All posts tagged: sector

Politics Home | Private Sector Offered To Lend Government Experts To Help Design Energy Bill Support

Politics Home | Private Sector Offered To Lend Government Experts To Help Design Energy Bill Support

Published by Sam Flores

4 min read3 hr The government turned down private sector experts being seconded to Whitehall to help create a new targeted energy bill support scheme.  PoliticsHome understands that departments were in talks with the energy sector about data analysts being seconded to the civil service to help design a scheme in response to the Iran war, but decided against it.  The revelation comes amid questions over whether the government has the data it needs to build a scheme that ensures financial support reaches households who need it most amid the global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict, without spending huge amounts of public money.  Ministers have said that any new support for household energy bills will be targeted and not a repeat of the universal scheme rolled out by the then-Conservative government in 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put extreme pressure on global energy supplies. Earlier this month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC: “I want to learn the lessons of the past because when Russia invaded Ukraine, the richest, the best-off third of households got more …

Making AI operational in constrained public sector environments

Making AI operational in constrained public sector environments

Published by skeptic

SLMs are purpose-built for the needs of the department or agency that will use them. The data is stored securely outside the model, and is only accessed when queried. Carefully engineered prompts ensure that only the most relevant information is retrieved, providing more accurate responses. Using methods such as smart retrieval, vector search, and verifiable source grounding, AI systems can be built that cater to public sector needs.  Thus, the next phase of AI adoption in the public sector may be to bring the AI tool to the data, rather than sending the data out into the cloud. Gartner predicts that by 2027, small, specialized AI models will be used three times more than LLMs. Superior search capabilities “When people in the public sector hear AI, they probably think about ChatGPT. But we can be much more ambitious,” says Xiao. “AI can revolutionize how the government searches and manages the large amounts of data they have.” Looking beyond chatbots reveals one of AI’s most immediate opportunities: dramatically improved search. Like many organizations, the public sector …

Moving the forestry-wood sector into the 21st century

Moving the forestry-wood sector into the 21st century

Published by skeptic

CoE LignoSilva, a Horizon Europe project, drives innovation in the European forestry-wood sector through the use of advanced technologies such as 3D CT wood scanning The forest-based sector is entering a new era. Digital technologies, sustainable materials, and circular bioeconomy principles are redefining how wood is produced, processed and used across Europe. As industries increasingly turn to renewable resources to replace fossil-based materials, wood is emerging as one of the most strategic materials for the transition to a low-carbon economy. At the centre of this transformation stands the Centre of Excellence LignoSilva, a research and innovation hub designed to strengthen technological progress and industrial competitiveness in the forestry-wood sector. Established within the Horizon Europe project ‘Upgrade of the Centre of Excellence LignoSilva’, the initiative focuses on modernising research infrastructure, strengthening scientific excellence and accelerating innovation across the entire forest-based value chain. The project is coordinated by the National Forest Centre in Slovakia, in partnership with the Pulp and Paper Research Institute and the internationally recognised Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research – Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institute (WKI) in Germany. …

Singapore’s public sector to reduce electricity consumption at government facilities amid Middle East crisis

Singapore’s public sector to reduce electricity consumption at government facilities amid Middle East crisis

Published by Sam Flores

In a ministerial statement in parliament on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong noted the impact of the Middle East conflict on energy supplies and global trade. While Singapore’s GDP growth in the first three months of the year was resilient, Mr Gan said, growth will likely be affected in the coming quarters. Due to the increased oil and natural gas prices, a sharper increase in the regulated electricity tariff is also expected next quarter. In a video message last week, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong urged businesses and households to play their part by conserving energy and reducing unnecessary consumption and waste, stressing that national resilience depends not just on government action but also on collective effort. “For businesses, this means reviewing operations and improving energy efficiency. For households, it means being mindful of daily energy use,” he said. “These may seem like small steps, but taken together, they make a real difference. The government will support you. But our collective response will be far stronger if each of us plays our part too.” MSE …

Why the water sector must reconsider its values

Why the water sector must reconsider its values

Published by skeptic

Jeannette Henderson, Principal – Innovation, Ofwat, discusses the importance of protecting our natural systems while tackling the increasingly pervasive issue of PFAS. Forever chemicals are forcing the water sector to confront an uncomfortable truth: the most critical infrastructure we manage isn’t pipes or treatment works, but the natural systems we have long treated as expendable. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemicals that are designed to be durable – resistant to heat, water, and oil. As such, they have been coined ‘forever chemicals’. Their durability, while offering merits, is also what makes them so problematic. Once released into the environment, they persist for decades and accumulate in soils, rivers, and ultimately, in our own bodies. They are used in firefighting foams, across a range of industrial processes, and in many of the products that we rely on every day. From cosmetics and clothing to washing powders and non-stick pans, PFAS are everywhere. As a result, when we clean our clothes, wash off our makeup, or cook food, traces of PFAS go down the drain. …

UK to raise steel tariffs to 50 percent in new sector strategy this week – POLITICO

UK to raise steel tariffs to 50 percent in new sector strategy this week – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

British officials have told both U.K. steel producers and downstream importers, who use steel in everything from construction to automotive manufacturing, to expect a 50 percent duty outside of new quotas in a move “likely to be similar to the EU,” said a second industry figure. Both industry figures were granted anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. Last October, the EU announced plans to reduce its quotas on foreign steel imports by almost half and levy a 50 percent tariff on goods exceeding the cap. The move is part of an overhaul of so-called safeguard protections that expire in both the EU and U.K., under World Trade Organization rules, at the end of June. The U.K.’s strategy setting out the future of the sector has been repeatedly delayed. On Thursday, Kyle will set out a new scheme of trade protections to replace the so-called steel safeguards scheme. A Tata Steel UK executive told lawmakers in early February that the government “had eight weeks to save the British steel industry” by shielding it …

Unacademy to be acquired by upGrad in share-swap deal as India’s edtech sector consolidates

Unacademy to be acquired by upGrad in share-swap deal as India’s edtech sector consolidates

Published by skeptic

Unacademy, once a one of India’s most valuable edtech startups, is set to be acquired by rival upGrad in an all-stock deal that would bring together two major online learning platforms in the country. On Sunday, Unacademy co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal said in a post on X that the companies had signed a term sheet for upGrad to acquire Unacademy in a 100% share-swap deal, adding that the valuation would not be disclosed until the transaction closes. The announcement comes more than three months after Munjal said that Unacademy’s valuation had dropped below $500 million — down roughly 85% from its pandemic-era peak of $3.5 billion in 2021. India’s once-booming edtech sector has struggled since pandemic-era lockdowns eased, as students returned to classrooms and demand for online test prep and learning platforms cooled. Companies including Unacademy, which expanded aggressively during the pandemic, have since cut costs, scaled back offline ambitions, and refocused on core digital products. In a separate post, upGrad co-founder Ronnie Screwvala said Munjal will continue leading Unacademy after the acquisition, adding …

UK allocates £30M to strengthen satellite communications sector

UK allocates £30M to strengthen satellite communications sector

Published by skeptic

New funding aims to help domestic companies compete in the rapidly expanding global satellite network market. The UK Government has announced £30m fiscal backing to accelerate the development of satellite communications technology, part of a broader strategy to strengthen the country’s role in the global space economy. The investment, confirmed by Space Minister Liz Lloyd, will support British companies developing critical components for modern satellite networks operating in low Earth orbit (LEO). The funding comes through the UK Space Agency’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme and is designed to help technologies move from laboratory testing into operational missions. Government officials say the initiative is intended to position the UK to capture a larger share of a global satellite communications market estimated to be worth about £40bn and expanding by more than 10% annually. Minister Lloyd explained: “Space is now the cornerstone of our modern economy. Satellite constellations have revolutionised how we operate, digitalising industries, optimising logistics and connecting all corners of the globe. “This new funding will support the development of smarter satellites …

Could joining the state sector be an option for private schools?

Could joining the state sector be an option for private schools?

Published by skeptic

Private schools in England are facing new financial realities. Following the UK general election in July 2024, the new government introduced VAT on school fees and removed charitable business rates relief for independent schools. At the same time, staffing costs have continued to rise. Employer national insurance contributions have increased, and the national minimum wage has risen. For some schools – particularly smaller institutions with limited endowments or declining enrolments – this has raised questions about their sustainability. Although the full impact of these funding changes remains to be seen, they have intensified concerns about sustainability within parts of the independent sector and raised broader questions about reform. One viable yet underexplored option is the conversion of private schools to the state sector. Although still relatively rare, a small number of independent schools have taken this route over the past two decades. In a new report, commissioned by thinktank the Private Education Policy Forum, my colleague Tom Richmond and I have carried out the first comprehensive analysis of what happens when independent schools become state …

DraftKings announces plans to launch market-making arm for predictions sector

DraftKings announces plans to launch market-making arm for predictions sector

Published by skeptic

Building on its pivot into prediction markets, gambling giant DraftKings has confirmed it will launch a market-making arm in the new sector. DraftKings has made its focus on prediction markets moving forward clear in a letter to its shareholders, published on Thursday (February 12), alongside the company’s quarterly report. As well as collaborating with Crypto.com to spawn the prediction markets business arm and launching a dedicated app, DraftKings has now confirmed plans to launch market-making as “a core part of the customer experience.” That means it will offer both buy (bid) and sell (ask) prices for event contracts, much like Kalshi and Polymarket. DraftKings is planning to "deploy growth capital" into prediction markets but also taking pains to show that prediction markets aren't actually disrupting their existing online sports betting business: pic.twitter.com/PwkcKCFM1X — Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) February 12, 2026 “We have been building DraftKings for more than 14 years,” reads the letter. “When a new growth lane opens, we move fast and execute at scale. Predictions is the most exciting new growth opportunity we have …