The Made Smarter Innovation Challenge, part of UKRI’s Made Smarter Innovation (MSI) Challenge, has awarded significant grants totalling £3.7 million to advance smart factory projects in the UK. These grants, ranging from £107,000 to £535,000, have been allocated to 11 late-stage robotics and automation projects aimed at enhancing energy efficiency, productivity, and growth across manufacturing […]
Facing a bloc-wide farmers’ uprising, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has boldly taken a major ‘Farm to Fork’ policy off the table. Addressing the EU Parliament on 6 February, von der Leyen announced that she would withdraw the Sustainable Use of Pesticide Regulation (SUR) – a flagship Green Deal file that aimed to […]
Restaurateur and chef Heston Blumenthal OBE is calling for greater urgency in tackling fraud on Companies House after an investigation revealed more than 750 fake firms using restaurant names have been set up in the past six weeks. His business was one of those targeted and he is writing to Louise Smyth, Chief Executive at […]
Airbnb is charting a course towards diversification beyond its core offerings, unveiling a $6 billion share buyback scheme alongside a mixed set of fourth-quarter results. The home rental platform is set on “reinventing” itself and venturing into new business territories, with plans to expand into markets like Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. “Airbnb is at […]
Two key groups of lawmakers at the European Parliament on Tuesday ratified a provisional agreement on landmark artificial intelligence rules ahead of a vote by the legislative assembly in April that will pave the way for the world’s first legislation on the technology. Called the AI Act, the new rules aim to set the guardrails for a […]
Almost one third of UK business owners plan to sell their businesses to help fund their retirement, according to new research. Business owners across the country have been fighting rising costs from energy bills to higher living wages and it seems for many, now is the time to contemplate retirement. However, planning for retirement and […]
A potential clash is looming between two prominent plush toy manufacturers as they prepare to address a copyright dispute. Squishmallows, produced by Jazwares, has raised concerns regarding Skoosherz, a newly introduced toy by Build-A-Bear Workshop, citing striking similarities to its own egg-shaped cushion animal characters. Despite the cuddly nature of the toys involved, the impending […]
The working population spends nearly 70% of their days at work. We all know that ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy(/girl!)’ so what can we do to make sure that employees have enough ‘play’ during their time at work? Historically ‘play’ has been associated with children but there is a growing […]
Piers Morgan has announced plans to transition his daily Uncensored show away from TalkTV, redirecting his efforts towards its YouTube channel. Citing the flexibility and global reach of online platforms, Morgan aims to conduct longer, more expansive interviews while tapping into a broader international audience base. With a current subscriber base of 2.35 million on […]
Generation Z (defined as those born between 1997 and 2012) will reportedly make up 27% of the workforce by the end of the year. This new generation of workers has been raised with a heightened awareness of social, economic, and environmental challenges, as well as a set of values and expectations moulded by unprecedented technology […]