Industry news

The UK government has announced a comprehensive review of the IT and engineering sectors to address persistent labour shortages.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to investigate these sectors' reliance on international workers, amid concerns over high levels of immigration and years of failed promises by both Conservatives and Labour to control migration numbers.

In a letter sent on Wednesday, Cooper called on the MAC to identify specific roles within the tech and engineering sectors that are experiencing shortages.

She asked the committee to assess whether pay, training and working conditions in the UK are contributing to these gaps, and to explore how companies have adapted beyond hiring from abroad.

Read the full article on Computing here.

Procurement is vital to the success of any business. Within this, strategic sourcing is a critical component for finding cost-saving opportunities and enhancing efficiency by optimising the supplier base.

The platforms listed in our top 10 are tools that can help businesses leverage their purchasing power to achieve the best-possible value when it comes to cost, quality and delivery.

This involves a comprehensive analysis of an organisation’s spending patterns, supplier market conditions and procurement needs to develop and implement long-term strategies for acquiring goods and services.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.

CIPS, in partnership with GEP, has published the Global State of Procurement and Supply 2024 report.

The document collected valuable insight from Chief Procurement Officers operating in today’s landscape, alongside Procurement Directors and Heads of Procurement and Supply, within 122 organisations with a combined turnover of US$73bn, uncovering how the environment is currently evolving for procurement and supply chain leaders.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.

Already a leading global force in the AI revolution, the UK has established itself as a welcome home for digital innovation, with AI startups accounting for 22% of all UK tech investment.

But a threat to this growth looms on the horizon: as the Government remains vague on its plans for AI legislation, consumers' and businesses' fears about how their data is used by AI firms are steadily building.

Access to data is the very lifeblood of AI tools, models and businesses. And growing reluctance from consumers and businesses alike to share their data risks arresting our innovation in this space – and throwing our leadership in AI into jeopardy.

Read the full article on Computing here.

Accenture’s latest report has found 96% of global organisations plan to invest more than 5% of their revenue in change initiatives in the next three years.

Meanwhile, research also indicates that only a small proportion of companies have mastered the ability to achieve value from these change initiatives.

Digitisation, automation, AI and technological advancements are shifting the way in which big businesses are working. The pressure to keep up and remain competitive is on, now more than ever.

The potential for disruption is also at a high, meaning the ability to navigate change must become a priority for industry leaders, including procurement professionals.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.

Telefónica Tech UK&I has reported that it has successfully completed the integration of Incremental Group and Adatis, which is acquired back in 2022. The combined businesses are now operating under a single global brand and end-to-end portfolio.

The UK&I business has also been in the midst of a strategic transformation which has seen the business launch a new cybersecurity brand NextDefense in March (, along with a renewed focus on levelling up its cloud capabilities, leveraging AI Copilot solutions for the workplace, and enabling low code app development and automation.

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

Green supply chains are revolutionising the logistics and distribution sectors by integrating environmentally sustainable practices into every phase of the supply chain.

This approach focuses on minimising environmental impact through the efficient use of resources, reduction of waste and adoption of renewable energy sources.

A report by DP World, in collaboration with studioID, highlights the financial benefits of this shift. According to the report, 82% of respondents indicate that embracing sustainability has enhanced their organisation's financial performance.

Read the full article on SupplyChain Digital here.

EXL’s adoption of advanced AI technologies, powered by NVIDIA AI, aims to revolutionize the provision of fast and scalable AI in complex enterprise production environments. As a leader in helping clients redesign customer journeys and reinvent business models by integrating data, analytics and AI directly into critical workflows, EXL will play a key role in fine-tuning and applying the NVIDIA AI platform to highly specialized use cases.

Read the full article on Yahoo Finance here.

NTT DATA UK&I has been expanding its Financial Services ecosystem of late (NTT DATA and iPipeline target growth in UK Insurance) announcing a new partnership with Lynx Tech, a fintech specialising in AI-driven fraud detection.

Lynx is looking to NTT DATA to help scale its activities in Europe initially focusing on the UK, Irish, Spanish, LATAM, and DACH markets, with particular emphasis on the UK and Ireland due to the upcoming Payment Systems Regulation (PSR) changes in October, which will mandate banks and payment service providers to reimburse scam victims.

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

The United Kingdom and India on Wednesday announced the launch of a new Technology Security Initiative in a move to bolster economic ties and address critical global challenges.

The ambitious partnership aims to enhance telecom security, stimulate investment in emerging sectors, and foster collaboration in critical areas such as semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, biotechnology and critical minerals.

Read the full article here.