Digital agency Reboot Online has released findings from an experiment suggesting that Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) can be used to manipulate AI responses.

A new Leeds-based fintech platform, Debeo, has launched with a mission to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) navigate the complexities of commercial debt and bridge a significant national funding shortfall. The platform is designed to provide SMEs with real-time data and insights, allowing them to assess their "true" debt position.

The Consumer Prices Index rose by 3.0% in the 12 months to January, down from 3.4% in the 12 months to December. Transport, food and non-alcoholic beverages made the biggest downward contribution to prices. Core CPI (CPI excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco) rose by 3.1% in the 12 months to January, down from 3.2% in December.

New research by Claromentis highlights a clear agenda for franchises in the year ahead: standardise operations across sites while integrating AI, without losing control of compliance and cost.

Evri has launched a three-month trial of autonomous delivery robots in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, marking a significant step for the UK’s first government-backed ‘tech town’. Partnering with Delivers.AI, the parcel firm is piloting the service in the Redbrook area to explore how robotics can assist local couriers and improve consumer choice.

To support manufacturers in turning sustainability into a commercial advantage, leading sustainability consultancy Tunley Environmental has partnered with MEPCA Magazine to deliver a free webinar titled “Sustainable Manufacturing that Pays Back”, taking place on Thursday 26th February 2025 at 3:00pm (GMT).

The role of founder is having its moment in the North. It not only outpaces London, but also the national average - signalling a considerable shift in where UK businesses are being launched. LinkedIn’s annual Jobs on the Rise list, tracking the fastest-growing roles over the past three years, places founder or entrepreneur near the top in multiple Northern regions.

When employers are seeking to add a new employee to their operation, they generally have a list of things they are looking for. If employers are replacing an employee who left their organisation, it may be they will be seeking someone who matches the person who left, or they may be seeking something different – not to put too fine a point on it, someone better.

Proud Lancastrian Andrew McNair is the founder of Buynex, the cloud-based B2B procurement platform. Buynex is designed to connect buyers, suppliers and logistics partners in one simple ecosystem, removing the traditional friction and fragmentation of traditional procurement systems. Here, he discusses how procurement tools need to change to support SME growth, instead of stifle it.

National Apprenticeship Week highlights a hands-on profession facing a hidden skills crisis.

Normanton-based drive technology specialist SEW-EURODRIVE UK has appointed five new team members to meet rising demand for software-led automation. The expansion spans business development, health and safety, and electronic engineering at the firm’s 10,000 sq ft West Yorkshire production site.

Aldi, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket, has opened applications for 500 apprenticeship roles, with opportunities available in stores across the North of England. Apprentices start earning from day one as they work towards industry-recognised qualifications. Store Apprentices begin with a wage of £12.02 per hour, rising to £13.35 - while those working within the M25 start at £13.22 per hour.

Valentine’s Day may be marketed as harmless fun, but Andrew Macaulay‑Ferguson, Assistant Solicitor from York-based firm Hethertons, says it often exposes employers to legal and reputational risk if boundaries are not properly managed.

As National Apprenticeship Week 2026 enters its third day, the city of Hull is celebrating the success of 20-year-old Tyreece Moss, whose journey from the care system to full-time employment at a local family-run business highlights the transformative power of apprenticeships.

Salford-based brewer Hydes has doubled its apprentice intake as it marks National Apprenticeship Week (9–15 February). Following a year of successful growth in 2025, Hydes is placing vocational training at the heart of its 2026 growth strategy.

Yorkshire-based steelwork manufacturing and coded welding specialist Tadweld has today released new research highlighting the UK’s highest-earning trade roles heading into 2026, reinforcing the strength, earning potential and long-term appeal of skilled trade careers across the country.

A new report from the British Chambers of Commerce is calling for the government to reform the apprenticeship system to make it fit for the 21st Century.   As the UK celebrates National Apprenticeships Week, it finds that the current framework is too rigid, lacks clarity, neglects higher-level skills and is failing to meet the needs of business.

Broadcaster Suzi Perry to headline Cumbria International Women’s Day Cumbria Chamber of Commerce has announced television and radio broadcaster Suzi Perry as the headline speaker for its International Women’s Day event on 9 March.

Capri Holdings: More pressure on Michael Kors to deliver a turnaround after Versace sales; Michael Kors has been slow to respond to trends, but there are opportunities in Asia outside the North American market. LSEG hit by Anthropic’s launch: proprietary data is difficult to replicate via AI alone; pricing power may shift from platforms to data.

Listed companies in the North West issued 21 profit warnings in 2025, down 28% from the 29 issued during 2024. EY-Parthenon report reveals the region’s listed companies operating in consumer-facing sectors were most significantly affected – issuing a combined 12 warnings throughout last year. Nationally, UK-listed businesses issued 240 profit warnings in 2025, down from 274 in 2024.

Construction activity across the UK remained broadly flat in the final quarter of 2025, according to the latest RICS UK Construction Monitor, although forward-looking indicators point to a modest recovery in 2026. Overall workloads showed little change in Q4, with the headline net balance improving slightly to -6%, continuing a prolonged period of subdued conditions across much of the sector.

The percentage of small business owners in the North East that predict growth for the first three-months of 2026 has fallen from 24% to 22% - and has almost halved since Spring 2025 (42%), according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.

Today senior business leaders, metro mayors and universities convened in Manchester for the CBI-Lloyds Mayoral Summit, six months after the launch of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. Building on the success of the 2024 CBI Mayoral Roundtable, the summit focused on a singular mission: turning regional potential into tangible economic results.

A new report from the British Geological Survey (BGS) has identified sandstone beneath the central North Sea as one of the UK’s largest potential sites for carbon storage. The findings are a significant lift for the UK’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) ambitions.