Search Results for: technologies

July 30, 2019

GDP should be replaced by new indicators of prosperity and wellbeing

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Wellbeing

As the consequences of climate change, social tensions and high levels of inequality are increasingly evident, the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, led by Professor Diane Coyle, has published its initial report on how to improve economic measurement by replacing GDP as the standard measure for national prosperity with others that include wellbeing and social and environmental capital. (more…)

July 22, 2019

A new generation of smart cities is with us

by James Ransom • Cities, Features

An abandoned mine shaft beneath the town of Mansfield, England is an unlikely place to shape the future of smart cities. But here, researchers from the nearby University of Nottingham are planning to launch a “deep farm” that could produce ten times as much food as farms above ground. Deep farms are an example of what the latest wave of smart cities look like: putting people first by focusing on solving urban problems and improving existing infrastructure, rather than opening shiny new buildings. (more…)

July 22, 2019

UK could receive £250 billion boost if labour market matched that of Sweden

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

New analysis by economists at PwC claims that, if the UK could match Sweden in terms of its employment rates for women aged 25-54, older workers and the proportion of its young people not in employment, education or training, the potential boost to UK GDP could be as much as 12 percent, or around £250 billion at 2018 values. Although the UK labour market has been strong in recent years – the employment rate is at a record high of over 75 percent and unemployment is at its lowest level since the mid 1970s – new research from PwC indicates that performance is middling compared to other OECD economies. A new composite Labour Market Performance index, combining results from PwC’s Youth Employment, Golden Age and Women in Work indices, finds the UK is 19th overall amongst OECD countries. Iceland and Sweden top the combined index rankings based on the latest available annual data for 2018. (more…)

July 18, 2019

Govt scheme to retrain people in the age of automation

by Neil Franklin • AI, News

The UK Government in partnership with the CBI and TUC has launched a new scheme to help workers whose jobs change or become obsolete because of advances in technology. Workers will be offered help in retraining or finding a new career amid suggestions that up to a third of jobs could be at risk of changing because of automation in the coming 10 to 20 years. The National Training Scheme will be trialled in Liverpool before being rolled out across England. The CBI and TUC are both backing the initiative as a way of boosting productivity, pay and workers’ skills. (more…)

July 12, 2019

A life after carbon for the built environment

by Peter Plastrik and John Cleveland • Cities, Environment, Features, Technology

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 10, 2019

Large firms not investing enough in productivity

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new report claims that 86 percent of Britain’s largest businesses are worried about raising their productivity with two-fifths (39 percent) calling their productivity ‘very concerning’, but that they are investing just 0.25 percent of turnover in measures to improve it, less than they invest in telecoms. The report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and Concentra Analytics also suggests there is a “spray and pray approach” to driving productivity caused by a lack of insight into the performance of people. (more…)

July 10, 2019

Google remains most attractive company to work for

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Universum Global has launched the findings for the UK portion of its annual Global Talent Survey (registration) which claims that Google is the UK’s most attractive company to work for by graduates for the seventh consecutive year. Universum studied 39,500 students from 97 British Universities to understand the career aspirations, goals and workplace requirements for graduates.

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July 8, 2019

Volkswagen to apply agile working at new Berlin campus

by Freddie Steele • News, Technology, Workplace design

Volkswagen has opened its new ‘We Campus’ in Berlin and claims that the agile working principles used in its design will transform the working lives and output of the 900 people at the facility. The campus will bring together about experts from Volkswagen and other firms who have previously worked at different locations. Volkswagen claims that the centre will be an essential part of what it calls the We ecosystem, which includes an electric car sharing service WeShare which has been launched in Berlin with 1,500 e-Golf cars. Volkswagen also plans to create new future-oriented jobs at the campus. (more…)

July 4, 2019

World Economic Forum sets out top tech trends for 2019

by Mark Eltringham • AI, News, Technology

The World Economic Forum has announced its annual list of breakthrough technologies with the greatest potential to make a positive impact on our world. The technologies on the list, which is curated by members of the Forum’s Expert Network, are selected against a number of criteria. In addition to promising major benefits to societies and economies, they must also be disruptive, attractive to investors and researchers, and expected to have achieved considerable scale within five years. This year’s list features several technologies and tech trends directly relevant to the workplace and building design, including telepresence, automation and systems for plastics management.

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July 4, 2019

Smart cities spend to top $189 billion in next five years

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Technology

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 4, 2019

Poor office design continues to hamper productivity

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Research published by Dell claims to highlight the issues related to office design holding back workers’ productivity and the impact this has on UK businesses. While classic gripes like office temperature and loud colleagues take the top spots, poorly designed or implemented technology is having a negative impact on employees – with out of date technology (29 percent), poor Wi-Fi (22 percent) and poorly integrated technology (19 percent) featuring in the top ten factors UK workers feel impact their office lives. (more…)

July 2, 2019

More people than ever plan to work past 65 but health fears remain

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

According to ONS statistics, nearly three quarters (71 percent), or 23 million UK based employees, plan to work beyond the age of 65, but two in five of these (41 percent) – equivalent to 9.5 million workers – are concerned their health will make it difficult to do so, according to new research from Canada Life Group Insurance. Over a quarter (27 percent) of UK employees think their boss views older workers as a ‘hassle’ because of these possible health struggles. This highlights the potential for poor health to act as a barrier to employment and retention of older workers. Employees also believe their boss perceives older workers as stuck in their ways (30 percent) and technologically inept (30 percent). Among the biggest concerns of those intending to work beyond the age of 65 is that they will be treated differently because their boss or colleagues perceive them as being ‘old’. (more…)