks have all failed to make available correct data on their products or services, it’s been confirmed by the CMA today (25 July).
They’ve breached the Order in the following ways:
Lloyds failed to make available addresses of 363 ATMs through Open Banking.
AIB failed to make available the correct annual rates for some loans and some overdrafts through Open Banking and on its own website.
TSB failed to disclose the maximum amount customers would be charged for going into unarranged overdraft on their Personal Current Accounts.
HSBC failed to keep information about its branches accurate and up to date – 167 closed branches were listed as still being open and two open branches were not listed.
HSBC failed to keep some of its annual rates for business loans and overdrafts accurate and up to date on its website.
HSBC told some customers the incorrect maximum amount they would be charged for going into unarranged overdraft on their Personal Current Accounts.
Lloyds, TSB, and AIB have confirmed they’re making changes to their operations to prevent further breaches. This includes enhancing internal procedures, updating internal checklists, and retraining staff, among other measures.
The CMA has said that it considers HSBC to have breached the Order more extensively in this instance, and has issued the bank with detailed directions which includes an action plan to ensure compliance in the future.
Speaking on the breaches, Dan Turnbull, senior director at the CMA, commented: “People deserve banks they can trust to serve them well. Having correct information is essential when making important decisions about our finances. Banks handling our hard-earned money should have adequate processes in place to ensure this happens.
“It’s disappointing that seven years on, we have to put in place formal enforcement measures to secure better compliance from a major bank like HSBC which, yet again, is in breach of the rules.
“The CMA will continue to closely monitor all banks’ compliance to ensure customers can clearly and confidently manage their finances.”
The Retail Banking Marketing Investigation Order 2017 was originally put in place after the CMA found competition concerns in the UK’s retail banking market.
Since it’s been in force, the CMA has written publicly to banks 35 times and issued 5 sets of legally-binding directions to help banking consumers receive correct and accurate information.
To date, customers have received more than £47m in refunds.
The UK Biobank, the large-scale biomedical database and research resource, has received a £16 million boost to upgrade how it uses and stores its growing wealth of health data.
Announced today by the science and technology secretary Peter Kyle, Amazon Web Services (AWS) will provide $10 million—around £8m—worth of cloud computing credits to help ensure the bank has the cloud infrastructure it needs for its increasing mass of data.
As well as providing it with access to more data storage, it’ll also enable the bank to utilise AWS services and AI machine learning.
AWS’ contribution will be matched by an additional £8 million in government investment, and forms part of the public, private, and philanthropic group set up to keep the facility at the forefront of medical research.
Today’s news also means that almost £50 million in backing has now been achieved for the UK Biobank, putting fundraising efforts within touching distance of the funding goal which was set out last year.
The UK Biobank is the world’s most advanced source of data for health research, supporting the life sciences sector to transform healthcare for people across the UK and across the globe.
With in-depth genetic, health, and lifestyle information from half a million UK volunteers, researchers can apply to access the de-identified and secure data, using it to enable medical progress, such as developing tests for Alzheimer’s.
Its database is regularly augmented with new data, such as the recent addition of the largest-ever set of whole genome sequencing data, the largest ever proteomic dataset, and the on-going results of the world’s largest imaging study of whole-body scanning.
Visiting UK Biobank today, the science secretary said: “UK Biobank is helping researchers around the world tackle some of the biggest health problems facing humanity – from dementia to heart disease – by putting an unprecedented scale of information at their fingertips.
“This research is helping us develop the treatments that will improve and hopefully prolong all our lives.
“This contribution from Amazon Web Services – matched by government – will mean that UK Biobank has the cloud infrastructure it needs, to underpin such a vast undertaking.
“This is just the start of our plan to work hand-in-hand with industry and academia, to harness the power of life sciences to grow our economy and boost healthcare.”
The last time DIGIT reported on the UK Biobank was in February this year, where the previous UK government provided it with £21m as part of biosector batch funding.
The investment was specifically provided for a new robotic freezer, used to store 20 million samples of biological data and support research that’s being done to treat diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s.
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed that it will protect consumers’ and small businesses’ physical access to cash services—such as ATMs and bank branches—under new rules.
The announcement comes amid the ongoing trend of banks closing their brick-and-mortar high street branches, and the compounding increase in digital payments and banking.
For instance, in Scotland alone, 60% of bank branches have shuttered over the last nine years, according to consumer choice and market research organisation, Which?.
From the 18 September, however, banks and building societies will need to:
assess cash access and understand if additional services are needed, when changes are being made to local services;
respond to local residents, community organisations and representative groups, who will be able to request an assessment of whether there are gaps in local cash access;
deliver reasonable additional cash services, where significant gaps are found, and;
keep facilities, including bank branches and ATMs, open until any additional cash services identified are available.
The FCA’s powers won’t be able to prevent the closure of bank branches outright — though it will have an impact where branch closures leave significant gaps in local cash access.
Speaking on it, Sheldon Mills, executive director of consumers and competition at the FCA, said: “Three million people continue to rely on cash, even as digital payments become more popular. And many small businesses still need somewhere to safely deposit their takings each day.
“That’s why we’ve acted quickly in response to new powers given to us by Parliament to ensure reasonable access to cash withdrawal and deposits is maintained.”
Current and future gaps in cash access can be filled with a range of measures, including banking hubs, ATMs (including deposit ATMs), and Post Office facilities.
According to FCA research on who relies on cash the most, being in a low-income household (less than £15,000 a year) and having low digital capability or access has the strongest association with reliance on cash.
A new support programme for businesses ready to undertake capital investment but looking to develop leaders, change business processes, and improve digital systems is being launched by Scottish Enterprise.
The new “Workplace Transformation Support” programme will see grants of between £15,000 to £100,000 being provided. This is to drive and maximise capital investment into a business to optimise its productivity and help boost productivity in Scotland.
Stimulating greater capital investment to drive productivity is a focal point for Scottish Enterprise, as it works with businesses to help grow and create higher-value jobs to improve living standards while reducing poverty.
This direction is supported by economic trends and data around Scottish productivity, with the goal to position Scotland in the top quartile of OECD countries for capital investment over the next decade.
This ambitious target translates to an additional £3 billion investment annually, which is projected to generate £200 million in Scottish income tax.
On top of offering a total of £500,000 in financial support — which will be match-funded by industry — the programme will:
Provide grants of between £15k – £100k.
Be open to projects that will deliver the biggest impact for Scotland’s economy and include focussing on key industries including manufacturing; professional scientific and technical; information and communications; as well as clean energy sectors.
Generate funding towards a range of projects from the development of workplace practices to boosting skills and leadership capabilities or training support to adopt new technology such as digital, AI, or robotics. Businesses might also use funding to access support around creating a business change process or programme to improve productivity resulting from the capital investment.
To be considered, the business must commit to at least £200k capital investment in the next 12 months and this support will help increase the level of investment or accelerate it. For those who have undertaken capital investment in the past year this support will accelerate the return.
Speaking on the new programme, head of productivity and workplace innovation at Scottish Enterprise, Clare Alexander, said: “We want to drive a business growth mindset whilst stimulating companies’ capital investment and expansion plans. So, whether it’s research and development or investing in new equipment or facilities – we want to increase support for businesses in these endeavours.
“The Workplace Transformation Support initiative runs alongside our programmes to develop and nurture leadership talent to equip people with the skills needed to steer their organisations toward sustainable growth and helps empower leaders to navigate challenges, drive innovation, and foster a positive work culture.
“This new initiative aims to provide a step on the ladder to invest today, to grow tomorrow and create well paid, quality jobs. If you are expanding your business – please come and talk to us.”
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), in partnership with social media platforms Meta, X, TikTok, and YouTube, has led a takedown of thousands of social media posts, pages, and accounts advertising the services of people smugglers.
By the end of last month, nearly 12,000 instances of this kind of online content had been removed.
The NCA launched its social media action plan with the aforementioned platforms in 2021 to help build understanding of how criminals use such platforms to advertise illegal services, help drive down exploitation, and disrupt gangs’ plans for dangerous, illegal crossings to the UK.
By April last year, the efforts had resulted in around 3,300 posts, pages, or accounts being removed or suspended.
The NCA said that, within the last year, it worked more closely with platforms to increase intelligence flows and target the gangs involved.
This has meant that almost 9,000 more posts, pages, and accounts have been removed, resulting in a major increase on previous years.
NCA’s organised immigration crime threat lead, Dan Barcroft, said: “Social media is key to how these organised crime groups operate, so these takedowns have a direct effect on disrupting their operations and criminal activity.
“We have seen instances of them having to change their tactics as a result, and the last few months have seen us take direct action against individuals suspected of posting this type of material.
“Tackling people smuggling is a priority for the NCA, and we are looking to disrupt the criminal’s business models in any way we can. This work is one example of that in action.
“The NCA has developed a strong partnership with the four social media companies, and we will continue to work with them to prevent organised crime groups utilising their platforms.”
Dame Angela Eagle, the Home Office minister of state, also remarked: “This work is immensely important, and we will do everything in our power to crack down on the criminals who brazenly promote their people-smuggling businesses online and use social media to profit from human misery.
“Protecting our borders has never been more crucial. Together, we will take the action needed to address irregular migration at its source, dismantle the gangs and stop them from putting vulnerable people’s lives at risk.”
A UK school that broke the law when it introduced facial recognition technology (FRT) has been reprimanded by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the country’s data privacy regulator.
Chelmer Valley High School in Chelmsford, Essex, first started using the technology in March last year to take cashless canteen payments from students.
However, seeing as facial recognition technology processes biometric data to identify people, and is likely to result in high data protection risks, it requires a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) for organisations to use it legally and responsibly.
The high school, which has around 1,200 pupils aged 11 to 18, failed to carry out a DPIA before starting to use the tech, meaning no prior assessment was made of the risks to the children’s information.
Further, the school hadn’t properly obtained clear permission to process the students’ biometric information; nor were the students given the opportunity to decide whether they did or didn’t want it used in this way.
The high school also failed to seek opinions from its data protection officer, or consult with parents and students before implementing the technology.
“Handling people’s information correctly in a school canteen environment is as important as the handling of the food itself,” said Lynne Currie, ICO head of privacy innovation.
“We expect all organisations to carry out the necessary assessments when deploying a new technology to mitigate any data protection risks and ensure their compliance with data protection laws.
“We’ve taken action against this school to show introducing measures such as FRT should not be taken lightly, particularly when it involves children.
“We don’t want this to deter other schools from embracing new technologies. But this must be done correctly with data protection at the forefront, championing trust, protecting children’s privacy and safeguarding their rights.”
In March 2023, a letter was sent to parents with a slip for them to return if they did not want their child to participate in the facial recognition technology.
Affirmative “opt-in” consent wasn’t sought at this time, meaning until November 2023 the school was wrongly relying on assumed consent. The law doesn’t deem “opt-out” a valid form of consent and requires explicit permission.
The ICO’s reprimand has also noted that most students were old enough to provide their own consent, meaning parental opt-out deprived students of the ability to exercise their rights and freedoms.
“A DPIA is required by law – it’s not a tick-box exercise. It’s a vital tool that protects the rights of users, provides accountability and encourages organisations to think about data protection at the start of a project,” Currie added.
The data privacy regulator has provided the school with recommendations for the future.
Ten cutting-edge teams of innovators, engineers, and scientists — including one from Scotland — that are developing new technologies to provide a permanent crewed base on the moon with reliable water supplies have been named finalists in the Aqualunar Challenge.
The Aqualunar Challenge is part of a £1.2 million international prize funded by the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund, and delivered by Challenge Works — experts in designing and running innovation challenge prizes.
This challenge is a collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Impact Canada. The UK track of the challenge is awarding UK-led finalist teams £30,000 each to develop their technologies, before a winner and runners-up are announced in spring 2025.
Around the lunar south pole, it’s estimated that 5.6% of the soil (regolith) is water frozen as ice. For a permanent crewed base on the moon to be possible, astronauts will need a reliable supply of water for drinking and growing food, as well as oxygen for air and hydrogen for fuel.
If the lunar ice can be successfully extracted, separated from the soil and purified, it makes NASA’s goal of establishing a base by the end of the decade viable. The Artemis campaign, as it’s known, is supported by the UK Space Agency through its membership of the European Space Agency.
Paul Bate, CEO of UK Space Agency, said: “The ambition to build a sustainable human presence on the Moon through the NASA-led Artemis Missions will only succeed if we have ways of generating a reliable supply of clean water.
“The Aqualunar Challenge showcases a range of innovative ideas from UK teams and individuals to tackle this challenge, while strengthening ties with our Canadian partners.
“Space exploration pushes our knowledge to its limit and spurs innovation, resulting in new products and services that can also benefit citizens on Earth. Congratulations to all the finalists who will now go on to develop their ideas further.”
Explaining the importance of these new technologies, UK Space Agency reserve astronaut and chair of the Aqualunar Challenge judging panel, Meganne Christian, commented: “To sustain a permanent crewed base on the Moon over years and decades, astronauts will need a reliable water supply, which we can also use to produce oxygen and hydrogen.
“It is expensive and risky to send a continuous convoy of rockets from Earth to the Moon to keep a base supplied, which is why we need to develop the technologies that can purify the water that is already on the Moon.
“The lunar environment is unforgiving. With no atmosphere and parts of the surface having never seen sunlight, the ice in the soil is as hard as steel and heavily contaminated with lunar dust – known as regolith – which forms a grinding paste when wet. It is no small feat to melt the ice, separate it from the dust and other elements and make it usable.
“The technologies being developed must have minimal maintenance – they cannot rely on components being sent up from Earth and it won’t be possible for astronauts to regularly change filters and tighten nuts and bolts.”
The ten finalists are:
Lunasonic – developed by Shaun Fletcher and Dr Lukman Yusuf, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow.
AquaLunarPure: Supercritical Water Purification on the Moon – developed by Queen Mary University of London
Cyclic Volatile Extractor (CVE) – developed by Minima Design Ltd, Suffolk.
FRANK – Filtered Regolith Aqua Neutralisation Kit – developed by RedSpace Ltd, Aldershot/Cleethorpes/Richmond (North Yorkshire).
Ganymede’s Chalice: Solar Concentrator Distillation for Clean Water Production – developed by British Interplanetary Society, London.
I-LUNASYS: Innovative lunar water resource system – developed by Perspective Space-Tech Ltd, London.
Regolith Ice Plasma Purifier for Lunar Exploration (RIPPLE) – developed by Regolithix Ltd, West Yorkshire.
SonoChem System – developed by Naicker Scientific Ltd, Gloucestershire.
Static Water Extraction System (SWES) – developed by Interstellar Mapping, London.
Titania-Diamond Annular Reactor (TiDAR) – developed by Nascent Semiconductor Ltd, County Durham.
The ten finalist teams will be showcased at the Farnborough Air Show at 1pm on Friday 26 July in the Space Zone Theatre.
New analysis of entrepreneurial activity in Scotland has found that women are starting and running new businesses at nearly the same rate as men for the first time.
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report found that, in Scotland, 8.6% of working-age women were actively engaged in setting up a business or already running an enterprise in 2023—only slightly lower than men at 9.8%.
Globally, GEM discovered that the female-to-male gap in entrepreneurship is narrowing, but Scotland appears to be leading the way on this.
Rates amongst the 250,000-strong non-white population in Scotland has also reached a new high of 24.1%—around one in five of the estimated 300,000 individuals in the working-age population of 3.3 million 18-64-year-olds who are engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity.
However, Scotland’s overall “total early-stage entrepreneurial activity” (TEA) rate of 9.1% remains the lowest amongst the nations of the UK.
The GEM report—compiled by the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde— surveyed 2,060 adults in Scotland as well as 40 entrepreneurship experts as part of the wider UK and global reports.
The Scottish poll found significant regional differences in TEA rates amongst men and women, with the North East having the lowest level of activity by women (9.6%)—almost half the rate of men (18.6%)—while women had higher levels than men in Southern Scotland at 8% against 6.5%.
Among the Home Nations, Scotland’s TEA rate was nominally the lowest in 2023. Wales returned the highest TEA rate at 11.5% with England second at 10.8%, and Northern Ireland recording a TEA of 9.7%
Fear of failure remains a significant barrier to entrepreneurial activity in Scotland; while a third of Scots perceive good startup opportunities in their area, more than 60% say a fear of failure would prevent them from establishing a business.
Additionally, the entrepreneurship experts canvassed by the GEM survey rated 12 out of 13 conditions for entrepreneurialism in Scotland as “barely satisfactory.” These included entrepreneurial education in school, ease of financing, government policies and research and development transfer.
Speaking on the findings, Dr Samuel Mwaura, of the University of Edinburgh Business School, said: “The two major developments in 2023 are the record high rates for non-white individuals and women, reflecting a growing diversity amongst the country’s business community.
“Effectively, of the 300,000 or so early-stage entrepreneurs setting up a business in Scotland in 2023, roughly half were women. This is a landmark moment of significant consequence for female entrepreneurship discourse and policy in this country.”
Professor Stathis Tapinos, of Strathclyde Business School at the University of Strathclyde, also stipulated that: “While Scotland reached new milestones with female and minority ethnic early-stage entrepreneurial activity, concerns remain around rates of established business, fear of failure, and the general context for entrepreneurship in Scotland with worrying evaluations by the expert panel.
“Understanding these and other issues related to entrepreneurial attitudes, perceptions and activity in the country is important for policy and practice as entrepreneurship has important implications for the economy and many societal dynamics.”
The Scottish government is helping to financially back a new bus industry consortium which will deliver 252 new zero-emission buses and coaches to Scotland’s roads, it’s been announced today.
The £41.7m grant funding will support eight operators, led by electric vehicle (EV) fleet specialist Zenobē, to deliver the buses—alongside a Scotland-wide charging network for use by all buses, coaches, and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).
The consortium comprises all-electric intercity bus operator Ember, as well as Premier Coaches, McGills Buses, Stagecoach, Hairy Haggis Tours, Maynes Coaches, D&E Coaches, and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde.
The investment completes the second and final round of subsidy from the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2), which brings together businesses from across the bus, energy, and finance sectors, and builds upon the £113 million that the Scottish government has invested in zero-emission buses and supporting infrastructure.
Speaking on the consortium and the funding, the first minister said: “This investment will deliver 100 new inter-city bus routes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 600,000 tonnes over the lifetime of the fleet by encouraging more people to swap the car for efficient public transport, which is crucial to reaching net zero by 2045.
“Every £1 from the Scottish government will leverage £3.20 of private sector investment – demonstrating that our shared decarbonisation goals can be met by working together when it comes to removing carbon emissions from our bus and coach fleets.
“All bus and coach operators, including those operating in smaller towns and communities, will benefit from both the novel approach to financing and the Scotland-wide charging network that will be delivered, helping other modes of transport make the switch to electric vehicles too.”
Steven Meersman, co-founder director of Zenobē also commented: “We look forward to delivering an additional 252 vehicles and associated charging infrastructure with our consortium partners – this is on top of our existing 110 vehicles in Scotland and alongside our £750 million commitment to battery energy storage systems in the region.
“The consortium brings together family-owned coach companies, well established bus operators, an innovative electric bus start-up and the NHS, showing how private capital can help public funding go the extra mile.”
£459.2 billion is the UK Office of National Statistics’ most recent estimate on the size of ecommerce just in the UK. With Scotland having 8.2% of the UK population then, if ecommerce is performing at the same level as the rest of the UK then we might reasonably expect Scottish ecommerce turnover to be £37.65 billion.
At the latest Ecommerce Scotland 2024 event, where most of Scotland’s ecommerce shakers and movers congregated, the potential of this didn’t come as a surprise. The majority of companies were seeing steady growth in line with ONS data which shows incremental month by month increases along with seasonal variations.
Internationally, the UK is an ecommerce powerhouse that’s out-performed only by China and the US in the total volume of goods sold online. UK ecommerce is approximately the same size as ecommerce in France and Germany combined. The average UK online buyer purchases around twice as much as people in the US.
According to these ONS numbers, ecommerce is huge and growing. Importantly, it does so in a steady and predictable fashion. The industry is, by a very significant margin, commercially larger than any other activity or area of interest within the digital ‘sector’.
Across almost every product category, customers are shifting their buying behaviour online whether the purchases are to retail consumers, wholesalers or even those in large organisation procurement. A high proportion of SMEs, which represent 99.3% of all Scottish companies, could and should be using ecommerce to grow and scale their business.
Iain Barbour, of garden suppliers Jamieson Brothers in the Scottish Borders, has seen trade grow rapidly this way, harnessing the power of online as well as tools like automation. “Taking our B2B and B2C business direct to people’s homes either via their PC or mobile device has been a real game changer instead of relying on footfall through the doors. Investing in systems that allow us to automate tasks that used to be manual human chores has been key to our scalability. We can now not imagine our business not being online.”
Meanwhile, Scottish entrepreneur Jamie Macdonough, founder of hair product company Bold Uniq, has been able to create seven-figure sales selling beauty and lifestyle products—particularly into the US market—and not least by leveraging innovative technologies. “Our use of tools that make use of AI and machine learning have been key to our rapid growth, high productivity and scaling. Automating every part of the business should be a key obsession for every ecommerce business owner.”
One thing particularly noticeable at the recent Ecommerce Scotland event was that all attendees were using variations around the same technology and tools. They were all using similar standard operating procedures and similar ecommerce marketing channels. Everyone shared the same language and acronyms and every ecommerce team was heavily engaged with the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Many of those attending talked about their ambitious targets around productivity where several were already achieving turnovers in excess of a million pounds per employee in parallel with decreasing their carbon footprint through the use of recycled packaging and all-electric fulfilment.
A unifying feature for those involved in ecommerce has been their shared use of common tools such as their ecommerce platforms. Common examples include Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce. These platforms are the hub for the online business. As well as selling directly, they typically connect directly to marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay. They allow businesses to show what products are available to customers along with prices, stock-levels, imagery, product reviews and fulfilment options. AI & ML are used extensively to optimise pricing and product targeting, cross-selling and up-selling as well as personalisation and optimising around seasonality. They commonly connect to accounts packages and integrate with warehouses, fulfilment partners and CRM/ERP packages. They manage B2C and B2B sales both locally as well as using translated content for overseas markets.
At the Ecommerce Scotland event we collected anonymised data on different ecommerce platforms and plotted turnover versus productivity (measured as turnover per employee) for attending businesses. We found that:
Shopify was the most popular platform for small or micro businesses. It is worth noting that it can still be used effectively for some much larger businesses where business integration complexity requirements are low.
By a significant margin, the largest turnover was from Magento/Adobe Commerce websites.
Magento showed a wide range of associated productivity levels suggesting that the platform requires higher levels of skill to get the most from it.
Given that Magento was repeatedly associated with high turnover businesses we looked to see how many businesses are making use of Magento in Scotland compared to other parts of the UK.
According to StoreLeads.app, the total number of Magento sites in Scotland is 134. The same tool, applying the same calculations and methodology, was able to identify 3,413 Magento sites in England. This aligns with Magento search figures in different parts of the UK. Together, these figures contribute circumstantial evidence that Scotland has a proportionately lower level of ecommerce activity when compared to, for example, England.
A high proportion of SMEs, which represent 99.3% of all Scottish companies, could and should be using ecommerce to grow and scale their business. The Scottish government’s most recent survey shows that 61% of companies are not selling online while those that are are mostly selling in low volumes. A small percentage change with these numbers would have transformational consequences for the economic performance of our nation.
The ecommerce business community is keen to engage with those helping shape our national economy and would welcome the opportunity to work with those wanting to see a wealth-creating, sustainable, high-productivity, inclusive, and socially aware future for our nation. A few zero-cost or low-cost ways that government and public sector agencies could quickly facilitate this would be to support local community opportunities which help to network, inform, educate, and inspire growing ecommerce businesses in Scotland.
The Scottish government should also press the UK Office of National Statistics to provide a breakdown of ecommerce performance in different parts of the UK. Such information is currently not available. Scotland helps pay for the ONS so getting access to such information would help us set targets and measure improvement in what should be a significant part of our national economy.
A new £5 million Scottish facility aims to combat the adverse effects of climate change through high-speed imaging technology.
The project, developed with input from more than 100 academics and led by the University of Strathclyde, will use X-ray computed tomography (XCT) to help revolutionise the understanding of material behaviours.
The high-resolution technology will support research, from new ways of combating the effects of climate change, to reducing the carbon footprint of manufacturing, and from new battery technology to personalised medicines.
The IM3AGES Facility at Strathclyde will be a national centre of excellence for 3D and 4D imaging, and its technical capabilities can have far-reaching implications for research and industry.
It involves experts from the universities of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Nottingham, Durham, and Teesside, and researchers and users will be supported to maximise the impact of their work, fostering new skill sets, and driving innovations.
Although powerful, XCT itself remains underexploited because of a nationwide gap in technical capability. IM3AGES is set to bridge this gap by providing two tomography scanning systems not available elsewhere in the UK.
The scanners can produce a 3D image in as little as a minute and see features less than 100th the width of a human hair, allowing delicate artefacts to be scanned without damage and with unprecedented accuracy.
Dr Katherine Dobson, principal investigator from the University of Strathclyde‘s civil & environmental engineering and chemical & process engineering departments, said: “Our vision is to provide an infrastructure that enables research and industry users to generate innovative and world leading research.
“The new imaging facility allow [sic] us to see inside materials like rock, concrete, human bone or a museum artefact, with high resolution, without having to cut them up.
“XCT produces three-dimensional (3-D) digital images of the internal structure of a sample with unparalleled detail, and while 3D data can be extremely useful, working in 4D (3D + time) is often even better.
“As the technique is non-destructive, it can provide a deeper understanding of how materials interact with their environments over time and capture how these interactions affect material properties and performance.
“The project allows 4D imaging of the sample as it changes over the course of the experiment, and analysis of the fluids, gases, or biological matter the sample is interacting with.
“This is invaluable in many real-world scenarios, especially in designing ways to prevent or mitigate the impact of climate change.”
The techniques aim to help researchers reduce their future CO2 footprint through new materials and recycling technologies, so things can be manufactured and built more sustainably.
This includes reclaiming materials from landfill, low carbon replacements for plastics and decarbonising manufacturing, as well as expanding the capability for CO2 storage, and use of waste heat and geothermal energy.
It will also find ways to make materials last longer and cope better with our changing climate, including low carbon ways to repair RAAC concrete in buildings, improving flood defences, and finding ways to prevent future landslides in areas like the A83 Rest and Be Thankful viewpoint in Argyll, which has been plagued by landslides for decades.
It also aims to repair environmental damage, including working with farmers to improve soil health and fertility across the world.
Dr Dobson added: “The conditions that samples have experienced in the past controls how they behave in the future. Although the final destination – what the material becomes – is important, the ‘how’ and ‘why’ it gets there is often even more important and is where IM3AGES can make a big difference.”
The project is funded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Five Scottish projects have been provided with nearly £11 million in funding from the UK Space Agency, it was announced today at the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow.
The projects come from the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), designed to invest in high-potential technologies and help drive innovation and growth in the space sector across the UK.
Two Scottish projects will receive £8.5m of the total funding provided to UK companies. The first project is a suborbital rocket test by HyImpulse (Glasgow) from SaxaVord spaceport in Shetland; the second is a project led by Spire Global, which is further developing technology to supply unique weather forecasting data to global numerical weather predictions centres.
An additional three “Kick Starter” projects across Scotland will receive £2.4m between them. These projects are designed to support technologies and applications that are in an earlier stage of development and increase their readiness for use in commercial and scientific endeavours.
For instance, one of the projects is a partnership between University of Strathclyde, UK Atomic Energy Authority, and SJE Space for a feasibility study into whether terrestrial directed energy drilling (plasmas/microwaves) could be adapted for space applications, specifically lunar exploration.
The UK government said that not only will the funding support the growth of the country’s space business and create new jobs, but it will also enhance Scotland’s offering of space capabilities and services to international investors and major space players.
Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow, where he met with a number of Scottish exhibitors, Scottish secretary Ian Murray said: “This is an exciting time for the Scottish space sector as we look forward to the first satellite launch from SaxaVord in Shetland later this year. The burgeoning industry plays a vital role in our economy and employs thousands of people across the country.
“It was fantastic to meet with some of them here and hear about their pioneering plans which could be a key driver for growth, jobs and investment in Scotland.
“Scotland is a major player in the international space industry and I am delighted the UK Government is continuing to back the sector with £10.9 million in funding for these five Scottish projects.”
Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, also commented: “These new projects will help kickstart growth, create more high-quality jobs, protect our planet and preserve the space environment for future generations.
“They go to the heart of what we want to achieve as a national space agency that supports cutting-edge innovation, spreads opportunity across the UK and delivers the benefits of space back to citizens on Earth.”
Ofcom has handed BT a £17.5 million fine over last year’s UK-wide disruption to 999 call services, which the regulator called a “catastrophic failure.”
Telecoms company BT connects 999 and 112 calls in the UK, and also provides relay services for deaf and speech-impaired people.
On 25 June 2023, the firm experienced a network fault that affected its ability to connect calls to emergency services between 06:24 and 16:56. During the incident, nearly 14,000 call attempts—from just under 12,400 different callers—were unsuccessful.
BT notified the regulator of the issue, as required by law, and then on 28 June an investigation was opened to establish whether the company had failed to comply with its legal duties to take appropriate and proportionate measures to prepare for potential disruption to its network.
Ofcom then found that BT did not have sufficient warning systems in place for when this kind of incident occurs, and that it didn’t have adequate procedures for promptly assessing the severity, impact, and likely cause of any such incident—or for identifying mitigating actions.
The regulator also said that BT’s disaster recovery platform had insufficient capacity and functionality to deal with a level of demand that might reasonably be expected.
The incident also caused disruption to text relay calls, which meant people with hearing and speech difficulties were unable to make any calls, including to friends, family, business, and services.
Although there have been no confirmed reports by the emergency authorities of serious harm to members of the public as a result of the disruption, the potential degree of harm has led the regulator to fine the company more than £17m, which must be paid within two months.
Speaking on the decision, Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s director of enforcement, said: “Being able to contact the emergency services can mean the difference between life and death, so in the event of any disruption to their networks, providers must be ready to respond quickly and effectively.
“In this case, BT fell woefully short of its responsibilities and was ill-prepared to deal with such a large-scale outage, putting its customers at unacceptable risk.
“Today’s fine sends a broader warning to all firms -– if you’re not properly prepared to deal with disruption to your networks, we’ll hold you to strict account on behalf of consumers.”
How did the incident unfold, technically-speaking?
Ofcom discovered that there were three key stages to this incident:
Phase 1, from 06:24 to 07:33. During the first hour, BT’s emergency call handling system was disrupted by what was later found to be a configuration error in a file on its server.This resulted in call handling agents’ systems restarting as soon as a call was received; agents being logged out of the system; calls being disconnected or dropped upon transfer to the emergency authorities; and calls being put back in the queue.BT was initially unable to determine the cause of the issue and attempted to switch to its disaster recovery platform.
Phase 2, from 07:33 to 08:50. The first attempt to switch to the disaster recovery platform was unsuccessful due to human error.This was a result of instructions being poorly documented, and the team being unfamiliar with the process.
The incident grew from affecting some calls to a total outage of the system.
Phase 3, from 08:50 to 16:56. The rate of unsuccessful calls decreased once traffic was migrated successfully to the disaster recovery platform.However, usual service was not fully restored initially as the disaster recovery platform struggled with demand.
The worldwide infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market grew 16.2% to a total of $140 billion (£108bn~) in 2023 up from $120bn (£92bn~) in 2022, new analysis from Gartner has found.
“Cloud technologies continue to be a major business disruptor, due in part to the focus on hyperscalers looking to support offerings related to sovereignty, ethics, privacy and sustainability,” explained Sid Nag, VP analyst at Gartner.
“This should continue to drive exponential growth into the future with these offerings being spurred by generative AI (GenAI) investments for 2024 and beyond.”
The top five IaaS providers accounted for 82% of the market in 2023.
Amazon continued to lead the worldwide IaaS market with revenue of around $54bn (£41bn~) and 39% market share, followed by Microsoft with $32bn (£24bn~) and 23% market share.
With revenue of $11.4bn (£8.8bn~) and 8.2% market share, Google moved into third place. Alibaba secured fourth place with 7.9% of the market and $11bn (£8.5bn~) revenue, while Huawei took 4.3% market share and had $5.9bn (£4.5bn~) in revenue.
Other firms, with a collective revenue of $24bn (£18bn~), took 17.6% share of the market.
“As the top hyperscalers continue to grow their IaaS offerings in the shadow of GenAI, we should also see other areas, such as software-as-a-service (SaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS), grow as well. IaaS is the tide that lifts all boats,” added Nag.
GenAI is already beginning to have an impact on the growth of cloud markets, though AI-driven growth in 2023 was small.
“Cloud is the foundational and scalable substrate required to make GenAI a reality,” Nag noted.
“The segments that are beginning to see the impacts of GenAI include IaaS, where AI model training is consuming IaaS resources, and SaaS where GenAI capabilities are beginning to be included in SaaS applications.
“Capacity demand in public cloud markets has already increased sharply as a result and will continue to do so through 2028. In the near term, AI-driven revenue growth will be small relative to the overall public cloud market.”
Scottish businesses—like those across much of the UK—are continuing to struggle, with growing numbers seeing rising “significant” or early-stage financial distress in the second quarter of 2024, compared with both last quarter and the same period last year.
According to the latest Red Flag Alert data from Begbies Traynor, the business rescue and recovery specialist, there were 30,435 businesses in Scotland during Q2 2024 that faced “significant” financial distress. This represents a 46.1% increase compared with the same quarter of 2023, and a rise of almost 9% since Q1 2024.
The year-on-year figures were also markedly higher than the national picture, which showed a 36.9% increase, while the quarter-on-quarter level was close to the UK-wide figure of an 8.6% rise. Across the UK, almost 602,000 businesses saw “significant” distress in Q2 2024.
Looking at more advanced or “critical” distress from April to June this year, in Scotland there was a 40.5% increase compared with Q2 2023, with another 2,031 businesses suffering from this type of distress. However, Scotland saw a fall in critical distress of 1.7% since the previous quarter, while in the UK as a whole, it rose by 1.1% quarter-on-quarter and by 34.5% year-on-year, with over 40,600 businesses affected.
Speaking on the findings, Ken Pattullo, managing partner for Begbies Traynor in Scotland, said: “Despite some encouraging signs of a return to growth in the UK economy, such as the slight rise in GDP in May, there’s no doubt that over the last few years businesses have battled a deluge of challenges and, unfortunately, their cumulative effect is continuing to be felt, particularly by SMEs, with early-stage financial distress once again on the rise.”
Mr Pattullo continues: “With the UK election now firmly behind us, many businesses are hoping for a more stable environment in which to consolidate and plan for future growth. However, after seismic events from Brexit to Covid, plus further elections around the world and ongoing global conflict, the future is far from certain.
“In such a precarious scenario, we urge any owner managers who see escalating financial problems to take the initiative and seek professional help at the first signs of trouble when experts will have more tools at their disposal to help these businesses get back on track.”
The UK’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has given the greenlight regarding Nationwide’s anticipated £2.9 billion acquisition of Virgin Money.
After opening an inquiry in May, the CMA has said that the deal between the financial institutions is a “relevant merger situation” that doesn’t result in “a substantial lessening of competition.”
With the approval, and after scrutinising what the impact on mortgages on homes occupied by the owner, buy-to-let mortgages, and credit cards would be, there’s now the opportunity for the UK’s second largest mortgage lender to be created. Lloyds Banking Group is currently the country’s biggest lender in this area.
Speaking on the decision, a Virgin Money spokesperson—according to City A.M.—said: “We welcome the CMA’s decision to unconditionally clear the proposed acquisition by Nationwide following its Phase 1 investigation.”
“The enlarged group will combine two complementary businesses that together can offer more great products and services to a larger customer base.”
“We continue to expect that the transaction will complete in the fourth quarter of this year.”
Nationwide’s plan to buy Virgin Money was first outlined in early March, with Kevin Parry, the building society’s chairman, stating that if the acquisition were to go through, it would “accelerate our strategy and create a stronger and more diverse business that is better placed to deliver financial value to our members, both now and in the future.”
Later that month, it was announced that an offer had been made, and that around 89% of Virgin Money shareholders voted in favour of the acquisition, surpassing the 75% threshold.
If the deal is completed, it would be the biggest UK bank takeover since the 2008 financial crisis, which led to the nationalisation of Northern Rock bank. Northern Rock was then bought out by Virgin Money in 2012.
Numerous Big Tech companies—including OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft—have joined forces to create a new industry group aimed at enhancing security in artificial intelligence amid the technology’s rapid growth.
Announced at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, the Coalition for Secure AI (CoSAI) is an open-source initiative created to share open-source methodologies, standardised frameworks, and tools, helping developers to create secure-by-design AI systems.
Its founding members include prominent tech companies such as Anthropic, Amazon, Cisco, IBM, Intel, Nvidia, PayPal, as well as aforementioned organisations OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft—among others.
The project aims to increase trust and security in AI use and deployment, with its scope including building, integrating, deploying, and operating secure AI systems, focusing on mitigating risks like model theft, data poisoning, prompt injection, scaled abuse, and inference attacks.
The group’s initial work is set to begin by forming three workstreams, initially looking at: software supply chain security for AI systems; preparing defenders for a changing cybersecurity landscape; and AI security governance.
The new coalition is hosted by global standards body OASIS Open, the nonprofit working on open source and open standards projects in areas like cybersecurity, blockchain, and cloud computing.
The coalition’s launch comes during a pivotal moment, with the act of securing AI and AI applications and services currently being a somewhat fragmented endeavour, as developers grapple with a patchwork of guidelines and standards which can be inconsistent and siloed.
Speaking on the new industry group, David LaBianca, Google, CoSAI governing board co-chair, said: “CoSAI’s establishment was rooted in the necessity of democratizing the knowledge and advancements essential for the secure integration and deployment of AI.”
“With the help of OASIS Open, we’re looking forward to continuing this work and collaboration among leading companies, experts, and academia.”
Meanwhile, Nick Hamilton, head of governance, risk, and compliance, OpenAI, commented: “Developing and deploying AI technologies that are secure and trustworthy is central to OpenAI’s mission.
“We believe that developing robust standards and practices is essential for ensuring the safe and responsible use of AI and we’re committed to collaborating across the industry to do so.
“Through our participation in CoSAI, we aim to contribute our expertise and resources to help create a secure AI ecosystem that benefits everyone.”
Jason Clinton, chief information security officer, Anthropic, further added: “As a safety-focused organization, building and deploying secure AI models has been core to our mission from the start.
“We’re proud to partner with other industry leaders to help foster a secure AI ecosystem and collaborate on a set of technical security best practices and standards.
“We look forward to the work ahead with the coalition to encourage safe AI development.”
OASIS highlighted that everybody is welcome to contribute technically as part of the CoSAI open-source community.
A new survey commissioned by the British Safety Council has revealed that both employers and employees are optimistic about the impact that new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) will have on their workplace—despite some safety concerns.
When YouGov, who undertook the study for the British Safety Council, asked about AI in particular, 36% of around 2000 employers said they’re optimistic about the impact that the technology will have on their workforce, compared with 41% of roughly employees.
However, just over a quarter (26%) of both employers and employees said that AI would make their workplace “less safe.” This is compared with the number of employers (26%) who thought it would make it “more safe,” which just 13% of employees agree with.
When asked how likely or unlikely they think it is that their job will be replaced or superseded by AI in the next 10 years, 68% of employees thought it unlikely, and just 23% said it was likely. Among the employers, 20% thought less than 10% of their workforce would be replaced by 2034, while 6% of employers thought that over 50% of their workforce could go.
Levels of optimism about the impact of AR and VR were somewhat lower, with 48% and 51% respectively of employers expressing optimism about the impact of the technologies, and just 33% and 31% of employees. Both employers and employees were also more equivocal about how far these would impact people’s safety in the workplace, with around half seeing “no change.”
Peter McGettrick, chairman of British Safety Council, said: “We commissioned this survey with YouGov to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Health and Safety at Work Act and consider what lies ahead for health, safety and wellbeing in the coming half century. The findings show there is clearly more to be done to ensure that both employers and employees not just reap the benefits but are also given reassurance and support on some of the risks.
“While no one can predict the future entirely, change is inevitable. This is why we’re calling on the Government to incentivise companies who invest in new and developing technologies – like AR, VR, and AI – for the purposes of improving workplace health, safety and wellbeing. Alongside this, we want to see more support for training to keep people safe, healthy and well in work.
“Our founder, James Tye, was instrumental in agitating the government of the time to set up a royal commission, which ultimately led to the Robens Report that led to the Health and Safety at Work Act. If you fast-forward 50 years, in recent years we’ve been calling for wellbeing to be at the heart of health and safety. Recently, we’ve called on Sir Keir Starmer in his new Government to put a Minister for Wellbeing in the Cabinet.”
Innovative companies based in Scotland can now apply to join the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s award-winning Launch Academy programme.
Launch Academy is an industry-backed tech accelerator programme created to support the commercialisation of new technologies that will enhance the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, enabling greater local content while supporting cost reduction.
The Academy was established in 2020, and this will be the inaugural Scotland-wide programme, providing 10 early-stage firms with technology development to help them accelerate the commercialisation of products and services targeting the UK and global offshore wind markets.
Since its inception, the Academy has supported 57 companies, raised £26.7 million in private investment, £8.4m in grant funding, and had 150 patents filed through both the national and regional Launch Academy programmes across the United Kingdom.
The Scottish Launch Academy is sponsored by Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, global renewable energy developers BlueFloat Energy | Nadara Partnership and Ocean Winds, as well as Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm. The 10 most promising solutions will be selected by a panel of experts to join the Launch Academy Cohort.
Industry experts from the sponsoring organisations will engage and support the cohort companies throughout their seven-month Launch Academy journey. At the end of the programme, the innovators will pitch to industry partners and ORE Catapult’s network of investors with the aim of securing investment and a route to market for their products.
Applications are open from tomorrow, 19 July 2024, and can be submitted until the closing deadline of 16 August 2024. A Launch Academy Scotland briefing webinar will also take place on Monday 29 July, 2024.
Dr Stephen Wyatt, director of strategy and emerging technologies at ORE Catapult, said: “Our Launch Academy was established in 2020 to accelerate early stage disruptive innovations which can address the challenges facing the offshore renewables sector. I’m delighted that we have this dedicated programme for Scotland linking so closely to the biggest offshore wind projects in our waters.
“Scotland has forged an enviable reputation for excellence and specialist expertise within the energy sector and we are delighted to welcome the support of Scotland’s enterprise agencies, Inch Cape, BlueFloat Energy | Nadara Partnership, and Ocean Winds as we launch this latest programme.
“Launch Academy Scotland will mentor 10 promising companies, providing them with technical and business growth support, as well as industry insights and market connectivity, positioning them to thrive in the UK offshore wind supply chain.”
Adam Swainbank, offshore wind supply chain specialist at Scottish Enterprise, also commented: “Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise are delighted to take part in this Scottish iteration of the UK flagship offshore wind technology accelerator programme – Launch Academy.
“This is a great example of the 3 economic development agencies in Scotland working in collaboration with ORE Catapult and industry to address the offshore wind challenges before us, helping accelerating, de-risk and commercialise innovative technology from the Scottish supply chain with a goal of ensuring we maximise local content and reducing costs and risks for offshore wind developers.”
A team of scientists from Heriot-Watt University is behind a platform which uses machine learning and advanced simulations to find the most appropriate materials for new carbon capture technologies.
The platform has been created in response to a major industry-wide obstacle called “the valley of death”—a gap between fundamental research of net zero technologies and their application in the real world.
Chemists have proposed and synthesised thousands of novel materials with the aim of capturing as much carbon dioxide as possible. But while results may look promising in lab settings, it’s difficult to know how effective these materials perform in actual scenarios. As a result, chances are slim that any will ever cross the valley of death.
However, the new platform—named PrISMa (Process-Informed design of tailor-made Sorbent Materials) has been designed to find optimal, as well as cost-effective and sustainable, material-capture process combinations prior to usage.
Professor Susana Garcia, from the School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, led the study and is the project coordinator for PrISMa. She’s also the associate director of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) at the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Watt University.
“Over the past decade, there has been a huge amount of effort devoted to identifying promising materials capable of capturing CO2,” she explained.
“Chemists have proposed thousands of novel porous materials, but we did not have the tools to quickly evaluate if any materials are promising for a carbon capture process. Evaluating such materials requires a lot of experimental data and detailed knowledge of the capture process. And a careful evaluation of the economics and life-cycle assessment of the process.
“We cannot expect chemists to have all that knowledge. Here is where PrISMa can make a huge difference. The PrISMa platform is a modelling tool that integrates different aspects of carbon capture, including materials, process design, economic analysis, and life cycle assessment.
“We use quantum chemistry, molecular simulation, and Machine Learning to predict, for new materials, all the data that is needed to design a process. Alternatively, we can use the experimental data from materials synthesised in a lab. The platform then evaluated their performance in over 60 different case studies from around the world.”
Professor Garcia continued: “This innovative approach accelerates the discovery of top-performing materials for carbon capture, surpassing traditional trial-and-error methods.
“The platform can also inform the different stakeholders by providing engineers with options to identify economically and environmentally challenging factors in the design phase of optimal capture technologies, molecular design targets for chemists and environmental hotspots for materials, local integration benefits for CO2 producers, and the best locations for investors.”
PrISMa is said to already be yielding impressive results, having been used to accurately simulate the implementation of carbon capture technologies in cement plants located in different regions of the world. It found suitable materials for each location, cutting costs by half when compared with previous technologies.
The platform also offers an interactive tool that allows users to explore the potential of over 1,200 materials for carbon capture applications.
“Identifying more top-performing carbon capture materials increases the likelihood of advancing some of them to the next Technological Readiness Level,” added Professor Garcia.
PrISMa has been led by Heriot-Watt University in partnership with scientists from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and ETH Zurich, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California Berkeley in the US, and the Institut des Matériaux Poreux de Paris in France.
The project has received funding from the ACT Programme, the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, and the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC).
A new report from Imperva, a Thales cybersecurity company, has found a dramatic increase in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks across various industries already this year.
Highlighted in its just-published 2204 DDoS Threat Landscape Report, the security firm has noticed—and mitigated—an eye-watering 111% more DDoS attacks in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, underscoring the prominence of the escalating threat.
In terms of where’s being hit the hardest, the telecom and ISP industry experienced the highest year-over-year growth, with a 548% increase in application layer DDoS attacks—designed to attack specific vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, the healthcare industry saw a 236% increase in DDoS attacks, and the gaming industry witnessed a rise of 208%.
The report also uncovered that DDoS attacks targeting industries associated with sporting events have also risen by 89%, demonstrating how high-profile events attract cybercriminals seeking publicity.
Political tensions are seemingly contributing to the prevalence of DDoS attacks, too, with state actors and political activists often using these types of attacks to make statements or signal intentions. For instance, there’s been notable surges in Ukraine (519%), Israel (118%), and China (84%).
What’s more, the research further discovered that DDoS attacks have significantly escalated in scale. The company mitigated an “unusually large” attack against a Romanian online retail site measuring 4 million requests-per-second (RPS), which marked a 2000% increase on the previous record for an attack in that country.
Imperva’s threat report comes just weeks after DIGIT reported on the news that botnets are being sold and/or rented for just $99, equating to around £77.59.
A botnet is a network of devices infected with malware, ranging from smart toothbrushes to advanced industrial internet devices that attackers use to organise automated mass attacks such as DDoS.
Further, in May, a separate report covered by DIGIT—DDoS Statistical Trends Report 2024, from cybersecurity firm Nexusguard—found that application attacks have shifted starkly towards Windows OS devices, comprising 87% of all DDoS targets in 2023 compared to just 15% the previous year.
Frontier artificial intelligence safety and research company Anthropic, and venture capital firm Menlo Ventures, have announced a new $100 million (£76m~) initiative: the Anthology Fund.
Anthropic is perhaps best known for Claude, the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant which rivals ChatGPT, while Menlo Ventures has supported global tech-led businesses like Uber, Roku, and Anthropic itself.
The new fund aims to partner with innovative founders to build AI-first applications and infrastructure solutions that leverage Anthropic’s technology and AI models.
It will invest in companies from seed to expansion stages, and with investments that start at $100,000 (£76k~). The fund will back selected entrepreneurs who are using Anthropic technologies, and primarily focused on five areas:
AI infrastructure, including DevX tools and middleware that advances the use of Claude and other large language models (LLMs), accelerating their adoption and capabilities.
Frontier/novel applications of AI that will transform industries including bio, healthcare, legal, financial services, supply chains, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
Consumer AI solutions that transform the user experience by integrating LLMs as core components driving interactions.
Trust and safety tooling (at or above the model layer) that enhances AI safety and offers scalable, profitable solutions for responsible AI deployment.
AI apps and tech that maximise societal benefits, such as new forms of education/training, job creation solutions, and tools that expand accessibility.
Startups backed by the fund are also set to gain access to resources such as Menlo’s investors and services team, gain access to Anthropic’s most advanced AI models with thousands of dollars’ worth of credits, the opportunity to showcase progress at bi-annual demo days, and more.
“The Anthology Fund represents more than investing—we see this as an opportunity to drive AI forward,” said Tim Tully, partner at Menlo Ventures.
“We’re not just looking for startups; we’re seeking pioneers who will harness Anthropic’s groundbreaking technology to shatter the limits of what is possible today through AI.
“Our mission is to empower ambitious founders to create solutions that don’t just drive value but fundamentally reshape industries and improve lives.”
Also commenting, Daniela Amodei, president of Anthropic, said: “Through our partnership with Menlo Ventures and the Anthology Fund, we hope to accelerate the development of groundbreaking AI applications.
“We’re particularly interested in ventures that leverage AI to enhance human capabilities and productivity in fields such as healthcare, legal services, education, energy, infrastructure, and scientific research.”
“We look forward to working closely with Menlo and the exceptional founders backed by this Fund to push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI.”
Sue Dawe has been appointed as chair of Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE), the member body for financial and related professional services in Scotland, with immediate effect.
Dawe brings over 35 years’ experience to the role and currently leads EY’s Financial Services Practice in Scotland.
She is a member of EY’s UKFS leadership team, a former EY UK LLP board member, and a patron for Women in Banking and Finance (WiBF).
Dawe has been director of SFE’s board since 2019, and deputy chair since 2022. She becomes the first female chair in the organisation’s 38-year history.
She was appointed at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Edinburgh today, replacing John McGuigan who stood down as chair in June.
Commenting on the appointment, Sue Dawe, EY Scotland managing partner for financial services, and chair of Scottish Financial Enterprise, said: “It’s a privilege to be appointed as the chair of SFE and to represent Scotland’s diverse and innovative financial services industry.
“Building on the strong foundations left by John, I am confident we can continue enhancing our reputation as one of the leading voices for business in Scotland.
“I look forward to working with our experienced board, Sandy and the talented SFE team, and our diverse membership to ensure we continue delivering our ambitious strategy and supporting further growth and development across the industry.”
Sandy Begbie CBE, chief executive, Scottish Financial Enterprise, also said: “Sue has made a valuable contribution to SFE since joining the board in 2019 and I am delighted with her appointment as our new chair.
“She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role which will be key to our future success.
“SFE has grown and developed significantly in recent years, and I am excited to see further progress under Sue’s leadership.”
The University of Edinburgh has welcomed its first commercial tenant to the new Edinburgh Futures Institute, in the capital’s historic Old Royal Infirmary in Lauriston Place.
Smart Data Foundry (SDF) has moved from the nearby Bayes Centre to a state-of-the-art workspace in one of the converted Nightingale wards in the A-listed building, which dates back to 1879.
SDF’s move follows a period of sustained growth for the organisation which was founded in 2022 to unlock the power of financial data to tackle the major issues society is currently facing.
Over the past two years, it has seen its workforce grow and mature, and forge partnerships with clients like Sage, NatWest Group, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The not-for-profit has moved into a purpose-built ward on the 2nd floor of the history building, which housed the city’s main hospital until 2003.
The institute officially opened to the public on 3rd June, following a multi-million-pound, seven-year refurbishment programme.
Commenting, Professor Kev Dhaliwal, the interim director of the Edinburgh Futures Institute, said: “Edinburgh Futures Institute is delighted to welcome Smart Data Foundry.
“As one of the region’s Data Driven Innovation Hubs, we bring together staff, students and partners into an inspiring, collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.
“Co-location with our financial and public services sector hubs, alongside numerous industrial partners, researchers, and talented students, will accelerate data innovation and insights to help solve national and global challenges.
“We share the ambition to deliver positive social impact and build a better world using the power of data.”
The refurbished building includes teaching facilities, rooms for co-working with industry partners, business incubation areas, labs for innovation and prototyping, a public square, café, and exhibition and performance spaces.
Dame Julia Unwin, chair of Smart Data Foundry, said: “Edinburgh Futures Institute has an unrivalled range of facilities in the heart of Edinburgh, and this strategic relocation underscores our commitment to fostering greater collaboration, innovation and productivity in our mission to unlock the power of data for good.
“It’s our aim to cultivate a dynamic ecosystem where data scientists, researchers, and industry partners can collaborate seamlessly to unlock new insights and drive forward our purpose of creating positive impact across society, the economy and the environment.
“Our new home at the Edinburgh Futures Institute is the perfect base for this ecosystem to flourish.”
Smart Data Foundry currently delivers pioneering projects including a Cost-of-Living Dashboard for East Renfrewshire Council—which DIGIT recently delved into with SDF’s head of data insight, Rui Cardoso.
Utilising near real-time de-identified data from NatWest Group, the dashboard integrates financial well-being indicators with contextual information, helping the council to better understand the challenges citizens face and therefore how this might impact on future policy interventions.
Other projects include the launch of the groundbreaking Income Volatility Dashboard with Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which provides a comprehensive and unique view of income volatility and insecurity on consumers throughout the United Kingdom as a research and policy platform.
The latest Royal Mail trial to deliver mail by drone has been launched, in collaboration with Argyll and Bute Council and drone specialists Skyports.
The drone flights are running between the remote isles of Islay and Jura in the Inner Hebrides until 26th July, with postal workers loading and unloading mail on both sides.
The drone, which is multirotor and can carry payloads of up to 6kg, is the same one used in Royal Mail’s prior trial in Orkney. It’s transporting mail that’s usually taken via ferry in a Royal Mail van.
This is the sixth time that Royal Mail has trialled drones and the second using Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) flying, which allows drones to travel further than the standard Visual Line of Sight by making use of “trained observers” along its route.
Observers keep the pilot, who’s flying the drone remotely, updated on critical information to ensure the drone maintains a safe distance from other air users, structures, and any hazards.
The weather and the geography of the Inner Hebrides can impact the ability to provide an uninterrupted delivery service. For instance, pauses in the ferry schedule are common during poor weather due to the challenges of docking safely.
The use of electric drones for inter-island delivery also brings safety improvements, ensuring postal workers can deliver between ports and marinas without risk, as well as emission savings.
Given its Universal Service Obligation to deliver next day to each of the UK’s 32 million addresses, Royal Mail is exploring drones as a method to deliver to remote communities in a more efficient, reliable, and environmentally-friendly way.
The new trial is being run in collaboration with drone specialists Skyports and Argyll and Bute Council to operate a number of essential services in Islay and Jura, including Royal Mail deliveries.
In November 2022, the UK government awarded Argyll and Bute Council a grant of £250,000 via the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF) to work in partnership with Skyports to conduct a series of trials that serves as a building block to showcase the potential of drones in enhancing vital public services.
Commenting on the trial, Chris Paxton, who’s Royal Mail’s head of drones, said: “Trialling drones allows us to test out new ways of working to support our posties in delivering to the most remote areas of the UK.
“As parcel volumes increase, we are continually looking for new ways to provide a reliable, fast and lower emission service to all our customers no matter where they live.”
Councillor Jim Lynch, leader of Argyll and Bute Council, added: “We are working hard to make good things happen in Argyll and Bute and these innovative trials could transform the way vital services are delivered to people in our most remote communities.
“Not just council services either, but other local authorities, businesses, organisations, and emergency services throughout the UK – there is huge value in partnership working to help bring benefits to the people of Argyll and Bute.
“In addition, by creating a permanent UAV Hub at Oban Airport, we will be investing in future industries. We will be delivering new, greener jobs, and boosting the local economy while continuing to drive down carbon emissions both now and in the future to create a climate-friendly Argyll and Bute.
“This is a very exciting time for everyone involved.”
In 2020, Royal Mail became the first UK parcel carrier to use a drone to deliver a parcel. The company worked with a consortium of drone companies, including Skyports, to deliver to a remote lighthouse on the Isle of Mull using a drone.
Royal Mail and its partners achieved two further ‘firsts’ in 2021, becoming the first UK parcel carrier to deliver mail to a UK island via an out-of-sight autonomous drone flight and trialling the first inter-island drone flights in the UK with a smaller vertical take-off and landing drone.
OnFife, Fife’s Cultural Trust supported by Fife Council, has partnered with CodeBase, which runs the Scottish government’s startup support programme Techscaler, to help drive tech startup growth in the region.
The new partnership plans to build Fife’s tech ecosystem, and a network of Techscaler “pop-up” hubs will be established at Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy, Rothes Hall in Glenrothes, and Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries.
Co-working and hotdesking space will be made available at OnFife’s venues, from where CodeBase will offer a range of in-person and online community events.
Entrepreneurs supported by the partnership will have access to the Techscaler programme itself, which aims to help companies and entrepreneurs start and scale-up their businesses through educational programmes, expert mentoring, and a growing network of physical hubs.
Launched in 2022, Techscaler supported more than 500 companies in 2023, and has a network of around 2,500 members. The companies supported by Techscaler also attracted investment of around £52 million last year.
To mark the start of the partnership’s community engagement in Fife, an “Unplugged Kirkcaldy” event will take place at Adam Smith Theatre on Tuesday 23rd July between 12-2pm.
It’s the first of a series of events which will bring together entrepreneurs, techies, creatives, students, investors, and other regional stakeholders to network, share ideas, and find out more about Techscaler support across Fife and the Central Belt.
Commenting on the new partnership, OnFife chief executive Heather Stuart said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Fife tech businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs.
“We’re looking forward to working in partnership with CodeBase to help with its plans to create a network across the kingdom that supports tech innovation through culture, community, businesses and education.”
Chris Boyland, VP of regional engagement at CodeBase, also said: “At its heart, Techscaler is community-focussed and -driven.
“Our regional teams and hubs, operated by colleagues with strong connections to their local areas, work closely with enterprise agencies, local partners and stakeholders to mitigate the challenges faced by founders and startups in regions around Scotland.
“We look forward to developing the partnership with OnFife, and the considerable opportunity to help grow the tech ecosystem and support entrepreneurs and founders across Fife.”
Fife-based entrepreneur Julie Grieve, former founder and CEO of hotel and hospitality app Criton, further added: “Techscaler is an excellent resource for startups, scale-ups, and those who have an idea for a business they want to validate.
“I believe that Fife businesses will find this new partnership very useful and I look forward to working with more businesses from the region.”
The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is celebrating the first patent application successfully being filed on its new, fully-digital “One IPO” patents service.
The news of the first patent being filed this way comes as the IPO is ramping up its pilot of the service, where some customers have been given early access to test and offer their feedback ahead of the expected launch to all patent customers in early 2025.
The IPO has also debuted an AI-powered patent allocation tool, which supposedly cuts the time taken to get the patent application to the right team down from 14 days to a matter of seconds.
The Intellectual Property Office has said that the new patient application service will offer customers many sought-after improvements, such as:
view, manage and update your portfolio of UK patents online for the first time;
more fluid patent applications that allow customers to submit information in manageable chunks and in the order that suits them;
save and share draft applications with colleagues and clients for easy collaboration and a more flexible way of working – this is one of our most requested features;
built-in checks to prevent errors and give instant feedback on formatting issues, meaning fewer unnecessary delays, and;
reusing data from the customers’ account to save time and prevent customers from having to re-enter information on each application.
The secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, Peter Kyle, hailed the One IPO service as “a true revolution in efficiency”: “The IPO’s new service is an embodiment of our vision to transform how we deliver slicker and quicker digital services to the British public.
“The One IPO system will make it easier for users to bring their new innovations to market. Through the application of cutting-edge AI, it will also change what is currently a weeks-long administrative process into one taking a matter of seconds.
“This represents a true revolution in efficiency, supporting innovators to deliver the solutions which will kickstart our economic growth and usher in a new era of productivity.”
Murgitroyd—a large full-service intellectual property firm—welcomed the IPO to its Southampton office to mark the occasion with patent attorneys and paralegal teams alike seeing the programme in action.
Thomas Gibb, chief compliance officer at Murgitroyd, etched his name in IPO history as the first person to file a patent in the new service.
Gibb commented: “It looks like a great system. We’re really excited about what it can do already and we’re looking forward to seeing how it will develop.
“The team were really positive about it – it looks easier to use than what we’re used to. It was exciting to join the pilot, file the first patent and be a part of patent history!”
Since 2021, the IPO has been transforming the services they offer through the One IPO Transformation Programme, which aims to provide a single, integrated service for managing all UK IP rights.
The IPO said that the Transformation Programme is the most challenging and ambitious endeavour in the IPO’s history, and is core to the IPO’s goal of becoming a more innovative, dynamic, and responsive organisation.
In its latest forecast, Gartner, the technological research and consulting firm, expects worldwide IT spending to total $5.26 trillion (£4.05tn~) in 2024.
While this is a decrease compared to the previous quarter’s forecast of 8% growth, it’s an increase of the overall spend forecast of $5.06 trillion (£3.9tn~).
The firm’s new forecast sees a 24.1% growth in data centre system spending over 2024, which is up from the previous quarter’s forecast of 10% growth. This is due in large part to increased planning for GenAI.
Speaking on this, John-David Lovelock, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, said: “The compute power needs of GenAI are being felt across the data center, and spending in that segment reflects this ravenous demand.”
Commenting on GenAI more generally, Lovelock explained that it’s “being felt across all technology segments and subsegments, but not to everyone’s benefit.”
“Some software spending increases are attributable to GenAI, but to a software company, GenAI most closely resembles a tax,” Lovelock added.
“Revenue gains from the sale of GenAI add-ons or tokens flow back to their AI model provider partner.”
Data centre system spending is then followed by a forecasted 12.6% growth in software spending, and 7.1% growth in IT services spending.
IT services in particular is down from 9.7% in the last forecast, due in part to slower spending across subsegments that include consulting and business process services.
“The change fatigue in CIOs that we saw at the start of the year has now abated and the contract backlogs going back to the third quarter of 2023 are being cleared,” noted Lovelock.
“We expect to see a larger rush towards the end of the year to make up for the slow start.”
Meanwhile, device spending is expected to grow 5.4%, and communications services 3%.
Gartner’s methodology for its IT spending forecast relies on analysis of the sales by over a thousand vendors across the entire range of IT products and services.
The firm then uses primary research techniques, alongside secondary research sources, to build a database of market size data on which to base its forecast.
Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI, The Data Lab, has today announced the launch of its first-ever Geospatial Fringe programme next month in response to the growing interest in the sector across the UK.
With partners such as NatureScot, the University of Edinburgh, the Association for Geographic Information, and Location Data Scotland, the programme of events and webinars aims to raise awareness and understanding of geospatial data and highlight the work of organisations and communities within the ecosystem.
Geospatial data is used everywhere, from delivery tracking to weather forecasting, fitness tracking, and more. Sometimes called location-based data, it is data collection tied to a specific geographic location.
The UK is ranked second in the world for its geospatial readiness and capabilities. It’s leading international conversations to advance location data and technology, supporting the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UNGGIM) as a founding member.
Scotland has the highest demand for geospatial skills in the UK—and in cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow in particular. However, despite huge opportunities, a lack of awareness is limiting the use of geospatial applications across many areas of the economy.
Fairlie Kirkpatrick Baird, data analyst at NatureScot and host of the Geospatial Fringe event on mapping resilient landscapes, said: “Against the backdrop of climate change, geospatial data has become an important tool in assessing climate resilience.
“Mapping resilient landscapes supports conservation strategies such as 30×30, safeguarding 30% of the UK’s land by 2030.
“By realising the potential of geospatial data, we can manage land and water to increase climate resilience and conserve biological diversity.”
Paul McMillan, community and events programme manager at The Data Lab, also said: “The potential of geospatial applications is massive. However, a lack of awareness is currently hindering their wide adoption across different sectors.
“It is crucial to raise awareness about the countless opportunities they offer in order to fuel the growth of the nation’s geospatial market and benefit our economy and society.
“We’re proud to announce the Geospatial Fringe, to increase understanding and appreciation of geospatial data, highlighting the great work taking place here in Scotland.”
Launching on August 7th in the University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre, the fringe will be a programme of free events organised by individuals and organisations in The Data Lab’s online community and wider network.
It includes the following events:
The Data Lab Community’s Geospatial Fringe Launch Event, 7 August, 17:30 – 19:30 BST at the Bayes Centre, Edinburgh & online.
NatureScot’s ‘Mapping resilient landscapes: Putting 30×30 on the map in Scotland’, 8 August, 11:00 – 12:00 BST online.
The University of Edinburgh’s ‘The Code to Mapping New Horizons: Ridge Maps and Orbital Solutions in Noteable’, 14 August 2024 11:30 – 12:30 BST online.
Geovation Scotland’s ‘Geospatial Tech Entrepreneurs Breakfast’, 21 August 2024 10:00 – 11:30 BST at Meadowbank House in Edinburgh.
Location Data Scotland, the Scottish Government and AGI Scotland delivering ‘Geospatial Insights 2024: Innovations and Applications Across Sectors’, 27 August 2024 14:30 – 17:00 BST at the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute.
Dundee Data Meetup’s ‘Urban Innovation & Heritage: The Power of Geospatial Data’, 27 August 2024 18:00 – 20:00 BST at the Abertay cyberQuarter in Dundee.
More can be found out about the Geospatial Fringe launch event itself here.
Innova Nanojet Technologies (INJT) is investing almost £9 million in its new Scottish operations, with the technology firm choosing to locate its first manufacturing facility in Vale of Leven, West Dunbartonshire.
The company provides products based on ground-breaking nanojet platform technologies, capable of spraying trillions of supersonic and nanosized droplets to eliminate airborne contaminants and viruses using only water.
Scottish Enterprise has worked closely with Team Scotland, including West Dunbartonshire Council and Skills Development Scotland, to build strong, long-term relationships with INJT as it sets up in Scotland.
A package of support and funding from Scottish Enterprise has been created for the tech company, including a grant of £1.5 million as a contribution towards the firm’s almost £9 million investment in its new Scottish operations.
Reuben Aitken, Scottish Enterprise managing director of international operations, commented: “It’s fantastic to see a young, innovative company like Innova Nanojet Technologies invest almost £9 million in Scotland.
“Not only will this allow the business to scale quickly, it also means a significant number of new jobs created for local communities over the next few years.
“Companies like Innova Nanojet Technologies are great examples of Scotland’s continuing success at attracting inward investment, with EY’s Attractiveness Survey last week naming Scotland again as the number one UK location for Foreign Direct Investment projects outside of London.
“Alongside our partners, we’ll continue to promote the wealth of business benefits Scotland offers to international companies and investors.”
At a recent event held at the Vale of Leven facility, attendees were given a guided tour of the production lines, and were introduced to key members of INJT staff.
Chairman and CEO of Innova Nanojet Technologies Ltd, Dr Charles Huang, remarked: “Thirty years after my graduation from the University of Strathclyde, I’m very thrilled to be back in Scotland to commence the production of our Innova Nanojet Technologies Ltd’s first commercialisation product that will revolutionise indoor air cleaning and disinfection which will benefit billions of people in the world.
“With Scottish Enterprise’s continued support, we look forward to developing and launching more innovative products and solutions for the world.”
The company’s technologies have applications across industries including personal and public health, agriculture, food, housing, commercial buildings, transportation, social infrastructure, power generation, national security, and public safety.
The first commercial application of the nanojet technologies is the Clean Air for Life CDa product series. These next-generation, filter-less air purification systems use ultra-fine droplet sprays to effectively and efficiently clean and disinfect indoor air. The series includes the CDa Pro (for business applications), CDa Model-H (for home use), and the robotic CDaBot (for large public indoor spaces).
The CDa series has received prestigious awards, including the 2024 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) “Twice Pick” Award.
A record number of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects were secured in 2023 in Scotland, data has shown.
According to EY’s annual independent analysis of inward investment, 142 FDI projects were secured last year, an increase of 12.7% on 2022 and double the rate of growth experienced across the UK.
Scotland’s share of UK FDI projects increased for a fifth year in a row to 14.4%. Investor perception of Scotland also increased, with 26% of potential investors surveyed by EY saying they were planning to invest in Scotland—up from 19.2% in 2022.
Seizing opportunities presented by new technology and accessing skills were among the main reasons given for establishing or expanding operations.
The performance underpins Scotland’s position as the top performing area of the UK outside of London for a ninth consecutive year.
Welcoming the results, deputy first minister and economy secretary Kate Forbes said: “Attracting inward investment is critical to economic growth and driving forward strategic objectives in key sectors.
“These results show a record performance, with Scotland once again outpacing the UK as a whole and the European Union when it comes to securing foreign direct investment projects, delivering on the actions and priorities we have set out in government.
“From being at the forefront of the energy transition to the rapidly emerging cutting-edge technologies, we have an enormous opportunity to capitalise even further.
“We will continue to work with our economic development agencies as part of a ‘Team Scotland’ approach to attracting foreign direct investment and bringing more high quality jobs across Scotland.”
The EY survey also highlighted:
Scotland outpaced both the UK and Europe with FDI growth last year. Europe recorded a 4% year-on-year decline.
Scotland has three of the top 10 cities for FDI projects outside London (Edinburgh 2nd, Glasgow 4th Aberdeen 8th).
The US (responsible for 27 projects) remains the biggest contributor of Scottish inward investment projects, with the number of projects from Germany doubling to 20, a decade-high, making it the second-biggest source of projects into Scotland, followed by France with 10 projects.
For the first time in six years, utility supply which includes renewables (40 projects) has overtaken digital technology projects (14 projects) in Scotland due to increasing levels of low-carbon and ‘cleantech’ investment with an impressive decade high rise in manufacturing projects (45).
Managing director of energy transition and international operations at Scottish Enterprise Reuben Aitken also commented: “Today’s fantastic EY results are testament to Scotland’s attractiveness to businesses from around the world.
“We’ve seen a fifth consecutive year of growth in FDI and we’re the top destination for FDI outside London with more global businesses making Scotland their home and scaling up their operations here.
“This growth is driven by the deep partnerships that my team in Scotland and overseas build with investors leveraging our Team Scotland approach.
“It’s great to see utility supply as the top sector for FDI into Scotland last year.
“This chimes with our focused strategy which identifies the energy transition as one of three areas central to transforming Scotland’s economy, creating quality jobs and accelerating our path to net zero.”
A new control centre to turbocharge the UK government’s mission to provide Britain with cheaper and clean power by 2030 has been announced.
The centre will have Chris Stark, the ex-chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, and ex-director of energy and climate change in the Scottish government between 2016 and 2018, at the helm.
With what the new Labour government has called “a relentless focus” on accelerating the transition away from volatile fossil fuel markets to clean, local power, Mission Control will bring together industry experts and officials to troubleshoot, negotiate, and clear the way for energy projects.
It will work with key energy companies and organisations including the regulator Ofgem, the National Grid, and the Electricity System Operator to remove obstacles and identify and resolve issues as they arise.
Commenting on the centre and his appointment, Stark himself said: “Tackling the climate crisis and accelerating the transition to clean power is the country’s biggest challenge, and its greatest opportunity.
“By taking action now, we can put the UK at the forefront of the global race to net zero – driving down our carbon emissions but also cutting bills for households.
“It is a privilege to head up this work alongside the country’s top energy experts who will make this mission a reality.”
To achieve clean power by 2030, energy secretary Ed Miliband has also asked the Electricity System Operator to provide advice on the pathways towards the 2030 ambition, with expert analysis of the location and type of new investment and infrastructure needed to deliver it.
Fintan Slye, CEO of the Electricity System Operator, also commented: “I am excited to work with the secretary of state on the blueprint for the future of our power system.
“I also look forward to working with industry and stakeholders across Great Britain as we undertake this critical analysis.”
The launch of Mission Control comes alongside the work of Great British Energy — a new company to be owned by the British public, with new infrastructure by the British public, delivering power back to the British public.
It aims to help the UK take back control of its energy system, in order to cut bills and protect consumers, create good jobs across the country, and tackle the climate crisis.
New research has uncovered that nearly three quarters (73%) of security professionals admit to using SaaS (software as a service) applications that haven’t been provided by their company’s IT team in the past year.
This is despite the fact that they’re acutely aware of the risks, with respondents citing data loss (65%), lack of visibility and control (62%), and data breaches (52%) as the top risks of using unauthorised tools.
Further, one in ten admitted they were certain their organisation had suffered a data breach or data loss as a result.
These insights come from a survey of more than 250 global security professionals at RSA Conference 2024 and Infosecurity Europe 2024, conducted by Next DLP, the provider of insider risk and data protection solutions.
When it comes to how security professionals view their organisation’s training and overall understanding of the risks of shadow SaaS, 40% don’t think employees properly understand the data security dangers that are associated.
Yet, they’re doing little to combat this, with only 37% of security professionals having developed clear policies and consequences for using these tools, with even fewer (28%) promoting approved alternatives to combat usage.
Only half had received guidance and updated policies on shadow SaaS and AI in the past six months, with one in five admitting to never receiving this.
Meanwhile, half of the respondents highlighted that AI use had been restricted to certain job functions and roles in their organisation, while 16% had banned the technology completely.
Adding to this, 46% of organisations have implemented tools and policies to control employees’ use of GenAI.
“Security professionals are clearly concerned about the security implications of GenAI and are taking a cautious approach,” explained Next DLP’s chief security officer, Chris Denbigh-White.
“However, the data protection risks associated with unsanctioned technology are not new. Awareness alone is insufficient without the necessary processes and tools. Organisations need full visibility into the tools employees use and how they use them.
“Only by understanding data usage can they implement effective policies and educate employees on the associated risks.”
“Clearly, there is a disparity between employee confidence in using these unauthorised tools and the organisation’s ability to defend against the risks,” Denbigh-White continued.
“Security teams should evaluate the extent of Shadow SaaS and AI usage, identify frequently used tools, and provide approved alternatives. This will limit potential risks and ensure confidence is deserved, not misplaced.”
Just under two-thirds (62%) of CFOs and over half (58%) of CEOs believe AI will have the most significant impact on their industries in the next three years, according to a new survey by Gartner.
The latest survey of 247 CEOs and CFOs was conducted to examine senior business executive views on current business issues, as well as areas of technology agenda impact.
“CFOs and CEOs are both focused firstly on profitable growth with nearly two-thirds of respondents in both groups putting this in their top three strategic business priorities,” said Alexander Bant, chief of research in the Gartner Finance Practice.
“After that, technology and workforce are the next highest priorities with approximately a third of respondents selecting these in their top three.
“While AI has enormous potential to transform industries, three years is a short time horizon to do so. Senior executives must manage their expectations and be fully aware of the organizational challenges they will face.”
CFOs and CEOs are similarly aligned on growth, with both groups selecting it as their top business priority for 2024-25.
For CFOs, this does not mark a huge change from their 2023 priorities, but for the CEOs group the number of respondents picking growth in their top three priorities has jumped 38% since last year.
However, the sentiment regarding cost management has deviated this year, with a significant increase in CFOs seeing it as a top priority, but little change in CEO sentiment—which could be due to CEOs being more likely to give longer leeway on internal investment payback periods than CFOs, Gartner noted.
“To address these differences while keeping organizational growth a priority, CFOs should align with their CEO regarding digital investments, risk appetite and cost cuts that support growth,” added Bant.
“CFOs should discuss the drivers behind their CEO’s flexibility on investment time horizons. For many companies, this likely relates to the longer timelines that transformational investments in technology require to deliver returns.”
The survey also uncovered that both CEOs and CFOs are similarly concerned about talent shifts, citing employees’ rising compensation expectations and desire for flexibility in the short term, and the impacts of AI in the long term.
Both are also optimistic about AI’s potential to boost cost savings and productivity, but more CFOs than CEOs hold concern about near-term talent shortages.
“CFOs should provide insight on new approaches that bridge talent gaps while creating cost savings such as ‘quiet hiring,’” Bant advised.
“To address talent shifts or attrition when pay increases are not feasible, CFOs can make the case for flexible work policies that employees prefer.”
Finally, almost 75% of CEOs see environmental sustainability as more of a growth opportunity, whereas CFOs are unfortunately more likely to view sustainability initiatives as marketing tools instead.
“As an initial step to reconcile their position, CFOs should determine whether their CEO’s sustainability ambitions call for compliance, optimization, or transformation,” said Bant.
“After which, CFOs should revise their investment evaluation criteria to take these goals into account, such as by incorporating nonfinancial criteria, as well as opportunity costs and the costs of inaction.”
A new Connectivity Demonstration Centre—the first of its kind in Scotland—has been opened by The Clarus Networks Group, the connectivity and network specialists.
The brand new centre in Bathgate has all of the latest high-tech connectivity, and has attracted attention from major companies, as well as created 10 new jobs for Clarus.
The new Demonstration Centre has already been used by partners from across the UK, including the NHS, East Ayrshire Council, and BT, as well as SpaceX visiting from the US.
The centre allows clients to fully test a network’s capabilities, including download and upload speeds, latency, security, and more.
The centre also has Clarus’ tech team on hand, offering support and guidance, as well as a chance to trial Clarus’ connectivity portal, providing effective and simple network management.
Clarus provides wireless connectivity solutions for businesses, solving connectivity challenges like poor quality phone signal or slow internet speeds.
The company’s specialist portfolio of connectivity solutions includes low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems like Starlink and OneWeb, which uses constellations of satellites to deliver high-speed internet to even the most remote locations, with download speeds of 220 Mbps+.
Tech available for testing at the centre includes a comprehensive showcase of the latest connectivity innovations including SpaceX’s Starlink, Private 5G, OneWeb, SD-WAN, advanced cellular coverage technology and state-of-the-art networking equipment.
Derek Phillips, group managing director at The Clarus Networks Group, said: “We’ve had major industry players from construction, healthcare, maritime, oil and gas, renewables, rail and more visit our Bathgate Demonstration Centre.
“A special highlight was hosting the team from Space X, who travelled all the way from Hawthorne, California, to see our innovations first hand.
“What’s unique about our Demonstration Centre is that companies are now able to test the art of the possible, giving access to the latest and greatest in connectivity in one location.
“We want to showcase the many potential use cases of our high-speed, low-latency, secure solution, making the tech accessible to companies of all sizes.
“All our connectivity solutions are seamlessly managed by a bespoke client portal, providing customers with a single pane of glass to manage all their global communications assets.”
The Demonstration Centre has allowed Clarus to make 10 new hires over the past month, with recruitment continuing.
This follows Scotland-headquartered Clarus tripling revenue in 2023 and making a number of senior appointments earlier this year.
Future plans include opening a second office location in Scotland, as well as expanding the Demonstration Centre with the addition of even more technology for testing.
Recast, the Edinburgh-based fintech-for-media platform, has announced the successful closing of a $5 million (£3.9m) funding round. The round was led by US-based venture capital firm Morpheus Ventures, with additional investments from Airstream Ventures and Cooley.
In its mission to provide consumers access to any digital content while ensuring fair and immediate value exchange for everyone involved, Recast’s technology helps to enable media owners to maximise distribution, monetisation, and 1st party data capture, thereby offsetting rising subscription fatigue and churn.
The investment will be used for the further development of Recast’s API-centric smart payment platform, as well as the enhancement of its micro-payment wallet, facilitating the sale of digital commodities anywhere on the internet and beyond its current offering that supports monetising video and livestreams.
Joseph Miller, managing partner of LA-based Morpheus Ventures, which backs market disruptive companies, said: “Much like Shopify revolutionised e-commerce with its versatile platform, Recast is set to transform digital content monetisation and distribution.
“This transformation is supported by Recast’s advanced smart payment platform and micro-payment wallet, which offer a level of flexibility and immediacy akin to PayPal. With our extensive knowledge and experience in the media sector, we are confident that Recast has developed the right product at the right time.”
Airstream Ventures, which was founded by Gavin Petken, former head of investments at Business Growth Fund (BGF), and Ed Woodward, former executive vice-chairman of Manchester United, have also bolstered their initial investment.
Having first been founded as a destination streaming platform with leading payment technology, Recast’s solution now integrates into media owners’ own digital destinations.
Andy Meikle, CEO of Recast, said: “Our fundamental belief has always been to ensure universal access to content while ensuring fair and immediate value exchange for everyone involved.
“However, our approach has evolved. What began as a streaming service has now transformed into a dynamic fintech platform for the entire media industry. At the heart of what we do is making it as simple as possible for media owners to quickly generate revenue and capture meaningful data without the acquisition costs, while consumers enjoy seamless and affordable access to content.
“With Cooleys’ legal prowess, Airstream Ventures’ deep connections in sports, media, and entertainment and Morpheus Ventures’ impressive track record, experience, and extensive network, particularly in the US, I know we have the right strategic ingredients to realise our vision.”
The incoming Recast board is set to be composed of Andy Meikle, Joseph Miller of Morpheus Ventures, and Gavin Petken of Airstream Ventures, along with several independent industry and sector experts, including Scott Guglielmino, COO X-Games, and Drew Larner, founding CEO of Rdio.
Glasgow’s first Venture Studio, dedicated to developing innovation-driven enterprises, has been launched by the Glasgow City Innovation District (GCID).
The project is supported by Glasgow City Council and funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The GCID Venture Studio, in a pilot phase until 2025, will help founders based within Glasgow City to develop new ideas, products, and business models into high-growth companies, whilst supporting social innovation and community benefits.
The programme involves assembling teams of founders, designers, developers, and other experts within the studio to create, validate, build, and scale new business ideas.
Four pillars of activity are designed to support the needs of Glasgow’s digital, tech, engineering, and creative sectors: Challenge, Make, Innovate, and Impact, and a series of programmes will be delivered where multiple projects and different businesses collaborate.
The first call is Challenge — Space Data for Industry that offers grant funding for Glasgow City-registered businesses selling or utilising innovative solutions that use space data to further collaborations with existing or potential customers.
Led by GCID, the Challenge is in partnership with Scottish Enterprise’s mission programme team with support from the University of Strathclyde’s Space group and the West of Scotland Space Cluster, with successful companies receiving grants of up to £30,000 to deliver a service or product with space data at its core.
Applications for funding will be followed by workshops and focus groups to test the Challenges and develop proposals with up to six awards being made. All successful projects will be expected to apply for larger rounds of funding to continue the work carried out as part of the Challenge.
Director of GCID, Alisdair Gunn, said: “The funding for the Venture Studio will support the development of innovation-driven businesses, products, and services, to create a leading international innovation hub at the centre of Glasgow City Innovation District for new product creation and collaboration which will support the future growth of Glasgow’s tech ecosystem.
“We’re excited to issue the first call for businesses to take part in the Challenge pillar, which is focused on Space.”
GCID, Scotland’s first innovation district, is a collaboration between the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, and Entrepreneurial Scotland.
Jane Martin, managing director of innovation and investment at Scottish Enterprise, also commented: “Working with businesses and partners such as universities and local authorities to create environments that encourage innovation will help us achieve our aim of doubling the number of scaleups in Scotland over the next ten years.
“The launch of the Venture Studio and the Space Data for Industry Challenge is an important step in that direction. The Challenge itself has the potential to unlock opportunities for space data companies with existing and new clients both domestically and internationally.”
The funding to support the scaling of inclusive innovation-led development initiatives follows on from the £33 million Innovation Accelerator Pilot investment awarded to the Glasgow City Region.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, people, and skills.
A new survey from Gartner, the global technological research and consulting firm, has discovered that 64% of customers would prefer companies not use artificial intelligence (AI) in their customer service.
Further, just over half (53%) of customers would consider switching to a competitor if they found out a company was going to use AI for customer service.
Conducted in December 2023 on a pool of 5,728 customers, Gartner’s survey revealed that while customer service leaders are eager to adopt AI, the people who would be directly interacting with it remain concerned about AI’s usage within customer services.
“Sixty percent of customer service and support leaders are under pressure to adopt AI in their function,” said Keith McIntosh, senior principal, research, in the Gartner Customer Service & Support practice. “But they can’t ignore concerns about AI use, especially when it could mean losing customers.”
What Are Customers’ Top Concerns?
According to the survey, the top concern that customers have about AI in customer service is that it will get more difficult to reach a person (60%), followed by AI displacing jobs (46%), and AI providing the wrong answers (42%).
Customer data being less secure (34%) and AI biases not treating customers equally (25%) were also highlighted as concerns by the respondents.
“Once customers exhaust self-service options, they’re ready to reach out to a person,” explained McIntosh. “Many customers fear that GenAI will simply become another obstacle between them and an agent. The onus is on service and support leaders to show customers that AI can streamline the service experience.”
“Service organizations must build customers’ trust in AI by ensuring their GenAI capabilities follow the best practices of service journey design,” stated McIntosh. “Customers must know the AI-infused journey will deliver better solutions and seamless guidance, including connecting them to a person when necessary.
“For example, AI-infused chatbots must communicate to the customer that they will connect them to an agent in the event that the AI cannot provide a solution. It must then seamlessly transform into an agent chat that picks up where the chatbot left off. This way, the customer can trust that they will be able to efficiently find their solution while using the AI-infused channel.”
DIGIT last reported on AI and customer service last month, after the CCMA (Call Centre Management Association) published its related findings.
It found that less than one third (30%) of consumers believe AI will have a positive impact on customer service overall; in fact, 44% thought AI might negatively impact the customer experience due to a lack of human interaction.
Simul8, the Glasgow-based software specialist, is working with NHS Boards and Trusts on process optimisation initiatives, ranging from patient scheduling in oncology units to patient flow through fertility departments, modelling maternity services, and optimising trauma and orthopaedic wards.
An ageing population and COVID-19’s aftermath are just two of the reasons why waiting lists hit an all-time high in September 2023, when approximately 7.8 million people were waiting for hospital treatment.
According to the latest NHS England data, and as of March 2024, that figure is down to 7.5 million people waiting—but 43% of those have been on a list for more than 18 weeks.
Laura Reid, CEO at Simul8, said: “Our healthcare system is under extreme pressure and millions of people are waiting for potentially lifesaving treatments. Sadly, there’s no silver bullet to solving the backlog issue but we should be using every available option to improve the situation.
“Technology has a critical role to play in the future of healthcare in the UK. Our software is already making a difference and we’re extremely proud of that, but we want to do more. Simulation-powered digital twins remove bottlenecks and improve efficiency, which is exactly what the system needs.”
In an environment like a hospital, where situations can change at a moment’s notice, simulation-powered digital twin technology is useful in deciding where resources should be allocated to ensure the system isn’t overburdened and struggling to meet capacity.
One project run by change management specialists, Changeology, used Simul8’s simulation-powered digital twins to redesign a patient scheduling system for a cancer care unit.
Simul8’s technology helped the unit save £15,000 a month and more importantly reduced patient wait times by over 50% and improved nursing staff’s experiences—and received a Health Service Journal (HSJ) Silver Award for Best Healthcare Analytics Project for the NHS.
The tech is also helping to optimise processes for IVF treatment and cardiovascular surgery at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.
The Trust uses the software to analyse staffing levels, the number of procedures in each process and the equipment and people needed to complete them in the desired timeframe. It enables senior leaders to plan resources effectively which leads to an enhanced quality of service and better patient outcomes.
“Healthcare is a topic close to my heart. It’s where I started my career and to think our technology is helping solve some of the issues the system faces fills me with pride,” Reid continued.
“The beauty of what we offer is that it removes risk. Making changes to the simulation does not affect real life or have financial implications. It’s a test environment, enabling stakeholders to determine the best way to improve processes that can be transitioned to the live environment and benefit patients.”
A device created by Emblation, the Scottish healthtech firm, has helped a diabetic sufferer who was on the cusp of having both legs amputated below the knee.
Medics in Wales were only a few hours away from sanctioning the drastic surgery after Barry Mayled’s feet were plagued by “horrific” ulcers which steadily worsened—despite extensive and varied treatments.
At the 11th hour, the Welshman’s legs were saved, thanks to microwave treatment technology for skin lesions that helped revolutionise the podiatry sector.
Mr. Mayled, 73, an architect and garden designer from Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan, paid tribute to the Swift® device, invented by Stirling-based Emblation.
“It saved my life,” he said. “I’m still working and I’m on building sites and everything, and without my legs, that would have been the end of it. As a sole practitioner, my career would have ended if the amputations were carried out.
“At one point I was in hospital surrounded by medics and things were so bad that the main surgeon was just shaking his head. There was pretty much nothing left to try and it was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ my legs would have to be amputated below the knees.”
Leg amputations are a notorious complication of diabetes, which can cause reduced blood flow and nerve damage in the lower limbs. As a result, wounds, ulcers, and infections can become gangrenous.
In Mr. Mayled’s case, a simple verruca got out of control when the relatively harmless lesion became infected and ulcerated. It proved resistant to multiple treatments over four years. It then spread to both feet, with painful growths leaving him nearly unable to walk.
As a last resort, a podiatrist embarked on a treatment with Swift®, which uses targeted low energy doses of microwaves to stimulate the immune system. After monthly treatments over a year, his feet were completely healed—a process captured in a series of photographs.
Barry underwent seven individual applications of the Swift® microwave treatment between July 2022 to April 2023, on five areas of his right foot and three on his left.
Swift® was developed in 2016 by scientists Gary Beale and Eamon McErlean who met while studying at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University and went on to launch parent company, Emblation, which has its headquarters in Stirling.
Its device has been backed by healthtech investors and has been rolled out by podiatrists across the globe to treat verruca and plantar warts with over 350,000 treatments carried out to date.
The technology is also undergoing medical testing to establish its efficacy in treating a host of other conditions including precancerous and cancerous lesions like Basal Cell Carcinoma. The Emblation team believe it will eventually revolutionise treatment across multiple conditions.
Gary Beale, CEO of Emblation, said: “Barry’s story is truly inspiring and highlights the transformative capability of our Swift® microwave therapy. Cases like this motivate us to continue innovating and raising awareness so that more patients can access and benefit from this game-changing technology.”
In the first six months of 2024, hackers have stolen around $1.38 billion (£1.07bn) in crypto—which is twice as much as was taken in the first half of 2023, when roughly $657m (£512m) was pilfered.
TRM Labs’ threat intelligence team uncovered that a handful of larger attacks significantly contributed to the overall sum, with the five top exploits and hacks equating to 70% of the total stolen.
The analysts specifically highlighted that private key and seed phrase compromises—as well as smart contract exploits and flash loan attacks—remain the most prominent attack vectors for those looking to take crypto, with many tokens having recently risen in value.
Speaking to Reuters, Ari Redbord, the global head of policy at TRM Labs, said: “While we have not seen any fundamental changes in the security of the cryptocurrency ecosystem, we have seen a significant increase in the value of various tokens – from bitcoin to ETH (ether) and Solana – compared to the same time last year.”
In terms of instances of larger crypto losses this year, one concerns DMM Bitcoin, a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange. At the tail end of May, it was revealed that around 4,500 bitcoin—equating to roughly $300 million, or £233m—had been lost in an “unauthorised leak.”
The ins and outs of what happened, exactly, aren’t publicly known. However, TRM Labs’ analysts have suggested that “potential vectors include stolen private keys or address poisoning—a tactic wherein attackers send tiny amounts of cryptocurrency to a victim’s wallet to create fake transaction histories, potentially confusing users into sending funds to the wrong address in future transactions.”
Another recently-published study, this one from Certik, the blockchain monitoring company, had also found that Web3 cybersecurity cases led to the loss of around $1.1bn in crypto already this year.
The firm’s research revealed that Ethereum was the most targeted blockchain so far in 2024 with 222 incidents, totalling $315m (£246m) in resulting losses.
Scottish first minister John Swinney welcomed Sir Keir Starmer to Bute House this weekend, on one of his first engagements following his appointment as the new UK prime minister.
Following an introductory telephone call on Friday, the two leaders met in Edinburgh to discuss their joint commitment on working collaboratively on areas of shared interest.
They discussed a range of issues and areas where both governments could work together, including advancing the Scottish government’s core priorities of eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, prioritising net zero, and the delivery of effective public services, among other topics.
Deputy first minister Kate Forbes and the new secretary of state for Scotland Ian Murray joined the first minister and prime minister for the talks.
“I believe there is an opportunity for collaborative working that can make a difference to people’s lives and I hope to work with Sir Keir’s new government to deliver progress for the benefit of people in Scotland,” said first minister John Swinney.
“Following our talks, I am confident we have established the foundation for a productive relationship between our two governments based on renewed respect for the devolution settlement,” he continued.
In response, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC)—the Scottish business network representing over 12,000 members—has welcomed these discussions, and called for a similar proactive partnership with Scottish businesses.
SCC chief executive Dr Liz Cameron CBE said: “We are encouraged that in the first few days of government, we have had a positive meeting between the new PM Sir Keir Starmer and FM John Swinney as well as the new secretary of state for Scotland Ian Murray MP’s pledge to govern for the whole of the country and deliver economic growth and opportunity for every corner of the four nations.
“Resetting the relationship between Westminster and Holyrood can only benefit voters and businesses across Scotland.”
“We hope our early optimism regarding a more collaborative approach is rewarded with urgent action and a pro-active partnership with business to deliver much needed jobs and more wealth into everyone’s pockets,” Dr Cameron added.
“Confidence in our new government will depend on that.”
In its 15-point action plan released just before the general election, the SCC advocated for a Joint Economic Growth Board to be established to oversee a programme of pro-enterprise and pro-growth policies, among other business- and economy-focused measures.
“As Scotland’s leading business organisation with 12,000 members we want a seat at that table to ensure our voice is heard and our priorities recognised,” added Dr Cameron.
“Labour has said economic growth is at the heart of its drive to create prosperity and that can’t be done without working closely with the business community to help deliver the most pro-growth policies to turbo-charge investment, innovation, and job creation.”
New light on the function of the oldest known analogue computer, the Antikythera mechanism, has been cast by researchers at the University of Glasgow.
The researchers used statistical modelling techniques, developed to analyse gravitational waves, to establish the likely number of holes in one of the broken rings of the Antikythera mechanism—an ancient artefact showcased in the recent Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny film.
While the movie version helped the intrepid archaeologist to travel through time, the Glasgow team’s results provide fresh evidence that one of the components of the Antikythera mechanism was most likely used to track the Greek lunar year.
The mechanism was discovered in 1901 by divers exploring a sunken shipwreck near the Aegean island of Antikythera. Though the shoebox-sized mechanism had broken into fragments and eroded, it quickly became clear that it contained a complex series of gears which were unusually intricately tooled.
Decades of subsequent research and analysis have established that the mechanism dates from the second century BCE, and functioned as a kind of hand-operated mechanical computer.
Exterior dials connected to the internal gears allowed users to predict eclipses, and calculate the astronomical positions of planets on any given date with an accuracy unparalleled by any other known contemporary device.
In 2020, new X-ray images of one of the mechanism’s rings, known as the calendar ring, revealed fresh details of regularly-spaced holes that sit beneath the ring.
Since the ring was broken and incomplete, however, it wasn’t clear just how many holes there were originally. Initial analysis by Antikythera researcher Chris Budiselic and colleagues suggested it was likely somewhere between 347 and 367.
Now, in a new paper published in the Horological Journal, the Glasgow researchers describe how they used two statistical analysis techniques to reveal new details about the calendar ring.
They show that the ring is vastly more likely to have had 354 holes, corresponding to the lunar calendar, than 365 holes, which would have followed the Egyptian calendar. The analysis also shows that 354 holes is hundreds of times more probable than a 360-hole ring, which previous research had suggested as a possible count.
Dr Joseph Bayley, a co-author of the paper, is a research associate at the School of Physics & Astronomy. He said: “Previous studies had suggested that the calendar ring was likely to have tracked the lunar calendar, but the dual techniques we’ve applied in this piece of work greatly increase the likelihood that this was the case.
“It’s given me a new appreciation for the Antikythera mechanism and the work and care that Greek craftspeople put into making it – the precision of the holes’ positioning would have required highly accurate measurement techniques and an incredibly steady hand to punch them.
Professor Graham Woan, a fellow co-author and also of the School of Physics & Astronomy, added: “It’s a neat symmetry that we’ve adapted techniques we use to study the universe today to understand more about a mechanism that helped people keep track of the heavens nearly two millennia ago.
“We hope that our findings about the Antikythera mechanism, although less supernaturally spectacular than those made by Indiana Jones, will help deepen our understanding of how this remarkable device was made and used by the Greeks.”
Generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, will have the most effect on forecast/budget variance explanations (66%), the survey’s respondents believe.
“Forecast and budget variance explanation as the top choice reflects the availability of embedded GenAI interfaces within business intelligence tools,” explained Clement Christensen, senior director analyst, research, in Gartner’s finance practice.
“This enables users to perform natural language queries to quickly assess known common causes of variance.”
Respondents then anticipate revenue/spend data classification (44%) and management reports (34%) as the next most impactful use cases.
These are then followed by financial/regulatory reporting draft creation (30%); contract and document review (29%); competitor research and analysis (25%); coding assistance (25%); finance support staff response augmentation (17%); translation of policies (15%); and generation and interpretation of policies (15%).
When it comes to potential challenges around implementing GenAI, finance leaders expect to contend with issues around talent, data accuracy and governance, technical compatibility, budgeting and change management, in particular.
Data accuracy and talent limitations cause slightly more concern, the technological research and consulting firm noted, although the fairly even distribution of other potential barriers reiterates financial leaders’ relatively limited experience with GenAI.
“GenAI is all about large language models, but the core of finance’s work isn’t in natural language, it’s in numbers, so many finance leaders are still waiting to see a GenAI application that can reliably handle complex calculations,” said Christensen.
“For most finance teams, GenAI will likely be an interface to interact with other AI models based on machine learning, or other non-generative models for the next few years.”
Gartner advised that finance leaders seeking to adopt GenAI in their function should keep an open mind and involve key stakeholders, including the finance leadership and IT teams, to discuss priorities and expectations.
Further, they should also identify when to approach vendors to determine which GenAI offerings are worth acquiring for the organisation’s needs.
Finally, CFOs should audit critical data with respective owners before implementation, to decide what modifications must be implemented for use by a GenAI model.
In its new Digital Health Survey, Zoho—the global technology company—has found that 71% of UK firms are struggling to retain customers while facing huge challenges in delivering an excellent customer experience (CX).
Around four fifths (79%) of respondents were unable to rate their CX innovation as excellent, despite 43% seeing improved customer experience as the top benefit of digital transformation.
Those found to have good digital health (43%) are more likely than those with average digital health (19%) or poor digital health (11%) to rate their CX as excellent, demonstrating the positive impact of digitisation.
The survey also found that, despite a comprehensive market of customer-focused technology, the biggest issues cited were technology rather than people-related.
Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) reported that not being able to see the entire customer journey across all touchpoints and departments is negatively impacting CX.
Almost a fifth (17%) say they do not have the right software in place to be able to deliver good CX.
Meanwhile, 12% say that not being able to collaborate easily across the business impacts CX.
Poor leadership (15%) and not having a strong customer support team (15%) are two other factors cited as obstacles to delivering successful CX.
With an understanding of how critical CX is to success, 97% of UK business respondents cited that they plan to invest more in CX in the next year.
Almost three in five (58%) are planning to invest more in artificial intelligence (AI) as part of CX investments in the next year, too.
However, for those with good digital health, this rises dramatically to 81%.
Half (50%) are also planning to invest in CX through customer support software, and almost two fifths (39%) are planning to invest in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
Speaking on the survey findings, Sachin Agrawal, managing director at Zoho UK commented: “Customer experience is the lifeblood of any company today – it is no longer just a ‘nice-to-have’.
“An excellent experience can drive improved retention, loyalty, and advocacy, which are critical.
“It is clear from the findings that more needs to be done to not only drive further use of technology to help, but to educate on the right strategy to make a positive impact.”
To uncover these findings, 1,531 senior digital transformation decision-makers in firms with 25 plus employees were surveyed across the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
The UK sample consists of 306 senior digital transformation decision-makers, split evenly across small, medium, and large businesses.
Ember, the UK’s first all-electric intercity bus operator, has increased its fleet of zero emission coaches with a loan totalling £5.6 million from Triodos Bank UK, the ethical bank.
The transport startup launched in Scotland in 2020, with two coaches operating its first route between Edinburgh and Dundee.
Today, Ember’s network also includes services to destinations including Glasgow, Stirling, and Kinross.
The purchase of an additional 14 coaches will take its total fleet to 38 vehicles, helping provide more passenger trips every week and scale its route network further.
In addition to expanding its route, the company has made significant improvements to its coaches since it first launched, increasing passenger spaces from 38 to 53 and tripling luggage capacity.
Ember’s vehicles now provide 5G WiFi access, while its operating system EmberOS offers real-time route information to passengers and onboard temperature controls for comfortability.
To support its expanding services, the company is increasing its charging capacity by launching multiple new charging hubs around Scotland.
The loan from Triodos marks the latest support Ember has received from the bank.
A £490k loan under the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) helped Ember to buy its first two coaches, and the bank has since provided £4.7m through CBILS and the government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS).
Alongside the loan from Triodos, Ember has also received funding for the new coaches from Transport for Scotland using the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZeb).
Speaking on the new loan, Keith Bradbury, who’s a co-founder at Ember, commented: “Triodos have been with us from the very start of Ember and have adapted their approach as we’ve scaled the business, taking a deeper look into our long-term plans, and understanding what financial backing they could provide to support each phase.
“Whilst many banks say they are supporting green projects, Triodos stand out from the crowd with their ability to look at a project’s merits from first principles to understand the true impact it can deliver.”
Norrie Cruickshank, senior relationship manager at Triodos Bank UK, added: “Supporting the transition to a low carbon economy is an important objective for us as a bank and to work with a pioneering company in the electrification of transport is an ideal fit for us.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to provide further support as Ember continues to expand its provision of high quality, affordable zero-emission transport to a greater number of passengers across more locations.”
The last time DIGIT reported on Ember was back in March of this year, when the Scots operator secured £11 million in Series A funding.
The oversubscribed funding round was led by investment firms Inven Capital, 2150, and AENU, and also saw participation from existing investors Pale Blue Dot and SkyScanner co-founder Gareth Williams.
The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) has said that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) requires central banks to embrace the new technology.
It’s also urging policymakers to anticipate the effects of AI on the economy, and use it to sharpen their own analytic tools in pursuit of financial and price stability.
In a special chapter of its new BIS Annual Economic Report, it’s laid out the implications of new AI applications for central banks.
AI is poised to impact the financial system, labour markets, productivity, and economic growth.
With widespread adoption, AI could enhance firms’ ability to adjust prices faster in response to macro-economic changes with repercussions for inflation dynamics.
The jobs of central backs as stewards of the economy will also be directly affected as frontline users of AI tools.
Central bank uses cases for AI include enhancing nowcasting by using real-time data to better predict inflation and other economic variables, and to sift through data for financial system vulnerabilities.
Data has become an even more valuable resource with the advent of AI, and will be the cornerstone of central banks’ use of the technology, also said BIS.
In the financial sector, AI can also improve efficiencies and lower costs for payments, lending, insurance and asset management, the report outlined.
However, BIS cautioned that AI also introduces risks, such as new types of cyber-attacks, and may amplify existing ones—such as herding, runs, and fire sales.
Hyun Song Shin, head of research and economic adviser at the BIS, said: “New generation AI models have captured our collective imagination through their uncanny abilities, but they also have a direct bearing on how central banks do their jobs.
“Vast amounts of data could provide us with faster and richer information to detect patterns and latent risks in the economy and financial system.
“All this could help central banks predict and steer the economy better.”
Cecilia Skingsley, head of the BIS Innovation Hub—which is testing AI’s capabilities in several areas together with central bank partners—further added: “Central banks were early adopters of machine learning and are therefore well positioned to make the most of AI’s ability to impose structure on vast troves of unstructured data.”
According to new findings from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, digital apprentice numbers grew by 50% in 2023—but smaller UK businesses are struggling to hire more due to bureaucracy and funding challenges.
The BCS study, which includes a YouGov poll, found that two-thirds of businesses (66%) think digital apprenticeships are effective in addressing digitalskill gaps, though this is specifically in relation to the skills gap in England.
More than half (55%) said better financial incentives for employers would make it more attractive to them, alluding to the fact that further action is needed to alleviate some of the burden currently put on employers.
In particular, tax breaks or government grants would be a “huge motivator” to get more digital apprentices inside smaller organisations, the research revealed.
The 5% “co-funding” requirement for non-levy paying organisations to take on apprentices was also found to be a barrier. Removing it would reduce the disproportionate impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
In its Future of Digital Apprenticeships report, BCS added that the UK government’s Apprenticeship Levy—a tax paid by employers—should be protected, but the aspects that aren’t working should be removed.
Lucy Ireland, who serves as managing director of learning and development at BCS, commented on the issue: “Getting the digital apprentices we need over the next five years relies on convincing more SMEs to take them on, and they need both policy and financial support to do this.
“The next government has a generational opportunity to prevent significant digital skills shortages and drive forward technological innovation.
“Whilst universities are recruiting strongly to computing degrees, we need a diverse, inclusive range of pathways into the IT profession and the wider digital economy at all levels.
“That includes helping to re-skill the over 50s, who are also under-represented in tech jobs.”
A three-year contract worth £1.8 million has been awarded from the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) to MLL Telecom, the public sector managed network integrators, for a new software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN).
Set to be deployed by August this year, the integrated mixed carrier WAN solution is being established in all 54 of SCTS’s sites across Scotland.
MLL’s solution will support the facilitation of virtual hearings, remote juries, and the livestreaming of court proceedings, for example, as well as offer staff reliable connection to important admin-related applications.
The network features dual—rather than single—circuits, and firewalls from cybersecurity company Fortinet. MLL’s Network Operations Centre is set to monitor and assist the SD-WAN on a 24/7 basis.
The contract was offered after a competitive tender process, with increased resilience, security, and bandwidth availability all cited as high priorities—and in line with SCTS’s technical roadmap.
Speaking on MLL’s technology and the new contract, Mike Milligan, SCTS executive director of change and digital innovation, said: “MLL’s provision of a secure, reliable and high speed SD-WAN, matched the SCTS technical roadmap and design and will maximise our ability to support the courts and members of the public.
“The provision of this flexible and highly responsive service is designed to support the introduction of emerging digital capabilities that will benefit the entire justice system.”
Senior project manager at MLL, James Stamford, also added: “We are delighted to be providing SCTS with a modern high quality SD-WAN solution which is aligned to their requirements for ensuring a highly efficient, secure and reliable administrative services to the judiciaries of Scotland.
“This project brings the additional challenges of connecting many older, often listed buildings along with the remoteness of certain highland and island locations.
“MLL is therefore working very closely with our chosen carrier partners to ensure the smooth delivery of our proposed solution within a short timeframe.”
According to the new Fiverr Future Workforce Index, 83% of UK businesses are willing to pay a higher wage to those with AI skills amid hiring challenges, with many moving their search away from full-time staff.
While 80% of UK businesses are planning to make new hires in the next six months, over 4 in 10 have found finding full-time, permanent new hires this year to be difficult.
In light of this, 93% of businesses will consult the support of freelancers and self-employed solopreneurs, particularly for AI skills and tasks (32%), that they do not have the skills for in-house.
However, as business decision-makers believe there are significant growth opportunities for freelancers in the UK market, freelancers are still facing challenges with late payments and integration into companies.
Fiverr’s latest Index, which surveyed around 2,200 workers, decision-makers, and freelancers, continues to show how the make-up of the UK workforce is evolving away from full-time, 9-5 workers.
Traditional full-time workers now make up just 55% of the workforce of the average UK company’s staff, a decrease of 5% compared to last year.
As businesses become increasingly reliant on part-time employees and freelancers, they now make up 45% of the average company’s workforce, including 22% of freelancers and self-employed workers—54% of whom are learning AI skills this year.
Freelancers and self employed say ‘prospects damaged’ by Conservative government, with Labour offering hope
Despite the UK now being home to over 4.25 million freelancers and self-employed workers, many feel unsupported by the UK government.
60% believe the current Conservative government has damaged their prospects but with the General Election on the horizon, freelancers have some hope.
Nearly half (47%) believe that the Labour government will help their situation, compared to 16% who disagree.
Off-payroll working rules such as IR35 have caused more harm than good. Over half (51%) of freelancers believe tax laws have put businesses’ off working with them, and 47% say IR35 is damaging for freelancers.
Little has been done to tackle late payments, with late payments cited as the main barrier to becoming a freelancer (for 37%) and unrealistic demands and deadlines (29%)
Businesses are willing to pay a premium for AI-skills
Whilst 8 in 10 UK businesses are looking to hire in 2024, decision-makers say they are experiencing hiring challenges.
Nearly half (48%) in the UK said low skilled talent was their number one barrier to hiring the right workers this year.
In a rush to innovate around AI and attract the right talent to do so, the average UK business decision-maker would offer a 45% increase on an advertised salary for AI skills, and many are moving away from just seeking full-time hires.
93% of businesses are seeking freelancers and self-employed workers, with AI skills being the most highly sought after (32%).
UK workforce shifting towards flexibility
But something is broken—only 50% of full-time workers feel very productive at work and 47% have experienced burnout in the past 12 months. Is more flexible work the answer?
45% of workers would like their companies to offer them flexible hours, and 39% would like a 4-day week. On the other side, UK companies are working with freelancers more than ever with 48% of UK businesses integrating them into their existing workforce.
The top reasons why business leaders are working with freelancers is to take advantage of flexible working hours (35%) and a specific skill set that may not exist in their current team (32%).
Speaking on this year’s research, Bukki Adedapo, international expansion leader at Fiverr, commented: “Findings from our UK Workforce Index show that the needs of UK companies – particularly around AI skills – can no longer be fulfilled solely by full time workers.
“As such, we are seeing more and more businesses turning to highly skilled ‘solopreneurs’ who are upskilling at a faster rate.
“However, only around a third (32%) of UK full time workers feel fulfilled when it comes to the upskilling opportunities within their business.
“Businesses cannot hope to fill the AI skills gap and innovate without a strategy of bringing highly skilled workers in, but also training within their organisations ensuring full time staff do not fall behind.”
The European Commission has accused tech giant Apple of being in breach of its Digital Markets Act (DMA), a law to make the “digital sector fairer and more contestable.”
The Commission has informed Apple of its preliminary view that its App Store rules don’t comply with the DMA, as they prevent app developers from freely steering customers to alternative channels for offers and content.
Under the DMA, developers distributing apps via Apple’s App Store should be able to, free of charge, inform their customers of alternative cheaper purchasing possibilities, steer them to those, and allow them to make purchases.
The Commission, which is the executive body of the European Union, said that Apple currently has three sets of business terms governing its relationship with app developers, including the App Store’s steering rules.
According to the Commission, it has preliminary found that: none of these business terms allow developers to freely steer their customers; Apple allows steering only through “link-outs,” e.g. include a redirecting link in their app where the customer can conclude a contract, but the link-out process is subject to several restrictions; and that whilst Apple can receive a fee for facilitating the initial acquisition of a new customer by developers via the App Store, the fees charged go beyond what’s strictly necessary.
Apple now has the possibility to exercise its rights of defence by examining the documents in the Commission’s investigation file, and replying in writing.
If the Commission’s preliminary views were to be confirmed, none of Apple’s three sets of business terms would comply with the DMA’s rules.
Following confirmation of its preliminary views, the Commission would then adopt a non-compliance decision within 12 months from the opening of proceedings on 25 March 2024.
In case of an infringement, the Commission can impose fines up to 10% of the company in question’s total worldwide turnover.
In addition to today’s preliminary view, the Commission has also opened a new non-compliance procedure against Apple.
This is over concerns that its new contractual requirements for third-party app developers and app stores, including Apple’s new “Core Technology Fee,” fall short of ensuring effective compliance with Apple’s obligations under the DMA.
Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president in charge of competition policy, commented: “Today is a very important day for the effective enforcement of the DMA: we have sent preliminary findings to Apple.
“Our preliminary position is that Apple does not fully allow steering. Steering is key to ensure that app developers are less dependent on gatekeepers’ app stores and for consumers to be aware of better offers.
“We have also opened proceedings against Apple in relation to its so-called core technology fee and various rules for allowing third party app stores and sideloading. The developers’ community and consumers are eager to offer alternatives to the App Store.
“We will investigate to ensure Apple does not undermine these efforts.”
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Lord Kelvin, the University of Glasgow is hosting a series of events and opportunities for guests, members of the public, and academics coming from around the world.
Lord Kelvin became one of the 19th century’s most accomplished scientists, making breakthrough contributions to physics, engineering, and mathematics during his near life-long career at the University of Glasgow, where he enrolled at just ten years old.
The University of Glasgow’s events will shine a spotlight on the Scots-Irish scientist’s life of invention, innovation, and inspiration through a series of lectures, the display of historical items and records, and artistic interpretation.
Tomorrow, on June 25th, the Lord Kelvin: Beyond Absolute Zero exhibition will begin a two-week run at the University’s Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC).
The exhibition will showcase historical items including an antique Kelvin-designed voltmeter, one of the commercial products he created following his development of accurate methods of measuring electricity.
Through videos and text displays, visitors can learn about the scientist’s life and work, and some of his lesser-known achievements, including work on chirality, a scientific concept of molecular symmetry with important applications in biology.
Kelvin’s mathematical formula for the most efficient space-filling shape, which remained unsurpassed until 1993, is part of the inspiration for two new paintings created by Gregor Harvie in collaboration with researchers from the university’s School of Physics and Astronomy.
The large canvases—one filled with colour, and one monochrome—depict the universes of light and dark matter, each portraying an intricate grid of computer-modelled Kelvin cells inspired by Kelvin’s mathematical formula.
Professor Stephen Barnett, of the university’s Quantum Theory Group, collaborated with Harvie on discussions about the theory behind the paintings for more than a year.
He said: “Working with Gregor to produce these very striking paintings has been a fantastic experience, and I’m thrilled to see them on display at the university during our Kelvin bicentenary celebrations.
“Kelvin’s work across a wide range of disciplines helped in many ways to create the world we live in today. He made key contributions to laying the first transatlantic telegraph cable, leading directly to our ultra-connected world, and he was the first person to have his home lit entirely by electric light, showing the benefits of electricity.
“It’s wonderful to think that he’s continuing to provide inspiration not just for scientists but for artists too.”
On June 26th, the ARC will host the Kelvin Bicentenary Symposium, featuring speakers from the USA and UK presenting talks on how Kelvin’s work on precision measurement, thermodynamics, optics, and communications helped shape the modern world.
Later that day, The Hunterian will host Dr Daniel Mitchell of the IEEE History Centre for a lecture on Kelvin’s contributions to measurement and quantification.
A series of events between June 26th and July 9th will also showcase Kelvin-related items curated by the University of Glasgow Library and The Hunterian.
The two-part Collecting Kelvin events will allow visitors to the Library and Kelvin Hall the opportunity to see some of Kelvin’s records, documents, prototypes, and scientific instruments for themselves.
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: “Lord Kelvin is one of the key figures of the 573-year history of the University of Glasgow, and we’re proud to be celebrating his legacy during this bicentenary year.
“A true polymath who made vital contributions to a range of scientific disciplines during his life, he was also a pioneering businessman whose inventions helped drive forward the burgeoning industrial revolution.”
“We’re looking forward to welcoming guests, members of the public and colleagues from around the world onto campus during the week of the 200th anniversary of Kelvin’s birth to help us celebrate his achievements,” he added.
A smart baby wristband capable of round-the-clock monitoring of a child’s vital signs, with the abilities to send text alerts and raise alarms to the emergency services, has been developed by a Heriot-Watt academic and a student.
Electronics engineer and lecturer at Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, Dr Rula Sharqi, has spent 12 months working on the project, known as LittleGard, alongside fourth-year robotics engineering student Nakhul Kalaivanan.
Dr Sharqi had the idea for the smart wristband in 2018 while caring for two-year-old son who was suffering from a fever.
The frequent trips to and from her son’s room to check his temperature left Dr Sharqi, a single mother, drained and exhausted.
“A baby’s fever often worsens at night because everyone’s body temperature naturally rises in the evening,” she explained.
“This circadian rhythm, which regulates our body temperature throughout the day, causes temperatures to peak in the late afternoon and evening.
“As a result, any existing fever can seem more severe during these hours, making night-time monitoring particularly important for ensuring your baby’s wellbeing.
“But this can be exhausting for the parents, who often lose sleep.
“It was through my own terrible experience that I had the idea for a device capable of notifying me via text message, when my child’s temperature had risen beyond or below a safe level.”
The wristband monitors body temperature, oxygen levels, and pulse rate through a sequence of advanced nano sensors.
While similar products are available, the smart wristband is thought to be the first that can send monitoring alerts directly to parents, carers, medical professionals, and emergency services.
It’s fixed to a baby’s skin using a rubber material similar to what’s found on an Apple watch, helping to provide accurate readings.
It is also wireless and powered by a rechargeable battery that’s expected to last around six months between charges.
When vital readings breach a safe limit, an email and/or text is automatically sent to parents via an app.
There’s also an option to issue the same alert to a family doctor to ensure the health authorities receive real-time information in the event medical attention is required.
After building a successful, working prototype, the pair are now offering their idea for free to an industry partner with the capabilities of bringing the technology to market.
Kalaivanan, who’s in his final year studying BEng (Hons) in Robotics Autonomous and Interactive Systems, said: “With our wristband design, there won’t be any false readings as the sensors are placed directly onto the skin.
“It’s also a safe option as the device is battery powered and won’t overheat.
“We have used advanced sensors incorporated into our design and have built-in safeguards so that a message can always be sent in the event WiFi temporarily drops.
“Besides monitoring vital signs, this device has the unique feature of sending alarm SMS alerts to parents and even directly to 911 in case of emergencies.
“This ensures immediate response and support, providing an extra layer of security for the baby’s health and safety.”
New research from The Alan Turing Institute has highlighted how offshore wind farms—which are key for renewable energy moving forward—are vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
The remote location of wind farms means they’re especially at risk of cyber-attacks, as more digital infrastructure is required to communicate with their onshore systems.
A swathe of wind farms also rely on older communication and software systems, not designed with cybersecurity in mind.
The incorporation of more modern digital solutions alongside older, legacy infrastructure can further increase wind farms’ susceptibility to attack, too.
However, the Institute researchers found that AI and intelligent automation could be used to bolster these systems by helping their human operators to recognise threats to offshore wind.
A collaborative publication between The Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology (CETaS) and Data Centric Engineering (DCE) programme, the new research advocates ways in which policymakers and industry could help enhance the cybersecurity of offshore wind.
Key recommendations from the authors include: integrating AI in offshore digital systems, establishing attack response protocols, creating organisational response plans, and implementing cross-border intelligence sharing.
Successful cyber-attacks could lower the public’s trust in wind energy—and other forms of renewable energy—if disruption to critical services and power supplies happen.
A worst case scenario is potential cyber-attacks leading to power outages that leave critical services, not least hospitals, without the ability to function.
Lead researcher for CETaS and report author, Anna Knack, said: “As offshore wind becomes a larger part of the UK’s energy supply, it is essential that more is done to protect it from disruption and cyber-attacks.
“New regulation, innovative technical solutions and international collaboration across sectors will be crucial to making these systems more resilient in the future and ensuring the nation can safeguard its access to an important source of renewable energy.”
As it stands, the UK has more offshore wind capacity than any other nation, with offshore wind already accounting for around 13% of UK electricity production.
In 2023, offshore wind surpassed the portion of electricity produced by gas for the first time.
Dr Alexander Babuta, who’s director of CETaS, also commented: “The UK’s offshore wind production is set to significantly increase over the coming years. However, the more it becomes integrated into our energy supplies the greater the potential for serious disruption if it were to come under a cyber-attack.
“Incorporating AI into these systems is one way that cybersecurity could be improved. However, to make offshore wind more resilient we need to consider the robustness of the entire system, such as rapid power recovery, as well as eliminating cybersecurity threats.”
Waracle, the Scottish technology services company, has agreed a deal to acquire Screenmedia, the Glasgow-based design and software engineering agency, in a move to further develop its digital product development capability.
The acquisition pairs the 145-person team at Waracle—with expertise in mobile app, digital product development, and AI—with Screenmedia’s team of 60 to take Waracle to over 200 employees.
Waracle, which has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and London, is making the strategic move to bolster its digital product development and AI offerings, as the market evolves and the technology services industry focuses on AI and its impact on software development.
“We are ready for the new wave of AI-enhanced, intelligent customer experiences,” said Waracle CEO Chris Martin. “This is a strategic business decision to continue our growth. We reviewed what we needed to succeed going forward and this acquisition was a key part of the answer.”
Martin will be CEO of the new combined operation while Kenny Shaw will step back from day-to-day operations as Screenmedia becomes part of Waracle.
Screenmedia has worked with the likes of the BBC, NHS, and Next, and won a Bafta for Best Interactive Media; Waracle’s client base includes Lloyds Banking Group, Royal London, ScottishPower, and more.
The acquisition, which was made for an undisclosed sum, allows Waracle to branch into new sectors, adding retail, transportation, and third sector to their primary industries of health, energy, and financial services.
“This is the first step in our ambitious plans to grow by acquiring design and technology services agencies with complementary skillsets,” Martin said.
“We want to continue to employ talented technologists to solve our clients’ digital problems and be able to service changing client needs across the UK by covering a wider range of technologies like service design, artificial intelligence and sensors.”
Shaw also commented: “Waracle has an impressive track record across regulated industries and our team at Screenmedia have a broad cross-section of sector experience.
“I think our new, combined organisation will make us a formidable force in Scotland’s technology consultancy space
A new AI system that academics at the National Robotarium helped create counts flowers on fruit trees, helping farmers to predict harvest sizes months in advance and making crop yields more efficient, sustainable, and profitable.
Developed by the Scots researchers—as well as those in Chile and Spain—the system uses images taken with a standard smartphone to accurately estimate the number of flowers on a fruit tree by recognising patterns and features, such as the edges and shapes of petals.
When tested on peach orchards in Catalonia, Spain, the AI predicted flower counts with a 90% accuracy—a significant improvement on current manual methods used by farmers, such as counting by eye or taking area samples, which can have error rates of 30-50%.
By providing more precise yield forecasts up to six months before harvest, the system could help growers optimise water use, allocate human and economic resources more efficiently, and better plan harvesting and distribution logistics.
Researchers from the National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for robotics and AI based in Edinburgh, will validate the AI’s predictions against the actual peach harvest in September 2024.
If proven effective, they believe the approach could be adapted for other important crops like apples, pears, and cherries, benefit fruit growers in Britain, Europe, and beyond.
Fernando Auat Cheein is associate professor in robotics and autonomous systems at the National Robotarium. “In countries all across the world, farmers often rely on manual methods to estimate their yields, which can have a significant error margin,” he explained.
“By leveraging the power of AI and the convenience of off-the-shelf technology like smartphones, our approach seamlessly integrates with traditional farming practices, making it easier for growers to embrace and benefit from innovative solutions without overhauling their existing methods.
“Throughout the project, we worked closely with peach farmers in Spain to understand their challenges and ensure the system met their requirements. The farmers appreciated the simplicity and accuracy of the flower-counting AI, noting its potential to help them make more informed decisions about crop management, such as targeted pruning and herbicide application.
“By focusing their efforts on areas of the farm that are expected to yield the most fruit, farmers can optimise resources, reduce their environmental footprint, and maximise both the quantity and quality of their harvest.
“While our research has focused on peaches, the principles behind this technology could be applied to a wide range of fruit crops worldwide, including those grown in the UK.
“As part of the National Robotarium’s mission to use AI and robotics to drive sustainable and productive agriculture, we collaborate closely with industry partners to develop innovative solutions that tackle real-world challenges, aiming to create tangible benefits for farmers, society, and the environment alike.”
The research project has been developed by academics and researchers from the National Robotarium, the Advanced Center for Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Federico Santa Maria Technical University (Valparaiso, Chile) and Universidad Andres Bello (Chile).
The Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) is calling on all main political parties in the UK General Election to prioritise economic growth and job creation.
The SCC, which represents 12,000 businesses across all sectors, has published a 15-point action plan for the next UK government to achieve this.
It wants Westminster to establish a Joint Economic Growth Board—a partnership between business and government—within their first 100 days in office to oversee a programme of pro-enterprise and pro-growth policies.
Key priorities include a commitment to no new taxes or levies on business for the lifetime of the next parliament, investing in a Green Industrial Strategy, boosting global trade, developing a skilled workforce, and a detailed and just transition plan for the oil and gas sector.
Dr Liz Cameron CBE, director and chief executive of the SCC, said: “The country succeeds when business succeeds. That’s why we are urging the next UK government to work closely with the business community to deliver pro-growth policies to turbo-charge investment, innovation, and job creation.
“The economy is a top three issue for UK voters and the 12,0000 companies we represent are the drivers of economic growth and employ millions of people. We are calling for a clear focus on resolving the issues holding our economy back and stopping investment in jobs.
“Our 15-point policy plan means the next UK government can get to work on day one and give our members and our employees the confidence that the government backs business.”
The SCC wants the next UK government to increase business growth by:
Committing to no new UK taxes or levies on business for the lifetime of the next parliament.
Cutting the VAT rate for hospitality, leisure, and tourism sectors to boost spending, stimulate demand, and support footfall in towns and cities.
Reducing alcohol duty to ensure the flagship industry is competitive, supported to grow, export, and create jobs.
Restoring an internationally competitive, tax-free shopping incentive for overseas visitors.
Investing in new and existing innovation districts across Scotland’s cities as part of a new Industrial Strategy.
Accelerate investment by:
Introducing a Green Industrial Strategy to drive investment through incentives, green skills and enable technologies such as sustainable aviation fuel and Carbon Capture & Storage.
Implementing the Union Connectivity Review by boosting air and rail links between UK nations and regions.
Instilling confidence and unlocking investment in the oil and gas sector by committing to maintain investment allowances and future exploration, as well as considering ending the Windfall Tax.
Creating a detailed and just transition plan to net zero for the oil and gas sector, to protect jobs and investment as well as ensure energy security as we move to new sources of energy.
Funding the futureproofing of Scotland’s towns and cities, by investing in their resilience, growth, regeneration, and attractiveness to citizens, businesses, visitors, and investors.
Increasing exports by growing the number of exporting SMEs and improving access to the EU—the UK’s largest trading partner.
Prioritising and investing in air routes of strategic importance, including exporting and tourism routes.
Prioritise people and talent by:
Helping people transition successfully from Universal Credit into work, by increasing taper relief, boosting uptake of bootcamps, and providing high quality careers advice for job seekers, returners, and career changers.
Developing a skilled migration strategy to attract international talent, including tailoring for Scotland’s skills and working population needs.
Recognising the value of international students and retain the post-study visa, ensuring the UK is competitive with global higher education hubs.
Dr Cameron added: “Our members are clear that a Joint Economic Growth Board where business and UK government work in a meaningful, constructive partnership can unlock growth and help support struggling sectors. Each of those policy priorities can go a long way to deliver a strong platform for sustained growth and employment.”
Stirling-based nanomaterial producer iGii has secured £8.8 million in new funding to accelerate its growth.
Formerly known as Integrated Graphene, the company will use the funds to grow and scale customer projects, increase its manufacturing capacity, and deepen its research and development to explore further applications of its patented Gii™ material.
iGii also plans to expand its facilities and continue creating highly-skilled local jobs.
The latest funding round was led by a £4m injection from the Scottish National Investment Bank, with a further £4.8m from existing shareholders Archangels and Par Equity, both of which first invested in the business in 2020.
It follows Jean-Christophe Granier joining the business as CEO in September 2023 to enhance its commercial performance.
Gii™ is a 3D foam made from carbon atoms. It combines the desirable physical properties of graphene, such as sensitivity, flexibility, and conductivity, without its scale-up and mass application challenges.
It’s also an environmentally sustainable material as it is manufactured using a proven low-energy and chemical-free process, producing minimal waste and making the material more cost effective than traditional sensing materials, such as gold.
The cash injection will help iGii scale manufacturing of Gii-Sens™, its highly-sensitive and accurate component for point-of-care diagnostic sensors.
The firm said that this application of Gii™ is experiencing strong demand globally due to its ability to deliver precise, laboratory-level results for a range of illnesses and indicators of illness, such as cancers, pathogens, and liver and heart failure.
The company will also deepen its R&D into other applications of Gii™, targeting improved performance for water and food quality sensors, agricultural sensors, and battery storage.
A recent collaboration with the University of Bath used Gii-Sens™ to underpin a new battery-free sensor for testing lactic acid in athletes.
This opens up the possibility for an easy-to-use sensor that is available in remote locations—such as an athletics track—without the need for electricity-powered sensing equipment.
Speaking on the new funding, Granier, the chief executive officer at iGii, commented: “We are laser-focused on bringing our revolutionary Gii™ technology to markets, with immediate and significant opportunities in the healthcare sector.
“This additional funding will enable us to accelerate ongoing customer projects and invest in our reel-to-reel manufacturing capabilities to deliver commercial quantities of Gii™ worldwide for our customers.”
IBM and The All England Lawn Tennis Club have announced a new feature for the Wimbledon digital experience that will leverage match data with generative AI from IBM’s AI and data platform, watsonx, to keep fans updated on player progresss as they advance through the Championships.
The new “Catch Me Up” feature displays pre- and post-match player cards with AI-generated player stories and analysis via wimbledon.com and the Wimbledon 2024 App. Player cards will be personalised based on user preferences and data such as their location and myWimbledon profile, starting with their favourite players.
Pre-match content will include analysis of recent performance and likelihood to win predictions, and post-match it will include key statistics and highlights. The feature will also create longer-form daily summaries of play.
“Catch Me Up” was built using IBM’s Granite large language model (LLM) to provide AI-generated text using the capabilities of the watsonx platform. The model has been trained on the Wimbledon editorial style and will be monitored by the All England Club.
The new feature is designed to help Wimbledon scale its content to both new and existing tennis fans globally, as well as provide fans access to timelier, curated coverage across singles matches—which are often happening simultaneously.
This year, Wimbledon will also use generative AI to provide coverage of a broader range of matches than was previously available, including wheelchair events. This will form part of a redesigned digital match centre, known as IBM Slamtracker, available on the Wimbledon App and wimbledon.com.
Majority of tennis fans surveyed positive about AI
The announcement comes as new research from IBM and Morning Consult revealed that 55% of tennis fans surveyed think AI will have a positive impact on sports.
When considering how generative AI could improve their experience, these respondents prioritised real-time updates (36%), personalised content (31%), and unique insights (30%).
Approximately one-third (31%) of global tennis fans surveyed use multiple devices while watching sporting events, primarily to get more information, watch multiple matches at the same time, and interact with other fans.
In addition, nearly half (47%) of them engage with additional content on tennis daily or weekly and rank summarisation and personalisation as the two most important features of sports content.
Chris Clements, digital products lead at the All England Club, said: “We are committed to offering fans the highest quality Wimbledon experience, whether it’s in person or digitally.
“Generative AI allows us to scale our ability to provide different types of content for fans wherever they are in the world in a way that’s personalised for them.
“This year’s new Catch Me Up feature will make it easier for fans to follow the key storylines as they emerge throughout The Championships.”
Jonathan Adashek, senior vice president of marketing and communications for IBM, also commented: “The new Catch Me Up feature is an exciting example of how we can use the power of generative AI to deliver compelling, insight-driven storytelling at scale.
“For 35 years, IBM and Wimbledon have been co-creating solutions that make fans feel more connected to all the on-court action, and our new research confirms they are beginning to understand the positive impact technologies such as generative AI can have on their digital experiences.
“IBM is also putting these same technologies from our AI and data platform watsonx into the hands of clients worldwide, across nearly every sector, to address their unique business needs.”
Meta has delayed plans to train its large language models (LLMs) using public Facebook and Instagram content posted adults in Europe following requests from regulators.
Last Monday, the social media giant announced its plans to expand its generative artificial intelligence features—which includes the Meta AI assistant—and the models underpinning them to Europe.
However, to “properly serve our European communities,” the company said that the LLMs “need to be trained on relevant information that reflects the diverse languages, geography and cultural references of the people in Europe who will use them.”
Adults’ public posts, public comments, and public photos and their captions would be used for training, the company said, and reiterated that peoples’ private messages with family and friends are not used to develop its AI systems.
Although the Big Tech company had been in consultation with—and incorporated feedback from—the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), its lead privacy regulator in the EU, the DPC has requested Meta to delay its training.
In an update confirming the delay, the social media giant said that it’s “disappointed by the request,” and that it’s a “step backwards for European innovation, competition in AI development and further delays bringing the benefits of AI to people in Europe.”
“We remain highly confident that our approach complies with European laws and regulations. AI training is not unique to our services, and we’re more transparent than many of our industry counterparts,” the company continued.
As well as the DPC, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)—the UK’s privacy regulator—also requested that Meta put a pause on the plans.
Meta said that specific requests from the ICO will also be addressed during this delay.
Speaking on Meta’s decision to halt training, Stephen Almond, executive director of regulatory risk at the ICO, commented: “We are pleased that Meta has reflected on the concerns we shared from users of their service in the UK, and responded to our request to pause and review plans to use Facebook and Instagram user data to train generative AI.
“In order to get the most out of generative AI and the opportunities it brings, it is crucial that the public can trust that their privacy rights will be respected from the outset.”
The DPC also remarked: “The DPC welcomes the decision by Meta to pause its plans to train its large language model using public content shared by adults on Facebook and Instagram across the EU/EEA.
“This decision followed intensive engagement between the DPC and Meta. The DPC, in co-operation with its fellow EU data protection authorities, will continue to engage with Meta on this issue.”
Scottish independent broadband provider GoFibre has reached a new milestone, with over 100,000 homes and businesses now being able to connect to its ultra-fast broadband network.
Dedicated to closing the digital divide in Scotland, the provider delivers full-fibre to rural and harder-to-research locations.
The news follows what the firm called “significant growth” over the last 18 months, which has subsequently led to network expansion.
As of June 2024, the provider’s full-fibre network is able to service more than 100,000 premises, across Scottish as well as northern English regions, including:
Aberdeenshire: 9,600 premises.
Angus: 12,200 premises.
Fife: 23,500 premises.
East Lothian and Midlothian: 21,500 premises.
Scottish Borders: 23,900 premises.
North Northumberland: 11,200 premises.
Durham-Teesdale: 3,700 premises.
While the median average internet speed in the UK is 73.21 megabits per second (Mbps), as of 2023, GoFibre’s full-fibre connection provides speeds of more than double this in its entry-level package.
Speaking on the new milestone, Neil Conaghan, chief executive officer at GoFibre, said: “We are proud to have reached this significant milestone in such a short length of time, because that means we’ve been able to make a positive impact on even more lives and businesses quicker.
“In today’s digital world, where online activity is ever-increasing, a reliable high-speed broadband connection is essential and not having it in place can really hold people and businesses back from reaching their full potential.
“Our unwavering local focus and dedication to customers and local communities sets us apart. Scottish engineering and ingenuity has driven us to achieve this milestone, and has ensured that we can provide responsive, high-quality customer service from experts with local knowledge.
“This accomplishment firmly places us on the map as a major broadband provider in our regions, and we can’t wait to continue expanding our services, bringing high-quality connectivity to even more communities and customers.
“Our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction will drive us forward as we build on this success.”
In early 2022, GoFibre secured a commitment of £164 million from alternative asset manager Gresham House’s Sustainable Infrastructure strategy (BSIF), to accelerate its rollout of full-fibre throughout Scotland and the north of England.
In July 2023, the provider also launched the GoFurther Fund, to support charitable and community projects within the regions it operates.
Six months on from the initial funding to five local charities in East Lothian, Fife, and the Borders, the first share from the £50,000 fund has helped to support projects related to education and employability services, after-school support and activities, and more.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Scotland has set out its key election priorities for the next UK government to undertake to help support Scottish small businesses.
The publishing of FSB’s UK General Election Manifesto comes just weeks before the upcoming general election, and contains over 150 pro-business policy proposals.
Andrew McRae, policy chair for FSB Scotland, said that the July 4th poll was “vital for small firms north of the border, given the significant number of steps the next UK government can take to boost business.”
As part of its research, the lobbying organisation found that, in particular, 90% of small business owners are concerned that business taxes could rise under the next government.
Key actions the FSB believes the next UK government could take to support small businesses in Scotland are:
Increase and automatically uprate the Employment Allowance annually in line with any increases to the National Living Wage, to prevent stealth tax rises on employers as wages increase and to support small business employment.
Increase the VAT threshold to £100,000 and then uprate the threshold in line with inflation, removing a major barrier for growth for small businesses and recent startups, and introduce a smoothing mechanism for businesses when they grow above this threshold.
Provide greater protection for all small businesses in the energy market and extend the 14-day cooling off period available to domestic customers to all microbusinesses.
Commit to introduce Third Party Intermediaries regulation into the energy market to eliminate unethical practices in the sector and improve trust.
Return decision-making on shared prosperity funds to the devolved national government level to ensure better regional economic strategy when funding projects.
Back the British Business Bank with additional long-term public funding designed to leverage in more private finance and grant more flexibility to deliver on regional growth, net-zero, and innovation, and track where money is allocated in terms of size, protected characteristics and geography of small businesses.
Focus on reducing the number of individual steps or individual regulatory requirements small businesses must take to comply with regulations as a whole, in order to minimise the burden of compliance with legitimate regulatory goals.
Work constructively with devolved nations to ensure better procurement across the UK, so every nation can benefit from more open public sector supply chains.
Pilot a remote visa to benefit remote areas, such as the Highlands and Islands, in line with the Migration Advisory Committee recommendation.
Speaking on these actions, not least the ones related to taxes, McRae explained: “Raising the VAT threshold to £100,000 and then uprating it annually in line with inflation would remove a major barrier for growth for small businesses, as would introducing a smoothing mechanism for firms set to hit this threshold.”
“We’re also calling on the next government to increase and automatically uprate the Employment Allowance – effectively the tax threshold for employer’s National Insurance Contributions – in line with any increases to the National Living Wage. Ensuring thresholds keep up with wage increases guards against stealth tax rises on small business employment.
“We also need action on the energy market, where some key issues for small businesses remain. The next government could provide greater protection from cowboy providers by extending the 14-day cooling off period available to domestic customers to all microbusinesses. Regulation to control third party energy brokers could also improve trust in the sector.
McRae added that: “Our UK FSB manifesto also sets out a wide range of asks to make the country a better place to start and run a business, on everything from access to finance, to tax-free shopping, to reducing the cumulative regulatory burden for small businesses. On immigration, we’re also keen that the next UK government pilots a remote visa to benefit remote areas, such as the Highlands, in line with the Migration Advisory Committee recommendation.”
According to new research from neobank Allica Bank, Scottish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are losing out on more than £370 million annually due to not shopping around for better interest rates on their business savings.
The analysis revealed that the ‘big six’ high street banks offer an average interest rate of 1.45% on small business savings, down from 1.59% earlier in the year.
Beyond the big six, however, rates of up to 4.33% are available from challenger banks, a figure nearly three times higher than the big six.
For SMEs with an average £75,000 in savings, the discrepancy between big six interest rates and what’s available elsewhere is equivalent to £2,157 per year, the neobank noted.
The neobank also indicated that, with around 170,650 SMEs across Scotland, this equates to a loss of approximately £368,092,000 for Scotland’s economy.
For established SMEs with larger deposits of savings, the annual figure lost could potentially be much higher.
These figures come off the back of research produced last year, in which Allica found that SMEs are losing more than £7.5 billion per year in “missing” savings interest.
Speaking on the findings from the new research, Steven Smilie, Scotland relationship manager at Allica Bank, said: “Scotland’s SME economy is Scotland’s real economy, accounting for 170,650 businesses.
“These businesses are the life and soul of communities across Scotland and the difference between boarded up shops and vibrant high-streets.
“Despite this, SMEs aren’t getting the returns they deserve from high-street banks with interest rates that are consistently lower than are offered to bigger businesses.
“This lost income could represent a significant boost to the Scottish economy and be put toward investment, employment and a better deal for employees.
“The high-street banks are taking SME customers for granted, and those customers should shop around and get the return on their savings that they deserve.”
Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) chair John McGuigan has announced his intention to stand down, with his successor to be confirmed at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) next month.
McGuigan took on the role in November 2022, having joined the board of SFE, which is the representative body for Scotland’s financial services industry, in 2016.
Prior to this, McGuigan spent nine years with Standard Life and Phoenix Group as group customer director, as well as time in Munich as managing director of sales and service for Telefonica.
He was appointed chair of mutual insurer Scottish Friendly earlier this year, and chair of Scottish Rugby in 2023.
The board has completed a selection process to appoint a new chair and will propose to an upcoming EGM that Sue Dawe be appointed.
Dawe is EY Scotland managing partner for financial services, as well as SFE deputy chair, having joined the board in 2019.
Sandy Begbie CBE, chief executive of SFE, said: “On behalf of SFE and our members I’d like to thank John for his leadership and direction, both during his tenure as chair and since joining the SFE board.
“He has brought a wealth of experience and insight to the SFE board and while I am sad to see him go, John’s leadership has helped build the strong, diverse and committed board that will continue to drive our organisation as we deliver on our strategy.
“John has presided over continued growth for our organisation both in terms of our membership and our profile in championing the interests of Scotland’s financial and professional services sector.
“He has been very supportive to me, and leaves SFE with our very best wishes.”
One of the last times DIGIT reported on SFE, leadership, and recruitment was in September of last year.
SFE appointed Cheri Burns to a senior role within its Young Professionals network to bolster communications, with the aim of engaging and supporting the next generation of industry leaders.
Scottish sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted as a result of the Post Office Horizon scandal will be automatically exonerated today.
The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act which received Royal Assent yesterday, 13 June, has now come into force.
The legislation was passed in the Scottish parliament on 30 May, as part of an expedited process, to deliver justice to victims as swiftly as possible and enable them to access the UK government’s financial redress scheme.
Working with the Crowd Office, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, and the Post Office, the Scottish government will notify those affected and ensure police and court records are amended. There is also a route for victims to bring their cases to the attention of ministers.
Justice secretary Angela Constance has written an open letter to sub-postmasters setting out next steps. The justice secretary said:
“This legislation automatically exonerates sub-postmasters who were convicted of crimes of dishonesty that they did not commit due to the Post Office’s faulty Horizon IT system, meaning they are eligible to access the redress scheme.
“Of course, no amount of compensation can fully mend the lives that were torn apart by this miscarriage of justice. I do hope, however, that this legislation goes some way to righting the terrible wrongs of the past.
“I will be writing to those affected to tell them their convictions have been quashed and ensuring court records are changed, so the victims of this scandal can have their good names restored as quickly as possible. They have already waited too long for justice.”
The Horizon IT scandal has been called one of miscarriages of justice in the UK—if not the largest.
Dating back three decades, it resulted in hundreds of Post Office operators being wrongfully prosecuted for theft, fraud, and false accounting due to faulty software. Around 900 people have been prosecuted in total.
When the UK government outlined its exonerative legislation back in March this year, it said that the financial redress scheme would involve an interim compensation payment, with the option of taking a fixed and final offer of £600,000.
Additionally, those who were not convicted or part of legal action against the Post Office but still suffered due to Horizon failures would have the option to receive a fixed payment of £75,000.
The UK government also assured that “Regardless of where or how convictions are quashed, redress will be paid to victims across the whole of the UK on the same basis.”
The Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), the Scottish not-for-profit working to accelerate the net zero energy transition through technology, has alongside partners announced the launch of the UK National Geothermal Centre (NGC).
The NGC aims to accelerate the UK geothermal sector by transitioning and developing technology, driving the creation of policy, regulation, and investment frameworks for geothermal, and maximising impact of research and innovation.
The new Centre will help drive collaboration between government, industry, and academia to champion the integration of geothermal energy into the future renewable energy mix.
The geothermal sector has the potential to be a significant contributor to the UK’s energy targets and economy, meeting 10GW of the projected heating demand and 1.5GW of the anticipated electricity demand by 2050.
Geothermal expansion could also create 50,000 jobs for the future, and result in an annual reduction of 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The new Centre is now actively seeking sector engagement to accelerate the uptake of geothermal projects across the UK.
Rebecca Allison, chief operations officer at the NZTC, said: “As NZTC continues to accelerate the development and deployment of key transitioning technologies, we are fully embracing the opportunities that come with the geothermal sector.
“We look forward to supporting the NGC, helping it drive change and form a significant contribution to an integrated energy future.”
Alongside the NZTC, the founding partners of the NGC include The Reece Foundation, Durham University, and SHIFT Geothermal.
Nigel Lees, chair of the NGC, said: “The launch of the National Geothermal Centre today represents a significant step in realising the opportunities that geothermal energy provides the UK.
“For several decades there has been a growing and meaningful contribution to our understanding of geothermal potential in the UK, yet we remain in the nascent stages of development with pockets of knowledge and expertise.
“The Centre will embrace and build on this, working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of the opportunities and challenges whilst giving a consistent voice and advocacy to fully unlock the geothermal potential in the UK and play a crucial part in the delivery of our net zero ambitions.”
The University of Edinburgh has been ranked as one of the top universities in the world for its contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
Assessing the social, environmental, and economic impacts of universities across the globe, The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings classed the university as joint first regarding the UN’s SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
This particular goal concerns promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, building resilient infrastructure, and fostering innovation across the globe.
The University of Edinburgh scored full marks—100 out of 100—for its contribution in this area, which included its research, research income from industry, patents citing university research, and the number of spinouts to come from the university.
The Scottish university was the only one in the UK to share joint first place in this category, which it shared alongside nine other universities worldwide.
Across the 2022/23 academic year, Edinburgh Innovations, the University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service, supported over 123 student and staff startups and spinouts, attracting £107 million in investment.
Meanwhile, industrial and translational research projects brought in £91m in funding.
Speaking on the achievement, the interim CEO of Edinburgh Innovations, Dr Andrea Taylor, said: This news is a fantastic reflection of the flourishing culture of innovation here at the University of Edinburgh.
“Teaching and research is at the heart of what universities do. But the reason behind this activity is to create impact and make the world a better place, which we do by working with others in the public, private and third sectors, by forming companies and licensing our intellectual property.
“Supported by EI, Edinburgh’s staff and students are translating their ideas and research into solutions that improve lives in areas from climate and environment to data and AI for good and future health and care, and that’s what innovation means to us. Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to placing us first in the world!”
Overall, the university’s ranking for all the SDGs was 89th out of nearly 2,000 institutions, placing it within the top 5% across the world’s universities.
Principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, Professor Peter Mathieson, said: “It is encouraging to see our work to contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals recognised in this way.
“To rank joint first in the world for industry, innovation and infrastructure is a huge achievement and testament to the tenacity and creativity of our staff, students and partners.
“I am incredibly proud of our ability to harness our research power to drive innovation and directly benefit society. By working together, we are making great strides to lead change and help tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges.”
The Smart Things Accelerator Centre (STAC) has announced a new strategic partnership with Volvo Cars.
With the partnership, the Glasgow-based technology accelerator is set to provide an innovation pipeline for the Swedish carmaker that’s a pioneer in the global electric vehicle (EV) market.
Paul Wilson, CEO and co-founder of STAC, said: “STAC’s mission is to transform Scotland’s rich research and innovation into entrepreneurial ventures that can go on to compete at a global level.
“The partnership with Volvo Cars opens up immediate opportunities for collaboration at scale for STAC’s portfolio of startups.”
Since being launched in 2021, STAC has supported over 50 companies around four main pillars: mentorship, investment, talent acquisition, and work space.
STAC specialises in smart technologies and IoT, fostering homegrown talent, research, and entrepreneurship with an overall aim of helping to create tech companies that can collaborate and compete with global brands.
The industry-led accelerator is supported by international tech groups including Intel, Plexus, and Keysight Technologies, curating and developing high-potential startups in what STAC describes as “Things” technologies, including: IoT, robotics, drones, wearables, AI, data science, cybersecurity, and battery solutions.
Johanna Arvidsson, director at Volvo Cars, remarked: “STAC has demonstrated great potential and excellence in smart products and deep tech, enabling technologies such as AI, advanced materials, and battery-powered solutions.
“They are led by highly qualified industry executives who can develop innovation to scale, and this is one of the main reasons why we have chosen to invest in STAC.
“We are excited about the future and the collaborations with the best of the UK’s innovative start-ups.”
Wilson further added: “Our partnership with Volvo is an example of unlocking our innovation to the benefit of a world leader in sustainable and safe transportation.
“We are seeing an awakening in Scotland, and it’s high time our research and innovation make a greater contribution to the world.
“Volvo’s innovative and progressive mindset towards mobility matches the thinking of our real problem-solving entrepreneurs.
“STAC provides the support that gets our startups ready for the scale needed in such collaborations.
“We are on a great trajectory at STAC, unleashing innovation powered by a powerful industry cluster.”
In January, STAC announced a partnership between the UK government and Glasgow City Council, including significant government investment, aimed at transforming Glasgow into Europe’s largest smart things and IoT innovation hub.
The partnership centres around a £2.5 million private and public sector investment into a 250-desk facility named “The Beyond” at SkyPart, Finnieston, in Glasgow.
On this partnership as well as the new collaboration with Volvo, Gregor Aikman, STAC COO, commented: “At STAC, we believe in creating environments that not only inspire creativity but also provide the practical resources for groundbreaking innovation.
“The Beyond is more than just a co-working space, it’s a thriving ecosystem where startups and scaleups can access top-tier facilities including fully equipped technology labs.
“It is also pivotal to partnerships with the likes of Volvo Cars, as we collaborate with the aim of seizing global market opportunities.”
Phishing is one of the oldest cyber scams. Yet it’s still one of the cheapest and most effective, costing as little as £40 to carry out a profitable criminal campaign. Today, phishing remains the most common initial attack vector, and it is likely to become even more of a threat in the future as AI levels up cybercriminals’ capabilities whilst reducing phishing’s cost and complexity.
In the United Kingdom, the total cost of fraud doubled to £2.3 billion in 2023, according to BDO. A rise in the number of phishing attacks has contributed to this alarming increase. Earlier in 2024, the British government warned that phishing is “by far the most common type of cybercrime,” reporting that 84% of businesses have suffered attacks involving fraudulent emails or websites.
In an era when fraud is bad and getting worse, organisations have no choice but to improve their security postures, become more aware of phishing attacks, and prepare to defend themselves against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
What is phishing, and why is it a threat?
Phishers are con artists who operate in the same digital spaces as your colleagues. In 2023, Barclays warned that 77% of scams today occur on social media, e-commerce, and dating apps.
Traditionally, phishers used bogus emails to distribute malware or steal credentials, financial data, and personally identifiable information. They now deploy text messages, phone calls, and social media posts but aim to exploit every possible medium.
Scammers have impersonated organisations such as Currys and the BBC as well as prominent celebrities. Consumer finance expert Martin Lewis said he felt “sick” after seeing an AI-generated deepfake video in which his digital likeness asked viewers to give money to what was claimed to be an Elon Musk-backed investment scheme.
One scam tactic involves posing as a representative of UPS, Evri, or the Post Office in texts about supposed missed deliveries. Bogus tax refund offers are also common; His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs warned that 207,800 were sent via text and email in just one year, spiking ahead of the tax return deadline in January 2024.
Novel attacks and the evolution of phishing
Phishing campaigns are becoming more innovative as scammers devise increasingly novel tactics, such as embedding malicious QR codes in phishing emails. The infamous CL0P Ransomware Gang used malicious redirect hyperlinks to deliver new variants of Truebot malware.
There has also been an increase in Qbot Trojan attacks, with new variants discovered in January 2024. These attacks involve emails with context-aware information, such as invoices, shipping details, and urgent requests, that contain a link or attachment from a supposedly trusted source. Many are sent as reply-chain emails to add credibility. If just one person clicks a malicious attachment, it can trigger a malware download, and the system or network will be hacked.
The unsubscribe malware scam is another new phishing tactic that shows the growing sophistication of scams. It invites a victim to press the unsubscribe button in a fraudulent email, which shows scammers that the victim’s email address is active, so they can be targeted with more phishing emails or led to a website rigged to trigger malware downloads. It is worth noting that the best way to deal with unsolicited emails is to mark them as spam, delete them, or block the senders without interacting with their emails.
Domain impersonation and business email compromise attacks have also spiked. A small tweak to an organisation’s familiar domain or the display name of a current employee can easily trick people into thinking a malicious request is legitimate.
These are just some of the many threats facing organisations. Unfortunately, more are on the horizon as phishers refine their AI skills and the technology matures.
Protecting against phishing
The front line of any organisation’s defences is the employees, who are worryingly vulnerable. Phishing exploits social engineering, so vigilance is crucial, especially amongst privileged users with access to sensitive information.
Here are some tips to help protect your staff and secure your organisation:
Train employees to recognise phishing: Implement a red team to identify vulnerabilities, simulate attacks, and raise awareness. Encourage employees to inspect any unusual emails, SMS messages, or calls. Verify urgent requests through separate channels.
Deploy phishing-resistant MFA: Prevent unauthorised access by using MFA requiring a passkey accessible only via face or fingerprint identification.
Use UEBA and SOAR for proactive detection and response: Employ SIEM tools with UEBA to spot anomalies based on customisable behavioural variables. ML-driven SOAR platforms can automate responses and assign tickets to security admins.
Monitor privileged users: Apply the principle of least privilege, train users to be cautious, and monitor their activities for unusual behaviour.
An organisation’s security is only as strong as its weakest link, so every organisation must take urgent steps to address phishing and protect its most valuable asset: employees.
Workplaces need to radically improve their provision for people who menstruate, new research has found.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University say that women, trans, and non-binary people managing periods at work are still being stigmatised, silenced, and ignored.
Poorly informed managers, inaccessible washroom facilities, and continued shame, particularly around menstrual bleeding, are among the challenges that are routinely faced.
Recommendations for improvement include menstrual health education for organisations and managers, better toilet provision and shower facilities in all work environments, and a review of uniforms and personal protective equipment worn in workplaces.
The researchers’ new report specifically focuses on women working as researchers, but has implications for all genders, workplaces, and career stages, they say.
Kate Sang, a professor of gender and employment studies at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School, led the research.
“Research and workplace policies on menstrual health, including periods, menopause and perimenopause, has been growing in recent years,” she noted.
“But it is still an under-researched area, and the topic is still poorly understood in the context of the workplace.
“Workers in remote and non-office locations are particularly likely to face challenges managing their symptoms because of poor facilities and understanding.”
The study is based on an evidence review on menstrual health, including periods and perimenopause, and on more than 50 interviews with women working in diverse settings.
Its other findings show that menstrual stigma, especially around any signs of blood, remains a powerful force in working women’s lives.
For those working in laboratories, for instance, personal protective equipment is often designed for men with sizes and fabrics unsuitable for those managing menstruation.
Where employers do have menopause or menstruation policies, there is a lack of robust evidence bases to ensure they will improve working lives.
The researchers also note that menstruation can be particularly challenging for neurodivergent, trans, racially minoritised and disabled researchers.
The report was led by Chiara Cocco, a research associate at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Social Sciences.
“Typically the kind of lab coats and overalls worn by researchers in lab or outdoor settings are white and provided in generic sizes,” she said.
“So it can be tricky to find something that fits you.
“It’s also often up to the researchers and scientists to wash their own laundry – and spares are sometimes hard to find.
“This can make managing periods at work really difficult – especially if you’re working remotely in an area that might be some distance from the nearest toilet facilities.
“I hope that by revealing the voices of those who are often silenced at work, we can really create some positive impact to make their working lives better.”
The Heriot-Watt researchers are currently working with employers to initiate workplace changes and remove some of the barriers identified in their research.
“We also hope to add to the understanding of how different workplaces inform the experiences of women, as well as trans and non-binary people,” added Professor Sang.
The research is part of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Caucus (EDICa), a research group led by Professor Sang to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion in the research and innovation sector.
EDICa is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)—the UK’s national funding agency for investing in science and research—with support from the British Academy, which supports humanities and social sciences research in the UK.
A new research collaboration, led by the University of Glasgow, is looking to develop computational tools to improve treatments for one of the world’s most common causes of death.
The newly-established EPSRC Centre for Future PCI Planning aims to better outcomes from a frequently-performed treatment for heart artery disease.
The Centre is supported by £1.25 million in new funding from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Engineers, mathematicians, statisticians, and doctors at the University of Glasgow—alongside partners in industry and academia— are set to take a new approach to planning treatment of the disease.
One of the most effective treatments for the disease is percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
It involves placing a scaffolding stent device or balloon to unblock the artery. These devices also deliver drugs to reduce the chances of the artery re-narrowing in the future.
Despite the lifesaving successes of PCI procedures, more than a quarter of patients in the UK will require repeat treatments, putting patients at risk of future problems, including heart attacks.
Currently, doctors have limited tools to guide them how best to treat the condition and to predict if the PCI will be successful for an individual.
However, the Centre intends to revolutionise the way in which procedures are undertaken by developing computational tools to enable the tailoring of the procedure for each individual patient.
The key to doing this is the use of cutting-edge techniques to analyse images of the narrowed heart arteries, creating a more complete picture of plaque buildup.
Over the next four years, the Centre’s researchers will look to find new ways to harness the full potential of the information available from imaging to improve the outcomes of each patient’s procedure.
Using high-quality images gathered from clinical trials in centres across both Scotland and the globe, the team will build on existing mathematical models to develop better ways to visualise each stage of PCI procedures.
Importantly, the team is aiming to build these tools while reducing the computer processing expense by leveraging the power of AI.
“Our population is living longer than ever before, partly because we now have very good treatments for heart artery disease,” commented Dr Sean McGinty, of the James Watt School of Engineering, the project’s principal investigator.
“While that is undoubtedly good news for individuals and their families, healthcare services are being increasingly stretched.
“What we’re aiming to do with this project is develop faster and more robust methods to improve the effectiveness of treatments and significantly reduce the number of repeat PCI procedures.
“As well as delivering better results for patients, this will make a big difference to healthcare budgets in the future.
“By the end of this project, we will have developed a suite of computational tools, that we aim to integrate into the imaging and diagnostic systems already in use to deliver PCI treatments.
“We’re looking forward to playing our part in improving PCI procedures and providing the best possible outcomes for patients and health services alike.”
The Centre is supported by collaborators in clinical care, academia, and industry including: Aarhus University Hospital, Abbott Vascular, Biosensors Europe SA. Boston Scientific, Cardiovascular Research Center Aalst, Columbia University Medical Centre, Golden Jubilee National Hospital, MedAlliance Ltd, Medis Medical Imaging System, Pie Medical Imaging, and Politecnico di Torino.
Forensic scientists at the University of Dundee are developing a new protocol for capturing fire and crime scenes using virtual reality (VR) technology and footage of real fire scenes.
To create immersive VR representations of fire scenes, mocked-up units to replicate residential rooms are created and then burned, to allow genuine investigation to take place.
Footage of the damage caused by these fires is recorded with a traditional camera and turned into an immersive VR experience, allowing investigators to revisit the scene multiple times in its immediate aftermath and facilitating the use of the same scene in numerous training sessions.
Fire investigators and forensic scientists can use this virtual investigation tool, alongside traditional briefing methods, to estimate the start point, cause, and development of the fire.
Working in partnership with Scottish Fire Rescue Services (SFRS) and Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Forensic Services, the VR software has been successfully used in training exercises.
The most recent of these controlled fires took place last week on June 5th, at a training and research facility in Portlethen, Aberdeenshire, which opened last year.
Prior to this, the VR tool was trialled by SFRS and SPA Forensic Services using footage researchers obtained while working with Danish Police fire investigators, who created controlled fires within a variety of buildings in Denmark in the collaborative project.
Using the immersive technology was shown to increase the number of investigators who were able to determine key factors relating to origin and development of the fire.
Some participants could also recall the layout of the scene and draw accurate sketches, including of objects and burn patterns after reviewing the scene in VR.
Vincenzo Rinaldi, VR specialist at Dundee’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, explained that the technology allows the fire or crime scene to be brought to the investigator, instead of the other way round.
Speaking on the research, Rinaldi said: “Our results showed there was a general improvement in the formulation of hypotheses of the cause and origin of the fire and its development.”
“We did two rounds of testing. The first was using traditional documents, 2D digital photographs of the scene, which is what currently happens, and the second integrated these photographs with a VR reconstruction of the crime scene.
“There was a greater confidence in the hypothesis being presented when VR was included alongside traditional documents.”
The team are continuing research to further improve the quality of the footage and develop the technology into a professional tool.
CreateFuture has today been unveiled as the new name of the digital consultancy and delivery partner formerly known as xDesign, following an extensive rebrand.
To coincide with its new look and name, CreateFuture has also announced the expansion of its UK presence by officially launching its new offices in Manchester and London.
The news follows a year of positive momentum for the Edinburgh-headquartered company, which over the last year has acquired innovation and design agency CreateFuture – from which it now takes its name – whilst attracting minority investment from Soho Square Capital to support its UK expansion plans.
Speaking on the new name and brand, founder and CEO Euan Andrews said: “CreateFuture is a name that truly resonates with our vision and aspirations as a business. We’re not just another faceless digital company, we’re a full-service digital consultancy that’s home to a broad range of talent and capability.
“Whether strategists, engineers, creatives, cloud specialists or product designers, our people are passionate ‘doers’ who are focused on our clients’ biggest challenges today, whilst supporting them to create exceptional outcomes for their users tomorrow. Put simply, we’re all about creating tomorrow, together, today.
“As well as unveiling our new name and brand, the launch of our new offices in Manchester and London only adds to the buzz that currently surrounds the company. Both cities are home to a large number of our clients, as well as being huge centres of global tech investment. Our presence in both is vital as we continue on our growth journey and with our mission to build digital solutions that have real-world impacts.”
xDesign’s new Manchester office is located in the city centre and is headed up by Mark Dore, CreateFuture’s head of North England. He joins CreateFuture from competitor Accenture, and will be responsible for bolstering the company’s presence across Northern England and also overseeing operations out of the company’s Leeds office.
Talking about CreateFuture’s new office, Dore said: “Launching our Manchester office is yet another huge step forward in the CreateFuture story. Manchester has always been the engine room of innovation in the UK, and is officially the biggest tech hub outside of London. It’s no surprise then that CreateFuture wants a piece of the action to continue the positive momentum it’s started in the north of the UK. The recent GP Bullhound Northern Tech Awards win is testament to our commitment and ambition for expansion in the region.
“We know that a strong team dynamic is critical to success. Expanding our physical presence in Manchester and London will support us in further consolidating our client relationships; help us play an even bigger role in local tech communities, and provide our teams with a space where they can come together, collaborate on client challenges – and most importantly – have fun in the process.”
Lessons learned from projects that’ve brought wireless communications technologies to remote areas—from the Arctic to the Andes—could help widen online access across the globe and benefit billions of people.
This is according to a University of Glasgow-led team who’ve published recommendations on how governments can overcome the myriad challenges preventing billions from having regular internet access.
In a new Early Access paper published in the Proceedings of the IEEE academic journal, the team examined seven case studies of successful projects which have brought online connectivity to remote and harsh environments.
They also looked at how the examples set in those communities could provide templates for others around the world, and how governments and industry can help support their success.
The case studies focus on innovative connectivity-boosting projects undertaken on four continents, with each study demonstrating clever solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the locations.
For instance, one project in the Swedish Arctic helped establish an off-grid cellular network for the indigenous Sami community, using renewable power and fuel cells to provide 4G coverage in an area without roads and power grids.
Another example took place on the Orkney Islands, where the 5G New Thinking project tested the technical and business feasibility of 5G networks deployed in the remote community, which combined shared spectrum technology and the support of local communications operators.
Professor Muhammad Imran, who leads the University of Glasgow’s Communications, Sensing and Imaging Hub, is first author of the paper. He said: “Although wireless communications have made huge inroads in societies around the globe in recent years, half the world’s population still remains offline.
“That means that billions of people are cut off from the opportunities for education, employment, healthcare and more that only access to high-quality communications can provide. Connecting the unconnected is vitally important to spurring economic and social development.
“We’ve worked closely with partners around the world to put together these case studies, which showcase challenges overcome and opportunities created by bringing wireless access to remote and extreme locations. This paper offers evidence and insights that we hope will help expand digital access for the benefit of all.”
The authors’ recommendations drawn from the case studies offer suggestions on how governments, industry, and communities can work together to overcome political, economic, social and technological challenges to widening digital access.
For instance, in the political sphere, the authors recommend that governments develop more flexible spectrum licensing policies, allowing underutilised portions of the broadcast spectrum like TV white space to be used for communications instead—an approach which underpinned the Orkney case study.
The authors also stressed that community engagement and local ownership are key to the social success of future programmes. Government investment in digital literacy and community-based skill and knowledge-sharing initiatives can also help create lasting public engagement with technologies.
Dr Olaoluwa Popoola, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, is the corresponding author of the paper. He added: “In the future, internet access should be a universal right, viewed as being just as important to the wellbeing of the people of every country as fresh water, roads and education. Countries including Finland have already established digital access as a legal right, available to every citizen no matter where they live.
“Our hope is that this paper will help governments, industry, legislators and other decisionmakers to take a more informed view of expanding the spread of wireless communications into areas which are currently under-served.”
Scots researchers have helped develop a computer system they say harnesses the power of AI to learn the language of cancer, and that’s capable of spotting the signs of the disease in biological samples with remarkable accuracy.
An international team of AI specialists and cancer scientists, led by researchers from the University of Glasgow and New York University, are behind the development—which can also provide reliable predictions of patient outcomes.
Currently, pathologists examine and characterise the features of tissue samples taken from cancer patients on slides under a microscope. Their observations on the tumour’s type and stage of growth help doctors determine each patient’s course of treatment and their chances of recovery.
The new system, which has been dubbed “Histomorphological Phenotype Learning” (HPL), could aid human pathologists to provide faster, more accurate diagnoses of the disease, potentially helping to improve cancer care in the future.
The researchers involved have outlined how the HPL system was developed and trained in a new paper published in Nature Communications, an academic journal.
They began by collecting thousands of high-resolution images of tissue samples of lung adenocarcinoma, taken from 452 patients stored in the United States National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Genome Atlas database.
Next, they developed an algorithm which used a training process called self-supervised deep learning to analyse the images and spot patterns based on the visual data in each slide.
The algorithm then broke down the slide images into thousands of tiny tiles, each representing a small amount of human tissue. A deep neural network scrutinised the tiles, teaching itself in the process to recognise and classify any visual features shared across any of the cells in each tissue sample.
When the team added analysis of slides from squamous cell lung cancer to the HPL system, it was capable of correctly distinguishing between their features with 99% accuracy.
Once the algorithm had identified patterns in the samples, the researchers used it to analyse links between the phenotypes it had classified and the clinical outcomes stored in the database, including how long patients lived after having cancer surgery.
The predictions made by the HPL system correlated with the real-life outcomes of the patients stored in the database, correctly assessing the likelihood and timing of cancer’s return 72% of the time. Human pathologists tasked with the same prediction drew the correct conclusions with 64% accuracy.
When the research was expanded to include analysis of thousands of slides across 10 other types of cancers, including breast, prostate, and bladder cancers, the results were similarly accurate despite the increased complexity of the task.
Dr Adalberto Claudio Quiros, a research associate in the University of Glasgow’s School of Cancer Sciences and School of Computing Science, is a co-first author of the paper. “This research shows the potential that cutting-edge machine learning has to create advances in cancer science which could have significant benefits for patient care,” he said.
“This kind of self-learning algorithm will only become more accurate as additional data is added, helping it become more fluent in the language of cancer. Unlike humans, it brings no pre-conceived ideas to its work, so it may even find patterns across the datasets that haven’t been fully explored before.
“Ultimately, our aim is to provide doctors and patients with a tool that can help provide them with an improved understanding of their prognosis and treatment.”
The research was supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and the National Institutes of Health.
CodeBase is relaunching CodeClan, the digitalskills academy, with three Scottish colleges and a Silicon Valley teaching programme for coding.
The pilot with Edinburgh College, Borders College, and West Lothian College, is set to commence this summer, with content delivered by Silicon Valley education platform Qwasar.
The relaunch comes less than a year after the sudden news that the original CodeClan went into liquidation, with CodeBase then acquiring select assets and enabling around 80 affected students to finish their courses in software development and data analysis.
CodeBase says the relaunch is in response to “high levels” of industry demand for software development and data science expertise, as well as an acute requirement for upskilling to address the digital skills gap, and the potential to accelerate economic impact.
CodeBase, which also runs the Scottish government’s startup support programme Techscaler, is currently engaged in discussions with other colleges, and the public and private sectors, with a view to a Scotland-wide rollout of CodeClan as early as next year.
“Establishing a route for people to switch careers into technology is vital to meeting the talent needs of Scotland’s tech sector,” said Mark Logan, chief entrepreneurial adviser to the Scottish government.
“I’m particularly excited about the new CodeClan’s highly scalable delivery model. The three-way partnership between CodeBase, Qwasar, and Scotland’s college network makes possible a national scale programme, combining in-person and online training with world-class, constantly refreshed learning materials.
“By leveraging these assets in combination, the CodeClan model is also now significantly cheaper and removes the payment burden for employers too, which was a problematic area for the prior CodeClan model.”
Martin Boyle, VP of transformation and strategic relationships at CodeBase, also commented: “We have spent the last few months reassessing the CodeClan model, and with Qwasar in place we have a world-class content provider that is aligned with the latest needs of industry, delivered through the Scottish college network.
“While the pilot is relatively small and regionally-focused for now, we envisage Scotland-wide provision in due course.”
Qwasar Silicon Valley, which describes itself as “the only training provider that trains to Silicon Valley standards in software engineering,” was founded in 2019. Scotland-born co-founder Jennifer Robertson further added: “We are excited to see this launch alongside CodeBase.
“Our programmes train to the advanced technical level required by industry and are competency-based, meaning learners build competency in programming step by step.
“Anyone can do it – yes, it takes effort and there is a lot of coding, but it’s these kinds of courses and hands-on learning pathways that allow anyone to succeed and turn cities and countries into talent powerhouses. The time for this is now!”
The pilot is not currently open for public applications. Individuals and organisations interested in finding out more about future CodeClan programmes can register their interest here.
SJ Bennett, one of the academics behind the six-person AI Ethics and Society team at the University of Edinburgh, perhaps best encapsulated the spirit of last Friday’s symposium on artificial intelligence, brokenness, and justice during the introductory talk.
“Today, we want to take brokenness as an entry point into the critical investigation of technology, flipping the dominant narrative of disruptive innovation and shifting the focus instead on what’s left broken in this process of disruption,” said Bennett to a hall composed of thinkers and researchers working at the intersection of contemporary technologies and morality. “Brokenness invites us to reflect on the social and technical mechanisms that operate selectively, and ask: These are disruptive for whom? Scholars and activists have long urged us to pay attention to how AI and other data-intensive systems can perpetuate marginalisation, displacement, and violence.”
While the various profound ways in which artificial intelligence—its formation, advancement, and usage by humans—negatively impacts people across the globe were discussed, what was also considered was how we collectively can go about care, repair, and resistance in reaction to this.
The day’s three investigative and collaborative panels began with Margins, Data Patchwork, and Justice, with Morgan Currie, Natassa Philimonos, and Srravya Chandhiramowuli. Though their particular interests and areas differ slightly, a large, overarching shared thread in their work is how contemporary technologies can obfuscate workers in inequitable ways. Chandhiramowuli, for instance, discussed how marginalised and often displaced communities in the Global South are doing the labour (often dubbed as “ghost work”) for AI to work—such as creating and annotating the datasets that are inherent to AI learning and expansion—and how deployed employment practices and rhetorics are further halting people in India, not least women, from gaining financial and personal independence.
Error, Uncertainty, and Categorisation, the symposium’s second panel, featured Alexander Campolo, Cindy Lin, and Benjamin Jacobsen. At the core of the discussion was the role of error, or outliers, in machine learning models: What can “errors” tell us about ourselves as a society? What does it mean when errors are perceived by humans as an aberration to be iteratively reduced and ultimately erased? “I think there’s an engineering idea which is: just get rid of errors,” Campolo explained—though, as he also later suggested, “‘Error’ is a concept that can illuminate what our cultures value as truth.” Relatedly, Lin mentioned how “Error helps us to create a context for understanding machine learning,” thereby helping us to contemplate questions such as “What do errors privilege as truth? […] What voices get seen and unseen?” Ultimately, machine learning “errors” themselves can highlight a wealth of insight regarding us as a society and the technology we’re developing, not least when it comes to entrenched biases, prejudices, and discriminatory views and actions.
The final panel, Care, Repair, and Craft, included Anne Lee Steele, Alex Taylor, and SJ Bennett. Considering artificial intelligence’s brokenness, how can repair happen? How can we better care for one another, and go about the caring, amid this fragmentation? During this collaborative discussion, the themes—and modes of response—that the panellists kept returning to were bulding human connection and community organising. As a way of putting the public’s voice to the fore, Taylor touched on his current work with BRAID—the Bridging Responsible AI Divides programme, led by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with the Ada Lovelace Institute and the BBC. As part of a BRAID research project, Taylor and a team are doing on-the-ground work in multicultural Leith, hearing and understanding the first-hand thoughts and opinions of local residents. As Taylor explained, “It’s asking the people of Leith: What is AI for you? How can it make a difference to you?”
The day’s collection of dialogues and questions served as something of a much-needed repositioning of how we may consider our current predicament with artificial intelligence. While, recently, it’s felt like humans’ development of artificial intelligence is something akin to a speeding train without working brakes—a turbulent force that cannot and will not be slowed down—AI, at least not yet, isn’t a fully autonomous entity. Human beings still remain behind AI and its implementation on all levels—how it’s created, used, and advanced. Within this there is possibility: As those using, interacting, and living with AI, we can try to use our collective voices, efforts, and actions to not only care for others impacted by its negative consequences, but to also reach the people behind AI’s development and help repair the broken machine.
Academics will explore the relationship between legacy oil and gas wells and long-term carbon dioxide storage in the Scottish North Sea in new research backed by Crown Estate Scotland.
Researchers from the Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Sciences—the Heriot-Watt University global research institute—will examine the position of these wells, evaluate their possible impact on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) operations, and provide data to help with the rollout of this technology for achieving industrial decarbonisation.
The UK government is targeting the capture and storage of around 20-30 million tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2030, underlining the importance of CCS technology in facilitating this to meet net zero targets.
Through CCS—a complex process involving a suite of technologies to capture CO2 from industrial sources and transport it to underground storage facilities—it’s estimated that the Scottish North Sea could provide enough storage to prevent up to 53 thousand million tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.
However, full-scale deployment of CCS by licensed operators in the North Sea can only proceed once the implications of historic oil and gas wellbores within and near underground storage sites are fully understood.
Lyell Centre PhD candidate Benjamin Pullen will lead the project, Towards Evaluating and Managing Risks Associated with Legacy Wells and Offshore Gas Storage in Scotland, which is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Speaking on the upcoming research and the hopeful outcomes, Pullen said: “This study will form a strong foundation of knowledge on legacy wells in the Scottish North Sea so that safe and secure carbon storage can proceed.
“If we can contribute understanding towards managing legacy well uncertainties, we’ll have played our part in ensuring CCS deployment can proceed and stop as much carbon from entering the atmosphere as possible.”
“CCS has the potential to be a game changer. Everyone wants the UK to be in the best position possible to meet its energy and climate targets. Understanding the caveats brought about by former oil and gas wells is a critical step towards rolling out Carbon Capture and Storage in the Scottish North Sea.”
Dr Aaron Cahill, assistant professor in applied geosciences and project supervisor, also commented: “Scotland has a long history of extensive oil and gas exploration and production, with a legacy of many thousands of wells drilled in the North Sea since the late 1960s.
“Whilst CCS must play a vital role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and combatting climate change, the importance of legacy wells in relation to offshore storage must be thoroughly understood.
“There is a need for optimised methods and tools, specific to the Scottish offshore environment, that can aid evaluation of legacy wells and their potential impacts on carbon storage. In this project we seek to develop improved tools to help deploy CCS in collaboration with all key stakeholders.”
Hosted and managed by independent research organisation The James Hutton Institute in north east Scotland, the UK CropDiversity High-Performance Computing (HPC) cluster has handled more than 400 terabytes of new data in the last 12 months alone. This is equivalent to around 100,000 high definition movies.
Its huge number crunching capacity, with processing power equivalent to about 80,000 standard laptops, allows significant gaps in knowledge about the natural world, crops, and diseases to be unlocked much faster than it could be otherwise done.
One recent project saw the HPC help assess extinction risks for the world’s flowering plants for scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew—work that took just days, but would have previously taken many weeks to do.
Dr Iain Milne, who manages the UK CropDiversity HPC at the Hutton, remarked: “Since the first building blocks of the HPC were put in place in 2020, about 19 million analysis tasks have been run, using more than 100 million hours (or nearly 11,500 years) of computing time—how long each of the processors we have has been running—and covering more than a petabyte of data.
“While most of the work it is doing is focused on scientific research, it is a capability that’s also available to commercial organisations who need access to this level of computing.”
The HPC recently handled its largest data throughput for a single project, at 25 terabytes, for the Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development (BOLD) project—a Crop Trust initiative the Hutton is a partner on. It looks to strengthen global food and nutrition security by supporting the conservation and use of crop diversity.
Fraser Macfarlane, machine learning engineer at the Hutton, noted: “Time is not on our side and we need to move fast if we are to find solutions to the very real, fast moving impact of climate change on crop resilience and so we need to be able to fast track so much of the research and these machines do it.”
“Here at the Hutton, it’s helping process ever expanding datasets generated by the likes of high-throughput phenotyping. This process uses a suite of sensors and cameras to monitor and understand how plants grow and develop.
“Additionally, the vast quantities of remote sensing data produced by satellites and aerial platforms like drones can be analysed, helping us understand the world around us.”
This year alone, more than 20 scientific papers have been published based on work that relied on the UK CropDiversity HPC, such as the development of seedless clementines.
The HPC partners are the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), The Natural History Museum, Scotland’s Rural College, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh at the University of St Andrews.
It was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Advanced Life Sciences Research Technology Initiative (ALERT) grants, as well as The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Public Sector Research Establishment Infrastructure Fund.
According to a recent survey from Gartner, the technological research and consulting company, over two-thirds (69%) of chief executives see sustainability as a leading business growth opportunity in 2024.
Expanding on this headline statistic and the reasons behind it, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, Kristin Moyer, said: “Sustainability consistently remains a top 10 business priority, surpassing even productivity and efficiency this year.“
“Leaders and investors know environmentally cavalier corporate behavior is a mid- to long-term risk to business results, with a big price to be paid when environmental factors are ignored as externalities.
“However, smart CEOs realize big sustainability challenges create new areas of business opportunity,” Moyer explained.
Achieving Sustainable Business Growth
The survey of over 400 chief and senior executives uncovered the leading ways that sustainability is currently being used to drive business growth.
These are through sustainable products and services (33%); sustainable business practices (18%); stakeholder engagement (18%); and decarbonisation (18%).
Digital investments and innovation, meanwhile, is ranked ninth at 8%, below marketing (17%), energy (14%), increased profit (11%), and circularity (10%).
On how cutting-edge digital tech can be effectively leveraged in this arena, Moyer explained: “Digital technology can accelerate progress toward sustainability goals, going beyond compliance to help enterprises reach targets, enable new business models and unleash revenue streams.”
For instance, Internet of Things (IoT), data, and analytics can optimise wind turbines, which subsequently reduces costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
AI and IoT, meanwhile, can reduce food loss costs and waste — and a circular economy marketplace can create new revenue and reduce waste.
Climate Change Driving Agenda
Gartner’s survey also revealed that just over half (54%) of CEOs say their businesses are affected by changing weather patterns, at least moderately.
A slightly smaller number (51%) acknowledge that changing weather patterns are causing them to plan changes to the way they operate or have already done so.
“CEOs see that climate change is causing weather pattern shifts that are directly impacting their business operations already,” noted Moyer.
“Those operations must be adapted, with technology playing a vital role in driving these changes, especially in the dynamics of supply chains.”
The biggest impact of changing weather patterns cited by CEOs is operating dynamics (30%), particularly changes to logistics, such as warehousing, timing, and routing of deliveries.
Relocations (including nearshoring) comes in second (14%), followed by automation, technology, and data (13%).
ESG Innovation Summit | Join the Debate
The inaugural ESG Innovation Summit Scotland will be held at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on Thursday 20 June 2024.
The conference will focus on the role of digital technology in driving ESG impact; exploring how innovation in IoT, analytics, AI and cloud are helping to improve climate outcomes.
