Tech Time December 2023 Tech Newsletter
Tech sector urged to take action to protect their ideas
The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), part of MI5, and the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSC) have launched a new awareness campaign to encourage the UK’s emerging tech sector to protect and secure their innovations.
The campaign consists of an updated suite of Secure Innovation guidance that offers best practice advice on keeping ideas safe.
How do I secure my ideas?
A free Quick Start Guide is available to help those without extensive security expertise take the first steps towards protecting their innovations.
The advice centres around three key steps:
- appointing a security lead;
- identifying and documenting your key assets; and
- assessing your business for security risks.
Beyond this Quick Start guide, the Secure Innovation website hosts more detailed advisories for businesses and investors, suggesting ways to bolster their protections against criminal and other threats.
Who is this available to?
This guidance is for innovative UK companies of all sizes.
Those with low levels of security are most at risk.
The guidance warns that no company is too small or too young to be a target, especially when working in emerging technologies.
What are the threats?
Potential threats include:
- state actors looking to steal ideas;
- competitors seeking commercial advantage; and
- criminals looking to profit from companies with weak security.
Businesses are advised to take state and criminal threats seriously, ensuring they effectively manage the risks, including those emanating from cyberspace.
What assistance is available?
By accessing the Secure Innovation portal, businesses can get security advice that will help them:
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- understand the threats;
- secure their environment;
- secure their products;
- secure their partnerships;
- expand safely into new markets;
- prepare for security incidents; and
- protect their technology, reputation and future success.
See: Guidance for the emerging technology sector | NPSA
Funding for digital supply chain innovation
Up to £100,000 is available for tech solution providers to address critical supply chain challenges across textiles, farming, hydrogen, food and automotive sectors.
What is it?
The Made Smarter Innovation | Digital Supply Chain Hub (DSCH) is inviting expressions of interest from businesses interested in developing and deploying digital technology solutions in the DSCH testbeds.
A supply chain testbed can be defined as an end-to-end supply chain environment, where technologies can be deployed and tested using real data but without risking business disruption.
What are the challenge areas?
Together with the testbed companies, the DSCH has identified seven potential challenge areas:
- standardised naming system for automotive spare parts;
- project finance and market modelling in the emerging hydrogen supply chain;
- digital product passport for the textile supply chain;
- connected life cycle assessment in the textile supply chain;
- logistics pricing engine in the textile supply chain;
- data driven best before date in the food supply chain; and
- a marketplace for investment in sustainable farming.
Each challenge comes with £100,000 available for a tech solution provider to work with an Industry Challenge Sponsor to address critical supply-chain challenges and develop a solution which will be deployed into one of the testbeds.
Future-proofing the UK’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills base
The UK government is attempting to future-proof the AI skills base with funding to foster skills, including postgraduate research centres and scholarships.
Recognizing the rapid pace of AI development, it is considered important that the UK cultivates the top AI research talent to drive progress in crucial areas like AI safety, and to ensure the whole country can feel any gains that AI will unlock.
The UK government states, “This will ensure the country has the top global expertise and fosters the next generation of researchers needed to seize the transformational benefits of this technology.
Innovation Funding
In a move to secure global expertise, the government has named 12 new Centres for Doctoral Training in AI, receiving £117 million in support from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Additionally, a new visa scheme is being introduced to facilitate the entry of talented AI researchers in their early careers to the UK, particularly benefiting innovative businesses.
The initiative extends further with funding for 15 science and technology scholarships in UK universities, a £1 million grants scheme aiding top AI talent relocation to the UK, and the launch of the ‘Backing Invisible Geniuses’ STEM Olympiad scholarship scheme.
This effort builds upon a recent announcement of £8.1 million for postgraduate course scholarships in AI and data science.
The comprehensive approach aims to nurture the next generation of researchers and harness the transformational benefits of AI technology in the UK.
See: Britain to be made AI match-fit with £118 million skills package – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The content in this article is correct as at 23rd November 2023 See terms and conditions.
