Industry news

It’s probably worth a roll-call of the Atos CEOs of the last few years. The last period of managerial stability for the Group was during Thierry Breton’s tenure as CEO for 11 years through to 2019. Since then, we have seen a further six CEOs in position, with another one revealed to be just around the corner

Now, the Group is looking ahead to another CEO starting in February next year. Atos has appointed Philippe Salle as Chairman of the Board of Directors with immediate effect and as Chairman and CEO from 1st February 2025. Mustier will act as CEO for the company until 31st January, with Atos keen to highlight its aim to ensure an “orderly, constructive and effective transition”; during that transition period he will be responsible for monitoring and ensuring the proper implementation of the accelerated safeguard plan

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

The UK government has announced £6.3bn of foreign investment into UK Data centre infrastructure, as part of a total £63bn in private investment committed at the International Investment Summit.

The new data centre investment will provide the UK with more computing power and data storage, so that Britain has the necessary infrastructure to train and deploy the next generation of AI technologies. The investment came from four companies:

• CloudHQ 
• ServiceNow 
• CyrusOne
• CoreWeave 

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

As the pressures of environmental degradation and diminishing natural resources increasingly impinge on the supply chain, procurement can play an essential role in nurturing a more resilient future. According to new research from H&Z, organisations must adapt to growing environmental pressures, from CO₂ management to circular economy initiatives.

“The Procurement Pathfinder 2024 is the result of a collaborative effort between H&Z, The Procurement Initiative, and The University of St. Gallen’s Supply Chain Institute. The Pathfinder 2024 is more than just a trend analysis; it’s an essential compass for procurement leaders,” the experts note.

Read the full article on Consultancy.uk here.

UK businesses have emerged as AI leaders with more than a fifth of companies implementing AI technologies across their businesses.

This is according to a global study from consultancy BearingPoint, which found that while the UK statistics are nearly double the global average (12%), the country’s public sector is lagging behind on adoption of AI (13%) – despite the new government looking to explore future opportunities for growth with AI.

Read the full article on Management Today here.

AI builds resilience by mitigating risks and improving decision-making through accurate, real time data. One of the biggest challenges in today's supply chains is inaccurate or outdated inventory data, which can lead to stockouts, over-ordering, or delayed responses to disruptions.

AI helps solve this by providing real-time, accurate insights into inventory levels, allowing procurement teams to make more informed decisions.

For example, by capturing inventory data at the dock door and updating existing inventory management systems, Kargo enables teams to realise inventory faster than manual processes. With Kargo, companies see a 30-50% improvement in inventory integrity.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.

A new study from Apple's AI researchers has exposed significant limitations in the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs).

In a newly released paper titled "GSM-Symbolic: Understanding the Limitations of Mathematical Reasoning in Large Language Models," the researchers argued that LLMs, despite their impressive language skills, demonstrate a troubling degree of inconsistency when solving mathematical problems.

The study found that these models struggle with even simple mathematical problems when presented with even slight changes in the wording of queries.

Read the full article on Computing here.

Indian tycoon Ratan Tata has died aged 86, says the Tata Group, the conglomerate he led for more than two decades.

Tata was one of India's most internationally recognised business leaders.

The Tata Group is one of India's largest companies, with annual revenues in excess of $100bn (£76.5bn).

In a statement announcing Tata's death, the current chairman of Tata Sons described him as a "truly uncommon leader".

Natarajan Chandrasekaran added: "On behalf of the entire Tata family, I extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones.

"His legacy will continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold the principles he so passionately championed."

Read the full article on the BBC here.

Meta has now teased its own AI text to video tool, ‘Meta Movie Gen’. Not only will you be able to generate videos from user prompts, you can also use it to edit existing videos, and add sound (something Sora cannot currently do). Users can also use photos of themselves to create a personal video of them doing an action such as painting on a canvas. 

Read the full article on TechMarketView here.

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, effective procurement and supply chain management is critical for business success and resilience. Global disruptions, sustainability demands, and evolving technology are transforming how organisations operate.

At Procurement Magazine we are dedicated to empowering businesses with the tools and insights they need to adapt and thrive.

Launching The Procurement Survey in 2025 furthers this ambition to be part of the conversation, tell the success stories, share the strategies, and highlight best practices from those dedicated to innovation and sustainable business practices.

Stakeholder engagement is vital for procurement, to promote sustainability across supply chains. DP World shares how it makes working together work

Engaging with stakeholders is crucial for sustainability in procurement, as it creates an environment in which collaboration can flourish, transparency can be found and all parties can align on goals towards a number of issues — including sustainability.

By working alongside these groups, organisations can improve their decision-making, mitigate environmental and social impacts and build strong, more resilient processes.

Read the full article on Procurement Magazine here.