In the four years since the Grenfell Tower fire, which led to the unconscionable deaths of 72 people, one key question remains unanswered: are Britain's buildings any safer? The short answer is: not yet.

Conversations about the real-world impact of robots shouldn’t begin by holding on to the fictitious robots of our nightmares, which have no relation to the robots in the real world. Which is why it’s particularly disappointing to see this happen time and again, writes Michael Szollosy, research fellow in robotics, University of Sheffield.

When you think about soil, you probably think of rolling fields of countryside. But what about urban soil? With city dwellers expected to account for 68% of the world’s population by 2050, this oft forgotten resource is increasingly important. 

In January 2021, Storm Christoph pummelled the United Kingdom with heavy rains and the threat of unmanageable runoff. But in flood-prone Manchester, a newly developed park was proving its worth.

What does the year hold for the development of technology in the UK? Here’s what five UKRI challenge directors predict.

In the second part of this two-part series, Daniel Collins discusses two case studies and a list of conclusions and lessons learned.