23rd ProCon Leicestershire Awards will be held in November

A college has two new buildings up against a new hospital research unit in the Medium Non-residential Scheme of the Year category in the 2026 ProCon Leicestershire property and construction awards.

The sports and technology buildings at Loughborough College are competing with the research unit at Leicester General Hospital in this award, which is sponsored by Knights and is one of seven in this year’s 23rd ProCon Leicestershire Awards.

The Medium Non-residential Scheme of the Year finalists are:

Loughborough College Sports Hall, Loughborough, submitted by Stepnell

Loughborough College Sports Centre is a three-storey, 2,750 square metre sports and learning facility designed to support elite performance, teaching excellence and the long-term growth of the campus.

The scheme is a flagship element of the College’s wider £35 million investment programme and provides a future-ready environment for students, staff and the wider college community.

Delivery took place on a live and operational college campus, requiring careful phasing and proactive coordination to protect student safety and minimise disruption throughout the build.

Leicester Diabetes Centre, Leicester General Hospital, submitted by Stephen George + Partners

The Leicester Diabetes Centre Extension is a new research facility at Leicester General Hospital, strengthening the centre’s position as one of the UK’s leading institutions for diabetes and long-term conditions research.

The three-storey extension was designed to maximise the constrained site without compromising the original building. Contemporary materials, including profiled silver metal cladding, distinguish the extension as the next chapter in the centre’s evolution.

Full-height glazing and the building’s orientation maximise natural daylight, creating bright, welcoming spaces for staff, researchers and visitors to the prominent landmark on the hospital campus.

The Institute of Technology, Loughborough College, submitted by CPW

The Institute of Technology building at Loughborough College is a flagship development delivering a high-quality, future-focused learning environment for engineering, manufacturing and digital education.

As part of the East Midlands Institute of Technology partnership, the scheme plays a key role in strengthening the region’s position as a centre for advanced technical skills and innovation by addressing critical UK skills gaps in engineering, digital and clean energy.

The three-storey 1,452 square metre facility has been carefully designed to support a modern, industry-aligned curriculum in nine classrooms, four specialist laboratories and two open-plan collaboration spaces.

Russell Dowling, Real Estate Partner at award sponsor Knights, said: “As a passionate supporter of development and innovation across Leicester, Leicestershire and the wider region, Knights are delighted to sponsor the Medium Non-Residential category at this year’s ProCon Awards.

“These awards are pivotal in highlighting the incredible expertise that we have to help drive the built environment sector forward locally and we are proud to show our continued support.”

The 2026 ProCon Awards are backed by two corporate sponsors: Salus and Unique Window Systems. The Leicester Mercury’s Business Live is the media partner.

The other six awards are:

• Rising Star of the Year, sponsored by Galliford Try
• Small Residential Scheme of the Year
• Medium Residential Scheme of the Year
• Small Non-residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Merali Beedle
• Large Non-residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Procure Partnerships Framework
• Regeneration Project of the Year, sponsored by NJC Surveys and AR Demolition

All the contenders will be in the spotlight at a Finalist Showcase at the 2025 winner Jewry Wall in Leicester from 6pm on Wednesday October 7.

Finalists and winners will be celebrated at a ceremony on November 12 at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium. Details of all the awards finalists are at: procon-leicestershire.co.uk/procon-awards/2026

Companies keen to attend the Finalist Showcase, the ceremony or to enquire about sponsorship opportunities can contact Allyson Jeffrey on 0116 278 1443 or via email: info@procon-leicestershire.co.uk

Anthropic did not submit its most powerful artificial intelligence model to the UK government’s AI Security Institute for testing before releasing it last week, the first time the company has bypassed the British body.

Claude Mythos 5.1 was made available only to US vetting organisations. The model, designed specifically for cybersecurity and life sciences, is distributed through what Anthropic calls “trusted access programs” rather than released publicly.

In a blog post last week, the company said the model was “only available to a set of US organisations, though we’re co-ordinating with the US government to expand access to a broader set of domestic and international partners as quickly as possible”. The story was reported by the Financial Times.

Anthropic said access runs through two schemes: a Cyber Verification Program for defensive security professionals, and a Life Sciences Verification Program that it said was developed in partnership with the US government and has enrolled its first participants.

An earlier model in the same family, Claude Mythos, prompted crisis meetings among finance ministers and central bankers over fears the technology could be turned on the global financial system. Canada’s finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, told media the model was “serious enough to warrant the attention of all the finance ministers”.

Export controls and access fears

The Trump administration imposed an export ban on the earlier generation of the model over the summer, after the US Department of Commerce flagged concerns that guardrails built into the models could be bypassed. Access was subsequently restored, but the move prompted fears that access to the world’s most advanced models could be cut off without warning.

The AI Security Institute was established in November 2023 by Rishi Sunak, who was prime minister at the time. Now a directorate of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, it tests and monitors the latest developments in AI models “to equip governments with a scientific understanding of the risks posed by advanced AI”, according to the institute’s own account of its work.

It is widely seen as a world leader in AI safety and has helped to shape international approaches to AI safety and security. Last week it tested OpenAI’s Astra model, the most advanced offering from the maker of ChatGPT, which was released last Thursday and which OpenAI classifies as having a “critical” level of cybersecurity capability.

The Cabinet Office said: “The AI Security Institute continues to collaborate closely with industry partners, including Anthropic, to make models safer.”

Researcher resigns over safety

Jacob Coxon, a researcher at Anthropic specialising in training new AI models, has resigned from the company, warning about the dangers of developing ever more powerful models.

Coxon said he had worked for three years at both OpenAI and Anthropic. “Neither company is acting with responsibility. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives,” he said on X.

Responding to Coxon’s resignation on X, Evan Hubinger, who leads Anthropic’s research on ensuring AI is aligned with human values and intentions, said there was a more than 10 per cent chance that AI could “kill all humans” in the next decade.

“I believe Anthropic is trying its best, but we do not yet have a plan to solve alignment for superintelligence and are not clearly on track to,” he said.

Separately, the UK Artificial Superintelligence Security Bill, a private member’s bill drafted by the campaign group ControlAI and proposed by the Labour MP Alex Sobel, was due to be presented in parliament yesterday. The bill would prohibit the development of superintelligent AI in Britain and require the government to monitor and restrict possible precursors.

Anthropic was contacted for comment.

Paul Jones

Harvard alumni and former New York Times journalist. Editor of Business Matters for over 15 years, the UKs largest business magazine. I am also head of Capital Business Media’s automotive division working for clients such as Red Bull Racing, Honda, Aston Martin and Infiniti.

Want to maximize every square meter of your Philippine BPO without sacrificing performance? The ASUS NUC just might be the right solution for your business needs. It occupies up to 80% less desktop space yet delivers full business PC performance. It offers workspace efficiency, business productivity, and office modernity without breaking the bank. What more could you ask for?

The Growing Cost of Office Space

Nothing in this world is ever constant – and that office space you’ve been paying for could be many times the cost of what you’ve originally paid for when you just started out your BPO. With rising commercial rental costs, the need for efficient floor planning also increases.

With a space-saving PC like the ASUS NUC, you get to have more workers on the floor. Workspace optimization with this business-class mini PC helps you maximize your floor density for better office space efficiency.

Why Traditional Desktops Consume Valuable Workspace

Let’s face it. While bulky tower PCs have long been the face of businesses in the modern world, they lead to desk clutter because they occupy more space than space-efficient computing solutions available today.

Here are some stats for visuals: A 15L tower PC usually measures around 6.1 inches (width) x 11.2 to 11.7 inches (depth) × 13.2 to 27+ inches (height), while the ASUS NUC Pro+ and 16 Series are just around 5.3 inches (width) x 4.6 inches (depth) x 1.6 inches (height).

It’s easy to see now how the traditional tower desktops consume valuable workspace that you could have maximized to add more workers on the floor without crowding.

You even have to deal with cable management challenges with the trusted but older models.

Thanks to the ASUS NUC’s enterprise-ready design, these issues are a thing of the past. Your employees get more workspace, and your IT department won’t face cable management issues from the old computers.

The ASUS NUC Space-Saving Advantage

Amazingly, the ASUS NUC 16 Pro occupies up to 80% less desktop space than a traditional 15L tower desktop. This easily translates to cleaner workstations, freed-up valuable desk space, and improved employee comfort in high-density contact center environments such as BPO centers like yours.

This modern, space-saving PC’s compact design enables businesses like yours to accommodate more workstations within the same office footprint than traditional tower desktops do, leading to a more scalable workplace infrastructure and better space utilization.

It’s impressive how a change in computers can improve overall operational efficiency so much, right?

Built for Modern Business Environments

Still unsure whether it’s time to shift to this modern space-saving PC range? Here are more advantages of the ASUS NUC:

• VESA mountable
• Tool-less upgrade design
• Easier deployment and maintenance

This computer supports VESA mounting, which allows the device to be mounted behind compatible monitors.

What does this mean for your business? Well, it eliminates desktop clutter and maximizes usable workspace. This could mean a lot for BPOs, especially if you’re operating hundreds or thousands of workstations on the floor.

The ASUS NUC also features an easy one-hand latch and spring-loaded chassis design. This allows for quick access to memory and storage components. While this is unlikely to be a major concern for your floor workers, it will greatly benefit your IT team’s efficiency. Given that the IT team is generally just a couple of people compared to the rest of your workers, this added efficiency can be highly beneficial to your company.

In short, it can lead to easier workspace deployment and computer maintenance.

Maximizing Floor Density

For BPO companies in the Philippines like yours, smaller workstation footprints help maximize office space and make it easier to accommodate growing teams. Since BPO operations often need to scale quickly to meet client demands, compact workstations such as the ASUS NUC enable more employees to be housed in the same office space without compromising productivity.

They also provide greater flexibility in arranging the workplace. Office layouts can be easily adjusted to create additional workstations, training areas, meeting rooms, or support spaces as business needs change. This helps BPOs like yours expand operations, onboard new accounts, and manage business growth more efficiently while reducing the costs associated with relocating or leasing additional office space.

Conclusion & Call to Action

So, you see how ASUS NUC delivers full business PC performance in an ultra-small form factor? This workplace optimization solution helps Philippine BPOs maximize valuable office space while maintaining your business-class performance.

This simply means that this space-efficient computer allows companies like yours to enjoy the benefits of a compact device without sacrificing productivity, reliability, or even manageability. It benefits your floor workers, your IT team, and the entire business.

So, what are you waiting for? Replace your clunky old tower computers now with this modern space-saving computer to increase your workstation density without sacrificing your workers’ performance.

Joy is a licensed chemist who left the lab for love! A certified bookworm who also loves to write, she chose to become a writer to pursue her passion and also have more time for her husband and kids. She’s the site’s pioneer writer.

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Richard Selby and Gareth Jarman has been recognised for their exceptional contribution to the business organisation

Two of Wales’ most respected business leaders have been awarded fellowship of the Institute of Directors (IoD),

Richard Selby, Wales chair of the IoD and Gareth Jarman, chair of IoD Mid Wales, have both been recognised for their exceptional contribution to the business organisation, its members and the wider business community in Wales.

Awarded by invitation only, fellowship is reserved for senior directors who have demonstrated sustained leadership, championed good governance and made a significant contribution to business and society. Fellows are recognised as ambassadors for the values of the IoD and are entitled to use the professional designation FIoD.

Mr Selby, director and founder of Pontypool-based Pro Steel Engineering, has led IoD Wales as chair since 2020 and will step down from the role in November.

Throughout his tenure, he has played a leading role in strengthening relationships with both the Welsh Government and UK Government, helping to ensure the voice of Welsh business is represented at the highest levels. He has also been instrumental in supporting membership growth and providing strong leadership as a new Wales team was established.

Gareth Jarman, founder and director of international HR consultancy Gentium International, has been an IoD member for eight years and has served as chair of IoD Mid Wales for the past five.

During that time, he has built a strong reputation for bringing together business leaders across the region while encouraging greater collaboration between all four Welsh regions.

He has represented the IoD at international events alongside ministers, ambassadors and visiting trade delegation. A military veteran, he is also a passionate advocate for the Armed Forces covenant and Reserve Service across Wales.

Mr Selby said:“It is a tremendous honour to be awarded Fellowship of the Institute of Directors. The IoD has played an important role throughout my career and it has been a privilege to serve our members in Wales over the past six years.

“The strength of the institute has always been its members and volunteers, who freely give their time and expertise to support one another and strengthen the wider business community. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to continuing to support the Institute in the years ahead.”

Mr Jarman said: “Receiving fellowship is both a privilege and a humbling recognition. Throughout my time with the IoD I have been passionate about creating meaningful connections between business leaders, encouraging collaboration and ensuring directors across Wales have opportunities to learn from one another.

“It has been an honour to represent the Institute both in Wales and internationally, and I hope to continue supporting the next generation of business leaders while championing the values of good governance, integrity and responsible leadership.”

Jo Price, nations manager, IoD Wales, said:“Richard and Gareth have each made an outstanding contribution to the Institute of Directors in Wales and this recognition is thoroughly deserved.

“Both have given countless hours to supporting our members, strengthening the organisation and championing Welsh business. Their leadership, commitment and willingness to go above and beyond have helped shape the Institute in Wales and inspired many directors along the way. On behalf of everyone at IoD Wales, I would like to congratulate them both on this well-deserved honour.”

BOULDER, COLO. — Laird Superfood, Inc. named Mark Johnson as chief financial officer, effective Oct. 1.

Johnson joins the manufacturer of plant-based and functional products from Tropicana Brands Group. At Tropicana Brands Group, Johnson was vice president of finance for North America. Johnson also held financial leadership positions at Champion Petfoods, Danone and The Pepsi Bottling Group.

“Mark brings the kind of operating finance experience this next chapter calls for — scaling brands in food and beverage inside businesses held to a high bar on discipline and returns,” said Jason Vieth, chief executive officer of Laird Superfood. “As we integrate our recent acquisitions and build toward sustainable, profitable growth, his experience will be a real asset to our team.” 

The membership group said it felt the effects of a challenging economic climate but addressed them via a small restructure to put itself on a stable footing

The North East Chamber of Commerce says its business model remains strong despite a fourth consecutive year of losses and a fall in membership numbers.

New accounts for the prominent regional business group show operating losses narrowed to £189,000 in 2025, compared with £278,000 the year before, as turnover increased to £3.09m from £2.97m. Chief executive John McCabe told the group’s annual general meeting that income gains had been outpaced by rising costs – including Employer’s National Insurance Contributions – that were also impacting many of its members.

He said: “By the midway point in the year, we took the decision to enter a consultation with staff which saw four senior management roles being made redundant. Redundancy packages added to the costs incurred in 2025 but this decision to reduce our headcount in a limited way has contributed significantly to a much-improved cost base in 2026.

“Having taken this step and despite the economic headwinds, the fundamentals of the Chamber’s business model remained strong and have continued to improve in 2026.”

The Chamber said its net operating loss of £315,000 was within board expectations and was covered by its cash reserves. Membership numbers were down from 2,009 to 1,830 – which bosses put down to significant uncertainty in the economic environment – however, membership subscriptions increased from £1.99m to £2.18m as new packages including ‘start-up and grow’, ‘solo’ and ‘enterprise’ were said to have performed well.

There was also significant investment in its Newcastle and Durham offices, with its Westgate Road site in Newcastle now full of tenants and licence holders, generating more than £400,000 in revenue. Refurbishment of the group’s Aykley Heads office at Durham is almost complete.

The Chamber pointed to the success of its events programme. In 2025, more than 8,000 people attended at least one of its 250 events.

Other notable work included the delivery of phase two of a Local Skills Improvement Plan in partnership with the Tees Valley Combined Authority. And its appointment by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority to deliver the joint employer pilot as part of the ‘Get Britain Working Trailblazer’, looking at the pathways to work for those currently economically inactive due to ill health.

At the annual general meeting, attended by members in Newcastle Cathedral, Natasha McDonough, founder and managing director of MMC Research was elected Chamber president, succeeding Deborah Walton of Palintest, who came to the end of her two-year term in office. Northumbrian Water’s Louise Hunter was appointed Chamber vice president.

Mr McCabe said the Chamber is on course to end 2026 with a £160,000 revenue improvement on 2025. He added: “Last year we took difficult decisions to control our costs but remained focused on the delivery of our long-term objectives of membership growth and diversified income. I’m delighted to report that on the evidence of 2026 so far, the strategy is working and growth is returning to the Chamber.

“We are continuing to build strong foundations of a successful business; an ambitious, modern Chamber of Commerce that remains in the service of its members and region. We’re widely seen as an anchor institution at the heart of the North East, championing our region at the highest levels of power, promoting our shared potential on the international stage and standing shoulder to shoulder with our members at every stage on their growth journey.”

NEW YORK — Girl Scouts of the USA has launched its first-ever allergy friendly cookie, Girl Scout Sparkables.

Developed in collaboration with Partake Foods, the new oatmeal cookies are produced in a facility designed to avoid the nine major allergens, Girl Scouts said. The cookies also contain a mix of chocolate chips and colorful sprinkles.

Girl Scout Sparkables will be available to purchase online starting Jan. 12, 2027, alongside Patch Pals, the company’s first ever dog cookies. Both items will launch during the 2027 cookie season, which lasts from January until April.

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