Search Results for: innovation

Better Buildings challenge for sustainable innovation

BPP

A competition to find green solutions that help to improve the performance of commercial buildings has been launched by the Institute for Sustainability, in partnership with the Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC) and the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) – a collaboration of leading London commercial property owners and investors. Because energy efficiency improvement works have focused primarily on mechanical and electrical control upgrades and plant replacement, the competition focuses on innovations which could help improve the environmental performance of the building envelope. More →

Plans to convert offices may undermine innovation and growth

Old Street roundabout regenerationWhatever they might think, Governments don’t have a natural propensity for joined up thinking. Nor do they have a natural affinity with small businesses, especially those that emerge in non-traditional sectors. Governments may like to claim they can display both of these noble values, but experience tells us different. One thing they are prone to, however, is a frequent ability to fall victim to unfortunate juxtapositions of complex events that throw their inherent weaknesses into sharp relief.

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Innovation needed to catapult UK to technology success

Catapult centre

The government must scale up the UK’s new programme of technology and innovation centres – Catapults – by 50% to 100%, the Big Innovation Centre will announce at a meeting at the House of Lords today. Will Hutton, chair of the Big Innovation Centre at the Work Foundation warned: “Catapults are desperately needed and important new institutions that could allow the UK to reproduce German success in 21st century industrial sectors and services. Yet the Catapult programme needs to be bigger and bolder in its scope, aims and resources if their potential as convenors, catalysts, risk-mitigators and horizon scanners is to be fully exploited.”

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Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

Shortage of high-quality data threatens the AI ‘boom’

A number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threaten the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data InstituteA number of fundamental issues, including a shortage of high-quality data with which to ‘train’ the technology is threatening the AI ‘boom’, according to a new white paper from the Open Data Institute. The paper Building a better future with data and AI is based on research carried out by the Institute in the first half of 2024. It claims to identify significant weaknesses in the UK’s technological infrastructure that threaten the predicted potential gains – for people, society, and the economy – from the surge of interest in artificial intelligence and its applications. It also outlines the ODI’s recommendations for creating diverse, fair data-centric AI. More →

Organisations struggle to nurture creativity even though they see it as essential

Organisations struggle to nurture creativity even though they see it as essential

Despite the widespread belief in the importance of creativity, many organisations are struggling to create environments that nurture and encourage innovative thinking.A new report from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, in collaboration with Canva, claims to have uncovered the significant challenges organisations face when it comes to fostering creativity within the workplace. Despite the widespread belief in the importance of creativity, many organisations are struggling to create environments that nurture and encourage innovative thinking. More →

Book review: Workspace Made Easy

Book review: Workspace Made Easy

Workspace Made Easy by Kursty Groves and Neil Usher offers a step-by- step-guide through the complexities of creating and implement a workplace strategy from first principles through to occupying a space and changing it over timeThere’s a dog-eared, yellowing paperback on my bookshelf called Understanding Offices. Written by Joanna Eley and Alexi Marmot, it dates from 1995. It is a handbook for everybody who needed to know how to develop a workplace strategy during the infant phase of the digital and cultural revolution of the late 20th Century. I used to refer to it all the time, but now it serves mainly as a reminder of how much has changed over the past thirty years, and also how little. More →

CIBSE and IBPSA-England announce their partnership for 2025 Technical Symposium

CIBSE and IBPSA-England announce their partnership for 2025 Technical Symposium

CIBSE and IBPSA-England are pleased to unveil their partnership for the upcoming 2025 Technical Symposium.CIBSE and IBPSA-England are pleased to unveil their partnership for the upcoming 2025 Technical Symposium. This joint effort merges two premier events in building performance and sustainable design: CIBSE’s annual Technical Symposium and IBPSA-England’s biennial Building Simulation and Optimisation event. Themed “Fit for 2050 – Achieving Net-Zero through Intelligent, Resilient and Sustainable Design in the Built Environment,” the CIBSE IBPSA-England Technical Symposium 2025 aims to serve as a platform for the latest research and innovations in sustainable practices. This partnership underscores a shared dedication to advancing knowledge and best practices in building performance. More →

Crown estate announces details of latest London commercial property developments

Crown estate announces details of latest London commercial property developments

The Crown Estate has unveiled details of its pipeline of commercial property developments in London’s West End.The Crown Estate has unveiled details of its pipeline of commercial property developments in London’s West End. According to The Crown Estate, the first three projects, which have a Gross Development Value of over £430 million, will deliver 250,000 sq ft of office, leisure and retail space in the heart of the Capital, which it claims will help to stimulate the renewal of the West End, attract global investment and contribute to the wider success of London. More →

How AI will transform the way we design and manage the places we work

How AI will transform the way we design and manage the places we work

The future of work is here. It's AI-powered, human-centered, and brimming with possibility. Are you ready to shape it?The integration of Artificial Intelligence into the workplace is not just a technological shift; it’s a fundamental reimagining of how we work, interact, and manage our professional environments. As AI capabilities rapidly evolve, they promise to transform every aspect of workplace design and management, from physical layouts to organizational structures and employee experiences. More →

Addressing bad behavior with good policy

Addressing bad behavior with good policy

Addressing bad behavior in the workplace should be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity, writes Laura DribinThe COVID-19 outbreak (and subsequent lockdowns) did a number on us in our workplaces and in our homes—and we are still paying the price in so many ways. Did employees and managers get so used to remote work that they totally forgot that humans are social creatures and social interaction is vital to our wellbeing. Sometimes it feels that way. I have spent most of my career working on and managing large global projects. Issues that arose always seemed to be focused on headquarters- and/or remote-location considerations but nothing so serious that it would hinder the project team(s) from working together. More →

Bloom Clerkenwell tenants connected via world mobile first from Freshwave

Bloom Clerkenwell tenants connected via world mobile first from Freshwave

All the current tenants at Bloom Clerkenwell in London are now enjoying indoor mobile connectivity from all four mobile network operators (MNOs) thanks to a world first from Freshwave.All the current tenants at Bloom Clerkenwell in London are now enjoying indoor mobile connectivity from all four mobile network operators (MNOs) thanks to a world first from Freshwave. Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave’s Omni Network delivers 4G signal from all four operators combined into a single box, something which has never been done before with small cells. It was deployed at Bloom using CommScope’s ONECELL. More →

Understanding enterprise search software and its importance in the business landscape

Understanding enterprise search software and its importance in the business landscape

Businessman using enterprise search tool and talking on the phoneAs the digital landscape of business continues to expand, the ability to navigate vast repositories of information swiftly and accurately is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. In this article, we will explore the span of enterprise search, its central features, and the positive outcomes it ripples through an organization. Keep reading to understand how enterprise search software can transform your business processes. More →