Tag: priorities

emerging technology

Verdantix Smart Building Technologies Survey Reveals Spending Plans And Technology Priorities For 2021

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Independent research firm Verdantix has released its annual global survey of 250 real estate occupiers across 13 geographies and 18 industries on their firms’ real estate strategic direction, governance, budgets and priorities in relation to technology decisions. The survey revealed that attracting and retaining talent was the top priority for 37% of respondents, followed by building resiliency (23%), cost reduction (22%), and building occupant health and wellbeing (18%).

“Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 has caused vast disruption to business operations globally this year.” commented Verdantix Industry Analyst, Dayann Charles Jeyamohan. “This has prompted many firms to prioritize talent retention and occupant wellbeing programmes within their business strategies to ensure a motivated and healthy workforce during the crisis.”

Key findings of the Verdantix ‘Global Corporate Survey 2020: Smart Building Technology Budgets, Priorities & Preferences’ report:

  • Enabling a remote workforce is the most significant factor shaping real estate strategies (96%), closely followed by social distancing
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emerging technology

Pentagon Risks ‘Paralyzing Ourselves’ as Tech Priorities Keep Shifting

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Mac Thornberry knows what it’s like to have good technical ideas thwarted by the politics of public perception. In 2011, the Republican congressman and some colleagues came up with a list of cybersecurity recommendations at the behest of then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. 

“Just as we were releasing our recommendations, we had the Snowden leaks. We had Wikileaks,” said Thornberry, who is departing Congress as the minority leader of the House Armed Services Committee. “Everybody decided that the government was reading your emails to Grandma” and it became “politically impossible to consider any sort of cyber-related legislation in Congress for several years.” 

Now Thornberry fears that a similar failure to anticipate and defuse public backlash will undermine Pentagon efforts to develop various emerging defense technologies.

“Our adversaries do not have ethical concerns, but we can paralyze ourselves by misinformation or lack of understanding when it comes to artificial intelligence, robotics,

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science and technology

Tech leaders send congratulations and tech policy priorities to Biden

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Written by

Sara Wilson
Nov 10, 2020 | FEDSCOOP

Even as President Donald Trump refuses to concede the election, big tech leaders are moving forward in laying out their policy agendas to President-elect Joe Biden.

“The result is clear and that’s why we sent the letter,” IBM’s Vice President for Government and Regulatory Affairs Chris Padilla told reporters Tuesday, referencing a congratulatory letter the company’s CEO Arvind Krishna sent Biden on Monday.

The letter outlined specific policy proposals for the incoming administration, similar to a 2016 letter they sent to Trump.

“IBM is committed to working with your Administration to do its part,” it reads. “We share your vision of using science to control the virus, widening economic opportunities, achieving racial justice and combatting the climate crisis.”

The company’s top line suggestion is to use technology and science in the fight against COVID-19.

“It’s important to plan ahead, perhaps more

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science

U.S. Space Force outlines practices, priorities

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Nov. 9 (UPI) — A 16-page plan, written by U.S. Space Force chief Gen. John Raymond to outline the new service branch’s management practices, was revealed by the branch on Monday.

“Chief of Space Operations’ Planning Guidance” is a formal guide to Raymond’s vision for the Space Force and provides the framework for its management, priorities and identity, Space Force officials said.

The branch was first organized in 2019 as part of the U.S. Air Force, before its formal establishment as the 6th branch of the U.S. military in December 2019.

Raymond was sworn in as head of the branch in January.

“I expect all uniformed and civilian space professionals, and USAF personnel assigned to USSF units and staffs, to read and begin implementing this guidance immediately,” Raymond wrote in the new document.

Itemized priorities include empowerment of a “lean and agile service,” development of warfighters, delivery of relevant new

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science in the news

Biden promises increased scientific investment if elected in ‘most in-depth statement of priorities’

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In the latest episode of Pod Save America — a podcast hosted by several former Obama administration staffers — the Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, laid out what Politico described as “the most in-depth statement of priorities we’ve heard from” the candidate.

Biden, responding to the Republican Party’s agenda for a second Trump administration term (which includes items focused on space exploration and a national high speed wireless network), said that, first and foremost, he’s determined to “get control” of the coronavirus pandemic. Beyond that, though, he said he wants to invest in “real infrastructure,” with a heavy focus on science and technology. “We used to invest a little over 2.6 percent of our GDP in research and science,” Biden said. “It’s now down to 0.6 percent … We’re going to make sure that we can compete with the rest of the world and lead the rest

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