Startups need ‘clear pathway’ into UK’s new defence plan, experts warn

Jun03
by on June 3, 2025 at 1:54 pm
Posted In: artificial intelligence


Britain’s new military tech strategy will fail unless startups are given clear pathways to adoption, experts have warned. Their concerns follow the government’s announcement that defence spending will increase to its highest level since the Cold War. Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out the aims in the new Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which includes plans to boost investment in technologies such as AI, drones, robots, laser weapons, and submarines.  The review outlines ambitious goals for military innovation, but defence tech insiders say the real challenge lies in translating funding into front-line deployment.  Tanya Suarez, who leads the dual-use accelerator Janus…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
 Comment 

European software sector at critical ‘inflection point,’ warns McKinsey

Jun02
by on June 2, 2025 at 12:08 pm
Posted In: artificial intelligence


Europe has a unique chance to lead in software — but only if it improves its ability to turn startups into profitable businesses. That’s the conclusion of a new report from McKinsey and Boardwave, which warns that unless the region tackles structural barriers, its startups will continue to lag behind global rivals. The report, Europe’s Moonshot Moment, found that the continent has over 280 software companies generating more than €100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). These scaleups include the likes of Spotify, Revolut, Adyen, and Vinted. However, European software businesses that reach the €100 million ARR threshold take 15…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: , , , , ,
 Comment 

Opinion: Europe must warm up to geothermal before it’s too late

May30
by on May 30, 2025 at 7:00 am
Posted In: Uncategorized


While Europe races to phase out fossil fuels and electrify everything from cars to heating systems, it’s turning a blind eye to a reliable and proven source of clean energy lying right beneath our feet.  Geothermal energy offers exactly what the continent needs most: clean, local, always-on power. Yet, it only accounted for 0.2% of power generation on the continent in 2024. Something needs to change. The recent blackout in Spain, triggered by a failure in the high-voltage grid, serves as a warning shot. While solar and wind are vital pillars of decarbonisation, they’re variable by nature. Without steady, around-the-clock…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
 Comment 

UK trial shows space robots could build solar farms in orbit

May29
by on May 29, 2025 at 5:37 pm
Posted In: Insider


Remote-controlled robots could one day build giant solar farms in space, according to a recent trial in the UK. British startup Space Solar conducted the test at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) facilities on the University of Oxford’s Culham Campus, which hosts several fusion research initiatives. The company used two remotely operated robotic arms to assemble a section of the support structure for its future solar power satellite. The device aims to beam the Sun’s energy from space to Earth.  According to Space Solar, the trial proved that robotics can assemble gigawatt-scale solar power satellites. Sam Adlen, the startup’s…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: , , , , , , ,
 Comment 

‘Little evidence’ that EU laws aided criminals in crypto kidnappings

May29
by on May 29, 2025 at 10:30 am
Posted In: blockchain, cryptocurrency


Earlier this month, the father of a wealthy cryptocurrency entrepreneur was abducted in Paris while walking his dog. The attackers, wearing balaclavas, forced him into a van, later severing one of his fingers and sending a video of the mutilation to his son alongside a demand for millions of euros in ransom. The incident joined a growing list of violent crimes in France linked to crypto wealth. Victims have included a prominent entrepreneur and his wife who were held hostage, a man doused in petrol, and a child targeted in an attempted abduction. As fear spreads within France’s crypto community,…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
 Comment