Tech Tomorrow

• Is net zero even possible without open data with Gavin Starks

  The UK’s 2025 Data Act marks a turning point in how data is shared and governed. Just as common standards in telecoms and banking unlocked innovation, trusted data could be the key to credible climate action. But with carbon reporting fragmented and confidence in the numbers low, can open data really help us reach net zero?In this episode of Tech Tomorrow, David Elliman speaks with Gavin Starks, founder of Icebreaker One, about why net zero is impossible without shared, reliable data. They draw lessons from open banking—how standards, governance, and collaboration turned a technical challenge into a multi-billion-pound ecosystem—and ask what it would take to do the same for climate.They also spotlight Icebreaker One’s project Perseus, which is building the data infrastructure to automate SME sustainability reporting and connect emissions data directly with green finance. By cutting friction for small businesses and giving banks numbers they can trust, Perseus shows how shared data can turn compliance into opportunity.Episode Highlights:01:00 – An introduction to Gavin.01:25 – When we talk about open data in the context of climate action, what do we actually mean?04:17 – The parallels between open banking and net zero.06:25 – David’s thoughts: Finding clarity in carbon reporting.07:47  – The current crisis in carbon reporting.11:05  – When it comes to getting this right, 90% of the work is governance.13:37  – David’s thoughts: The power of narrow use cases.15:02  – Why open banking was a success.16:54  – When it comes to sustainability, compliance should really be the floor and opportunity should be the ceiling.19:04  – David’s thoughts: The 2025 UK Data Act.20:43  – Why 2025 is an inflection point for data in the UK.22:57  – What does Gavin think will happen next?25:53 – Is net zero even possible without open data?About Zühlke:Zühlke is a global transformation partner, with engineering and innovation at its core. We help clients envision and build their businesses for the future – running smarter today while adapting for tomorrow’s markets, customers, and communities.Our multidisciplinary teams specialise in technology strategy and business innovation, digital solutions and applications, and device and systems engineering. We thrive in complex, regulated sectors such as healthcare and finance, connecting strategy, implementation, and operations to help clients build more effective and resilient businesses.Links:Zühlke WebsiteZühlke on LinkedInDavid Elliman on LinkedInGavin Starks on LinkedInIcebreaker One WebsitePersus Website

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• Is the global food crisis a problem that only tech can solve with Illtud Dunsford

  According to the United Nations, the world’s population is projected to exceed 9.5 billion by 2050, placing unprecedented strain on our food systems. Climate change, land scarcity, and rising demand for protein mean that traditional agriculture alone may no longer be enough. Could cultivated meat and other food technologies provide the answer?In this episode of Tech Tomorrow, David Elliman speaks with Illtud Dunsford, CEO and co-founder of Cellular Agriculture Ltd, about the promise and limitations of lab-grown foods. Together, they explore whether technology alone can solve the global food crisis or whether the deeper challenge lies in human choices and culture.They also discuss the parallels between scaling in biotech and software engineering. How ambitious visions must be broken into achievable steps, the risks of hype cycles, and why collaboration across disciplines is essential. Just as DevOps reshaped software delivery, cultivated foods may depend on breaking down silos.Episode Highlights:01:49 – What is cultivated meat?02:46 – How cultivated meat may help optimise and reduce waste.04:03 – How the extremities of technology and ideas help us push forward.05:02 – David’s thoughts: What does pushing the boundaries look like in software engineering?06:21 – The story of Cellular Agriculture Ltd and how their technology works.09:53 – Where is the cultivated meat industry today?11:45 – David’s thoughts: Are long R&D cycles necessary for software engineers?12:31 – What challenges are cultivated foods trying to tackle?16:29 – What’s stopping this technology from expanding?18:35 – How long is it going to take for this technology to reach an inflection point?20:13 – David’s thoughts: Why cross-collaboration is so important in software engineering.22:34 – What does the future of cultivated food look like?25:03 – What could we miss about this field if we only concentrate on the technology?27:58 – Is the global food crisis a problem that only tech can solve?About Zühlke:Zühlke is a global transformation partner, with engineering and innovation at its core. We help clients envision and build their businesses for the future – running smarter today while adapting for tomorrow’s markets, customers, and communities.Our multidisciplinary teams specialise in technology strategy and business innovation, digital solutions and applications, and device and systems engineering. We thrive in complex, regulated sectors such as healthcare and finance, connecting strategy, implementation, and operations to help clients build more effective and resilient businesses.Links:Zühlke WebsiteZühlke on LinkedInDavid Elliman on LinkedInIlltud Dunsford on LinkedInCellular Agriculture Ltd Website

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• Should we trust AI as a creative collaborator with Professor Anjana Susarla

  By 2026, Europol estimates that more than 90% of online content could be AI-generated – from music and written work to imagery and beyond. But what does this shift mean for creativity, originality, and the role of human value in the process?In this episode of Tech Tomorrow, David Elliman speaks with Anjana Susarla, Professor of Responsible AI at the Eli Broad College of Business, Michigan State University. Together, they explore whether AI can truly be trusted as a creative collaborator in both work and wider society.Their conversation looks at how the traditional process of drafting and redrafting may change when AI enters the picture, and the rise of so-called ‘AI slop’ – mass-produced, low-quality outputs – in areas such as writing, design, and programming. They also consider whether agentic AI might one day predict our preferences more accurately than we can ourselves, and reflect on the persistent hype and ‘magic’ surrounding new AI tools, asking what this means for the future of creativity, business, and work.Episode Highlights:00:47 – What happens to the iterative creative process when AI is introduced?02:59 – The polarising reactions to AI tools.04:03 – Do we even like the creative outputs of AI?05:16 – David’s thoughts: Can we put a qualitative value on creativity?06:31 – What was the AI-generated podcast based on  Anjana’s paper like?10:28 – The homogenising effect of AI.11:45 – Feedback loops and the halo effect.13:04 – David’s thoughts: AI prediction models.16:28 – Human oversight in AI creativity.19:08 – Maintaining the quality of AI-generated outputs.21:05 – David’s thoughts: What happens when AI tools enter the workplace?23:08 – AI creativity, brain drain, and deskilling24:58 – Should we trust AI as a creative collaborator?About Zühlke:Zühlke is a global transformation partner, with engineering and innovation at its core. We help clients envision and build their businesses for the future – running smarter today while adapting for tomorrow’s markets, customers, and communities.Our multidisciplinary teams specialise in technology strategy and business innovation, digital solutions and applications, and device and systems engineering. We thrive in complex, regulated sectors such as healthcare and finance, connecting strategy, implementation, and operations to help clients build more effective and resilient businesses.Links:Zühlke WebsiteZühlke on LinkedInDavid Elliman on LinkedInProf. Anjana Susarla on LinkedIn

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• Welcome to Tech Tomorrow

  Tech Tomorrow is your front-row seat to the conversations redefining the future.Each episode explores a big, thought-provoking question, from how we collaborate with machines to the possibilities intelligent systems could unlock in the future. Created for leaders steering innovation through complexity, the show cuts through the noise, connecting cross-disciplinary trends so you can make confident decisions in a rapidly changing world.Your host, David Elliman, Chief of Software Engineering at Zühlke, draws on four decades of global experience in technology and innovation. An expert in enterprise-scale solutions and emerging technologies, including AI, IoT, blockchain, and cloud computing, David brings clarity and insight to even the most complex topics.Tech Tomorrow, from Zühlke – coming soon, wherever you get your podcasts.About Zühlke:Zühlke is a global transformation partner, with engineering and innovation in our DNA. We're trusted to help clients envision and build their businesses for the future – to run smarter today while adapting for tomorrow’s markets, customers, and communities.Our multidisciplinary teams specialise in tech strategy and business innovation, digital solutions and applications, and device and systems engineering. We excel in complex, regulated spaces, including health and finance, connecting strategy, tech implementation, and operational services to help clients become more effective, resilient businesses.Links:Zühlke WebsiteZühlke on LinkedInDavid Elliman on LinkedIn

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• Data and Artificial Neural Networks with Damian Borth

  Neural networks are the backbone of many AI and machine learning systems. But how can they be applied to real-world scenarios?Today’s guest is Damian Borth, Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning at the University of St. Gallen. He is also the director of the Computer Science Institute at St. Gallen.His work on neural networks has taken him to several subject areas including climate change, financial fraud detection, and text-to-speech. He is also the recipient of a Google Research Scholar Award.We discuss what neural networks are, what they do, and how their application could help us save the world.00:00 - Intro02:02 - Damian’s background03:01 - What is a neural network?09:21 - Neural networks and climate change12:44 - Neural networks and text-to-speech14:56 - Bias in AI training data12:44 - Academia and the real world27:12 - Dan's final thoughtsLINKS:Damian Borth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianborth/?originalSubdomain=chDan Klein: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dplkleinZühlke: https://www.zuehlke.com/enWelcome to Data Today, a podcast from Zühlke.We're living in a world of opportunities. But to fully realise them, we have to reshape the way we innovate.We need to stop siloing data, ring-fencing knowledge and looking at traditional value chains. And that's what this podcast is about. Every two weeks, we’re taking a look at data outside the box to see how amazing individuals from disparate fields and industries are transforming the way they work with data, the challenges they are overcoming, and what we can all learn from them.Zühlke is a global innovation service provider. We envisage ideas and create new business models for our clients by developing services and products based on new technologies – from the initial vision through development to deployment, production and operation.

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