Welcome to the Winter 2022 edition of Ahead of the Curve.

We launch this edition of Ahead of the Curve in the same month we launched our new website. Just like any tech out there, our website is an enabler. It enables you, our audience and clients, to find the information you need and get in touch with us with more ease than ever. With the technology behind it, will enables us to greater insight about how visitors are using it so we can continuously improve it. 

So this issue looks at tech as the enabler of smarter business decisions, as a tool to improve the quality of the data businesses used in their decision-making process and the government’s national security and industrial strategy. 

We view tech and innovation as a sector in its own right, but also as an industry that now underpins almost every aspect of our personal and business lives. 

For farming businesses, is AgriTech a ‘magic bean’ solution to some of the sector’s pressing issues? In our article, we’ve spoken to the experts to learn about the origins, the current trends and the possible future of AgriTech. We’ve connected with entrepreneurs who are quite literally flying the flag for innovation in arable farm management. 

Retail is another industry where tech is changing how the sector approaches sales and consumers make buying decisions. Read our article to learn why retail tech needs to be backed up by a robust data culture. 

Finally, in this month’s guest article Alex Stewart, founder of the Bessemer Society, shines a light on the opportunities the UK has in the semiconductor industry. He explains why now is the critical time to agree a national strategy, while we highlight new legislation designed to protect the UK’s national security in a sector that is key to the success of the UK economy. 

Thank you for taking the time to read Ahead of the Curve, we hope you enjoy it.