IT innovation, research and development

NCSC for Startups programme seeks ransomware-busters

Innovative ideas for ransomware-busting technology are being sought by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and startup incubator Plexal Continue Reading

UK SMEs to receive tech skills and software boost

A new government scheme aimed at helping businesses improve their productivity and sales online has opened for applications Continue Reading

Twelve million jobs to be lost to automation in Europe by 2040

Millions of current jobs in Europe will be carried out by robots as software robots automate processes Continue Reading

Swedish researchers are patiently developing a useful quantum computer

By 2028, the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology in Sweden expects to have a useful quantum computer Continue Reading

The race to quantum computing

In this week’s Computer Weekly, researchers are racing to create the first commercially useful quantum computer – we look at one of the European candidates. Cyber security is one of the greatest risks facing the global economy, warns the World Economic Forum. And we examine the role of employee experience in hybrid working. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Nordic fintech to use Google-inspired core banking from Thought Machine

Nordic fintech Lunar is modernising its banking platform as it sets out to expand free of the limitations of its current systems Continue Reading

Test police algorithms in court rather than legislate, Lords told

Police algorithms and their impacts should be tested and challenged in court, rather than controlled by new laws, says policing minister Continue Reading

Finland moves to industrialise quantum computing

For the Finnish government, now is the time to start preparing for the day when quantum computers will have practical value Continue Reading

Socitm outlines public sector digital trends for 2022

Report identifies the key areas of focus for technology decision-makers in government in the months ahead, across areas from cyber and data to digital identity and 5G Continue Reading

M1 rolls out voice bot for customer hotlines

The Singapore telco has rolled out a voice bot for a number of customer hotlines to improve customer experience and the productivity of call agents Continue Reading

UAE joins the race to produce a usable quantum computer

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CW Middle East: What does Saudi Arabia’s autonomous vehicle agenda mean for the world?

If all goes according to plan, within a few years, one million people will live in Saudi Arabia’s ‘city of the future’ – and every one of them will depend on a fleet of self-driving cars. Also in this issue, read about the UAE's bid to become a world-leading location for artificial intelligence innovation. Continue Reading

RBL Bank taps Google Cloud to drive digital agenda

The private lender will tap Google Cloud to power its customer acquisition engine and improve customer data management and analytics, among other areas Continue Reading

How digital-twin technology could revolutionise the healthcare industry

Digital-twin technology is not new, but in many industries it is still regarded as novel and is often misunderstood Continue Reading

A legal minefield called the metaverse

Will the metaverse create a $1tn revenue market? Who knows? How long will it take to reach this lofty potential? Who can tell? Will people invest across this emerging landscape of speculative riches? You bet Continue Reading

Companies propose scanning content pre-encryption to fight CSAM

Firms working on the UK government’s Safety Tech Challenge have suggested that scanning content before encryption will help prevent the spread of child sexual abuse material – but privacy concerns remain Continue Reading

NHS England urged to produce tech roadmap to cope with pandemic backlog

Tech can help to ease the pressure on the health and care system, but basic infrastructure is lacking, a House of Commons report has found Continue Reading

For 2022, let's get less excited about tech

We all understand and recognise the enormous potential for technology to transform our work, our economy, our culture, our society, our lives. We all know the incredible benefits that lie in store ... Continue Reading

New supercomputer opens doors for researchers in Sweden

More than twice as powerful as its predecessor, a new supercomputer ushers in new opportunities for researchers who rely on artificial intelligence and machine learning Continue Reading

Government cans electronic monitoring overhaul

Nearly £100m of taxpayer money has been spent in tech that will not result in future benefits, according to the Ministry of Justice's annual accounts report Continue Reading

NHS App exceeds 22 million user mark

Boosted by Covid-19 pass functionality, the NHS App is one of the most downloaded apps in the UK Continue Reading

Melbourne’s InnerVision ups ante in smart parking

InnerVision Engineering’s smart parking solution uses machine vision and other technologies to deliver a frictionless parking experience for drivers in Australia Continue Reading

Top 10 startup stories of 2021

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 startup stories of 2021 Continue Reading

Top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2021

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2021 Continue Reading

Top 10 Nordic IT stories of 2021

Computer Weekly selects some of the biggest Nordic tech stories of 2021 Continue Reading

Top 10 Benelux stories of 2021

Computer Weekly looks at the top IT stories from the Benelux region in the past year Continue Reading

Top 10 ASEAN IT stories of 2021

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 ASEAN IT stories of 2021 Continue Reading

Top 10 Middle East IT stories of 2021

The Middle East is about more than oil these days, with advanced technology industries developing across the region. Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Middle East IT stories of 2021 Continue Reading

A trial relying on computer evidence should start with a trial of the computer evidence

Learning from the Post Office Horizon scandal - the most widespread miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history Continue Reading

Top 10 ANZ IT stories of 2021

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 ANZ IT stories of 2021 Continue Reading

Large organisations turning to digital currencies for stored value

Gartner predicts a major acceleration in the use of digital currencies over the next couple of years Continue Reading

UK tech startups raise almost £30bn in record year

The UK tech sector has achieved record growth in the past 12 months after the Covid pandemic paused investment Continue Reading

What is Log4Shell - and why the panic?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we assess the risks from Log4Shell, a new web software vulnerability described as “catastrophic”. We look at SASE – secure access service edge – which is set to be one of the networking priorities for 2022. And some victims of the Post Office IT scandal are still waiting for proper compensation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Finnish government launches digital economy transformation projects

The Finnish government launches two transformation projects as part of the country’s mission to pioneer a digital economy Continue Reading

Top 10 artificial intelligence stories of 2021

This year, artificial intelligence has moved to operationalisation, explainability and regulatory frameworks. Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 artificial intelligence stories for 2021 Continue Reading

Nationwide Building Society moves website to Azure cloud

Building society’s tech teams work with consultancy Contino to implement new website using the chaos engineering method Continue Reading

Digital Ethics Summit: Innovation needs regulation to be ethical

Experts attending the 2021 Digital Ethics Summit spoke out against the idea that regulation will stifle technological innovation, arguing that setting clear rules will produce more ethical innovation Continue Reading

UK advances research of autonomous robots in lab environments

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory has been awarded new funding to develop the equipment alongside industry and academia Continue Reading

Multibillion-dollar quantum opportunities if error rate recedes

Management consultant McKinsey discusses a potential $700bn opportunity in the pharma, finance, automotive and chemicals sectors Continue Reading

Joint committee publishes report on improving Online Safety Bill

MPs and peers release report on Online Safety Bill following five-month inquiry into the draft legislation and make a number of recommendations on how it can be improved to deal with harmful content and abuse on the internet Continue Reading

Lords urge regulators to evolve as digital change accelerates

A cooperative approach with common objectives is needed to resolve potential conflicts between bodies in digital regulation as well as better oversight, according to a House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee report Continue Reading

Ultimate questions require ultimate understanding in the quantum era

In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Deep Thought calculates the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything as ‘42’. But what of quantum computing? Continue Reading

The rules for a safer internet

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the government publishes the Online Safety Bill, we look at what the laws mean for internet services. A ransomware victim shares the insider story of the trauma of losing their corporate IT systems. And we ask, what happens when quantum computers get too powerful to verify their output? Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How to scale up your AI initiatives

Executive sponsorship, a strong data foundation and having ‘analytics artists’ are among ways to scale up AI initiatives beyond the pilot stage Continue Reading

Singapore and UK sign digital trade deal

Described as the world’s most comprehensive digital agreement between two countries, the deal supports the UK’s bid to join Trans-Pacific Partnership to build trade connections with 11 Indo-Pacific markets Continue Reading

Finland looks to democratise the ‘wild west’ of artificial intelligence

Finland could play an important role in increasing the understanding of what artificial intelligence software can do for society Continue Reading

UAE joins the race to produce a usable quantum computer

As part of its ongoing effort to keep up with the latest technology, the United Arab Emirates has begun work on the region’s first quantum computer Continue Reading

PAC scrutinises failure of large government IT modernisation projects

From unskilled senior government officials to over-reliance on outsourcers and contractors, the factors underpinning unsuccessful tech-driven transformation initiatives are investigated in a new report Continue Reading

CDEI publishes roadmap for UK AI assurance ecosystem

Publication from CDEI sets out the steps required to verify the effectiveness, trustworthiness and compliance of artificial intelligence systems Continue Reading

Home Office slammed over police IT legacy replacement delays

Modernisation initiative has seen a significant increase in costs and several changes in scope, and measures introduced to address issues seem ineffective, says Public Accounts Committee report Continue Reading

UK and US to collaborate on privacy innovation contest

Joint UK-US innovation challenge contest centring on privacy-enhancing technology announced at Summit for Democracy in Washington DC Continue Reading

CIO interview: Nicola Wadham, Financial Ombudsman Service

CIO Nicola Wadham brings Computer Weekly up to speed on the Financial Ombudsman Service’s IT challenges and successes Continue Reading

UK technology issues contributed to Afghanistan withdrawal chaos

Multiple problems including email management, collaboration restrictions and lack of technical expertise may have risked the lives of thousands of Afghans, according to whistleblower Raphael Marshall Continue Reading

Labour reshuffle expands shadow ministerial team on digital, technology and innovation policy

New Shadow Cabinet includes three Labour spokespeople covering issues around digital, data, technology, science and innovation issues Continue Reading

Digital measures confirmed under UK procurement overhaul

A new platform and data standard will be introduced as part of a government move to bring simplicity and transparency to contracting Continue Reading

AI assistant Bürokratt to reduce bureaucracy in Estonian government

Estonia to launch a Siri-like digital assistant that will automate the completion of government service requests Continue Reading

Spy tech gets high tech – why MI6 invests in startups

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we’re used to James Bond and his gadgets, but now MI6 is investing in tech startups to develop new intelligence capabilities. Our exclusive IT Priorities survey suggests IT leaders are optimistic about 2022. And our new buyer’s guide examines the latest emerging technologies. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

European finance firms increase open banking spend

Financial services firms are increasing investment in open banking capabilities, with improvements to payment initiation and onboarding capabilities expected Continue Reading

Winter plan for health and social care gets £250m tech boost

Upgrades in screening to reduce waiting times and remote monitoring are among the initiatives to benefit from the budget allocation Continue Reading

Cyber attacks and severe space weather among extreme risks faced by UK

An attack on the country’s critical infrastructure and severe space weather events could bring the UK to a halt, says Lords report Continue Reading

Australia’s NSW to build A$40m digital twin

The spatial digital twin brings together government data sources to provide insights for urban planners and residents to support decision-making and see into the future Continue Reading

NUHS to tap edge supercomputing to crunch AI workloads

Singapore’s National University Health System will tap edge supercomputing resources to train AI models in a range of healthcare-related AI applications by mid-2022 Continue Reading

UK government publishes tech-enabled adult social care plan

Ten-year plan will see NHSX working on areas such as assistive technologies, and improved connectivity for care homes Continue Reading

India’s IT spending to cross $100bn mark in 2022

Led by software investments, the growth in IT spending comes as organisations in the subcontinent look to modernise their IT infrastructure and support a hybrid workforce Continue Reading

Unesco member states adopt AI ethics recommendation

The non-binding recommendation seeks to define a common set of values and principles to guide the development of ethical AI globally Continue Reading

Kaspersky introduces cyber policy for bionic devices

Cyber firm Kaspersky has become one of the first organisations in the world to develop and implement a security policy covering the use of bionic devices and other forms of human augmentation Continue Reading

Wolverhampton to pilot app that rewards healthy behaviours

Tool is aimed at helping local residents eat better and exercise more Continue Reading

Cloud-based Redwood becomes latest challenger bank to make a profit

Cloud-based business bank becomes the latest of the new wave of challengers to achieve profit Continue Reading

Swedish researchers are patiently developing a useful quantum computer

By 2028, the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology in Sweden expects to have a useful quantum computer Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: In the cloud, anti-human approaches set us up to fail

Security learning is a career-long process, so as 2021 draws to a close, participants in the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank sum up the most important cyber lessons they’ve taken away from the past 12 months Continue Reading

MI6 will ‘open up’ to tech firms to innovate faster than adversaries, says chief Richard Moore

MI6 will use investment fund to back tech companies to develop long-term technologies that will help it to keep pace with China and Russia Continue Reading

Technology horizon-scanning programme launched by UK regulatory bodies

Goal of the initiative is to build knowledge and understanding of emerging tools Continue Reading

Financial Ombudsman Service takes step towards digital transformation with Workday

Ombudsman uses human resource and financial management software in the cloud Continue Reading

UK government launches report on digital trade

Report outlines future opportunities and challenges such as the rise of digital protectionism and poor infrastructure Continue Reading

Over 100 civil society groups call for changes to EU AI Act

Civil, human and digital rights organisations sign open letter calling on European policymakers to put fundamental rights at the heart of the proposed Artificial Intelligence Act Continue Reading

Accenture to create 3,000 UK tech jobs

Accenture’s recruitment plan in the UK is a response to businesses to the release of pent-up demand for digital transformations Continue Reading

UK announces standard for algorithmic transparency

Public sector organisations will pilot artificial intelligence governance framework and evolve it based on feedback Continue Reading

UK ‘impact startups’ raise £2bn in 2021

Impact startups in the UK have raised record levels of investment this year, with most of the capital raised going to climate tech firms Continue Reading

British Army announces transformation programme

The Future Soldier initiative will see a modernisation supported by use of emerging technologies and bolstered cyber capabilities Continue Reading

One in three Norwegian unicorns created in 2021 alone

Norway’s tech sector has undergone rapid growth in the past year, consolidating the Nordic country’s position as an emerging European tech hub Continue Reading

UK government announces NHS digital delivery review

Report from NHS Digital chair Laura Wade-Gery sets out recommendations on how to approach digital transformation in the public health system Continue Reading

Police tech introduced with little scrutiny or training

A Lords inquiry into the adoption of advanced algorithmic technologies by police in England and Wales has been told that new tools are being introduced without proper training and with little scrutiny of their impacts Continue Reading

CIO interview: Mia Sorgi, director of digital product and experience, PepsiCo Europe

A trial project using gesture-based technology to help customers order in restaurants is just one example of the pioneering digital innovations being explored by food and drinks giant PepsiCo Continue Reading

NHSX and NHS Digital to merge with NHS England

Overhaul part of recommendations under a digital delivery review led by NHS Digital chair Laura Wade-Gery Continue Reading

Can the tech community show us how to save the world?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we report from the COP26 conference on how the tech world’s collaborative open source model could help tackle climate change. Gartner has urged IT leaders to rethink their role as business come to rely on digital technologies. And we ask if your office security is at risk as staff return. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Home secretary urged to respond to concerns over EU travel systems

Priti Patel is challenged over the various issues relating to new border checks affecting UK residents travelling to the European Union, in aspects such as facial recognition and algorithmic profiling Continue Reading

DHSC reluctant to confirm details of digital delivery review

Sajid Javid heightens expectations around Wade-Gery review at NHS conference, but health department is unable to say when it might be delivered Continue Reading

UK holds international digital government conference

Countries convened to discuss digital transformation issues and the application to services of technologies such as AI and digital identity. Continue Reading

UK government announces safety tech challenge fund winners

The Safety Tech Challenge Fund winners will now develop technologies to limit the spread of child abuse material in encrypted environments, which the government has claimed will not be repurposed for other uses Continue Reading

HMRC should boost data analytics capability, says NAO report

Department urged to develop its current set-up to better manage the range of taxpayers’ needs it encounters Continue Reading

ONS data points to rise in UK tech employment for women

Female professionals accounted for 71% of the new jobs created between June and September 2021 Continue Reading

GovTech to enhance Government on Commercial Cloud

GCC 2.0 will include improvements in user onboarding and provide single credential access to public cloud services and engineering tools, among other areas Continue Reading

Tech suppliers chosen for £5bn NHS digital records framework

A pool of 46 firms has been selected to deliver digital document solutions and associated hardware and software Continue Reading

NHS Digital announces sustainability pledge

NHS Digital outlines its commitments and plans to tackle the net-zero challenge, including a new approach to cloud hosting Continue Reading

IBM readies System Two modular quantum architecture

127-qubit Eagle represents IBM’s last System One quantum computer design. Scaling to more qubits requires multiplexing and modularity Continue Reading

How cosmetics retailer Lush authenticates with ease

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how Lush has modernised user authentication, governed by a desire to care for customer data. We also talk to the chief data officer at Nasa about data as a strategic asset, and the ground of better decision-making. And we foreground a call for the government and the Post Office to compensate victims of the Horizon computer system without delay. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Medtronic ups ante in digital health

Medtronic wants a slice of the burgeoning digital health market and is teaming up with startups and other organisations in Asia-Pacific’s healthcare ecosystem to raise its game Continue Reading

General Motors restructures IT to develop $25bn software business

Carmaker has divided its IT function, one part focusing on the back office, the other on its software-defined business opportunity Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: What to find out before investing in SASE

Petra Wenham of the BCS shares her thoughts on what organisations need to consider as they investigate whether or not to invest in secure access service edge technology Continue Reading

Nominations open for Computer Weekly Innovation Awards APAC 2022

Computer Weekly is looking for nominations for the annual Innovation Awards to honour digital transformation initiatives in Asia-Pacific that have transformed organisations in seven industries Continue Reading