October 1, 2019
UK organisations risk falling behind global competitors unless they act now to accelerate their use of AI technology, according to a new report unveiled today by Microsoft UK. The report claims that organisations currently using AI are now outperforming those that are not by 11.5 percent – a boost that, in the face of unprecedented economic and political uncertainty, UK businesses can ill-afford to pass up, the authors suggest. (more…)
September 23, 2019
As world leaders meet in New York for today’s UN Climate Action Summit, a group of 59 large multinationals including Swiss Re, Ikea, and L’Oréal have signed up to the UN Global Compact to pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The compact now has 87 corporations as signatories, including Astra Zeneca and Unilever who signed up earlier this year, with a combined market value of $2.3 trillion. As is the case with countries, there is still a way to go for more companies to take decisive action on climate change, however. (more…)
September 19, 2019
New research commissioned by Experience Invest claims that the majority of UK commercial property investors have put their financial plans on hold as they await the Brexit deadline and 2019 Autumn Budget, new research from Experience Invest claims. Experience Invest commissioned an independent survey of over 1,000 property investors, who all own three or more residential properties in the UK. (more…)
September 4, 2019
A new report supports the idea that when it comes to the workplace and the effect it has on personal wellbeing and productivity, employees want the basics first. According to the Workplace Wellness Study published by Future Workplace, a New York-based research firm, and office technology provider View, the most highly prized features of an office are good air quality, access to natural light, and an ability to personalise immediate workspace. (more…)
July 31, 2019
Take-up across the UK’s ‘Big Nine’ regional office markets rose to 2.3 million square feet during second quarter of 2019 according to the latest market update from property advisors Avison Young. This is up ten percent up on a 10-year average, with activity was skewed towards flexible offices, larger deals, city centres and the technology media and telecoms sector. (more…)
July 19, 2019
Two new studies suggest that the failure to keep workers equipped with the latest technology is having a huge impact on their productivity and causing them to waste large amounts of time. According to the first piece of research from tech provider Insight, UK office workers waste 1.8 billion working hours every year because the outdated technology they’re given isn’t good enough to meet their needs. (more…)
July 18, 2019
Activity in the construction sector rose in the second quarter of the year, despite concerns that political uncertainty surrounding Brexit was holding back investment. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors claims that the market has lost patience with the lack of clarity over Brexit and that clients were beginning to push ahead with projects, albeit tentatively. In its construction and infrastructure survey, a balance of 16 per cent of respondents reported an increase in work, up from 9 per cent in the previous quarter. (more…)
July 12, 2019
A new urban model is emerging worldwide – transforming the way cities design and use physical space, generate economic wealth, consume and dispose of resources, exploit and sustain the natural ecosystems they need, and prepare for the future. This emerging new urban paradigm has profound implications for players who care about and depend on the design of a city’s built infrastructure – including architects, engineers, builders, real estate developers, and office building tenants. (more…)
July 4, 2019
Global spending on smart cities will reach $189.5 billion in 2023, according to the latest IDC Worldwide Semiannual Smart Cities Spending Guide. The report claims that the main priorities for investment will be resilient energy and infrastructure projects, followed by data-driven public safety and intelligent transport. It suggests that these priority areas will account for more than half of all smart city spending throughout the 2019-2023 forecast period. The guide claims to quantify the expected technology opportunity around initiatives at a regional and global level. (more…)
July 2, 2019
Firms in the FTSE 100 are on track to reach the target of 33 percent of women on boards by 2020 that was set by the Hampton Alexander Review. In its July update, the organisation reports that 27.5 percent of FTSE 250 board positions now held by women, up from 24.9 percent three years ago. The figures suggest that if progress matches the same gains made over the last 3 years, then FTSE 100 companies are on track to meet the 2020 target. Just under a third (32.1 percent) of FTSE 100 board positions are now held by women, up from 12.5 percent in 2011. (more…)
June 4, 2019
Sedus Stoll Group has announced another impressive set of financial results with an increase in revenue to €212.3 million (2017: €191.2 million), surpassing the €200 million milestone by a large margin for the first time in its history, and a profit of €9.8 million. As well as a 2.2 percent overall increase in the total market volume for its office furniture business, the firm enjoyed an increase in new orders of 5.3 percent, consolidating its position as one of the most successful and innovative firms in the European market. (more…)
June 25, 2019
Office furniture firms take their partners
by Colin Watson • Comment, Furniture, Workplace design