Worldwide: Technology

The UK Government's Defence Investment Plan represents a strategic shift toward autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, creating significant opportunities for the North West's defence technology sector. With substantial investment flowing into uncrewed platforms, cyber resilience, and digital infrastructure over the next decade, regional businesses must understand how intellectual property protection will determine their competitive advantage. This analysis examines the plan

The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) represents a transformative approach to international defence collaboration, uniting the UK, Italy and Japan in developing a next-generation combat air system by 2035. This initiative goes beyond traditional fighter aircraft development, introducing a 'system of systems' approach that integrates advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, secure data networks and multi-domain operations. With potential expansion to include additional partners such as Canad

U.K.-based defense software companies face a critical legal obstacle when seeking U.S. patent protection: mandatory U.K. filing requirements that trigger government security screening, potentially blocking the very international applications they need. How can companies navigate the intersection of software patentability standards, national security restrictions, and criminal liability risks?

Exciting news from Guernsey, where local telecoms provider JT Global has announced that the rollout of 5G connectivity across the island has begun.

Procurement leaders struggling with margin pressure and outdated cost models need a new approach to product teardowns. This framework transforms traditional teardown events into an AI-enhanced continuous cost intelligence pipeline that delivers real-time component-level insights and competitive benchmarking to drive sourcing strategy and design decisions.

The Advertising Standards Authority has issued new guidance addressing the emerging challenges of AI-generated content and deepfake technology in advertising.

This Regulatory Round-up highlights a selection of significant EU and UK developments during March and April 2026 that are of relevance to asset managers, including...

The HEVC Advance Patent Pool has become a focal point for standard-essential patent disputes, with major technology companies facing coordinated litigation across multiple jurisdictions. As licensors pursue enforcement through both the Unified Patent Court and national courts, questions arise about whether offered licensing terms truly meet FRAND obligations and how companies should navigate this complex multi-forum landscape.

The UK Intellectual Property Office has unveiled its Corporate Plan for 2026-2027, outlining ambitious digital transformation initiatives and strategic priorities that will reshape how businesses interact with the UK's IP system. From the rollout of the OneIPO platform to enhanced support for commercialising intellectual property and integrating AI tools, these changes promise to modernize IP services while addressing current backlogs and supporting innovation across all sectors.