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Last month, millions tuned in around the globe to watch billionaire innovators reach space in the adventure of the century. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceflight Unity took off on 11 July as he tested his commercial space travel plans. The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, followed nine days later when he reached the edge of space onboard the New Shepard, the rocket ship produced by his space company Blue Origin.

Supported by record investments in the first quarter of 2021, the UK tech sector is recruiting at its highest pace since 2019. 10 per cent of all job vacancies are in tech, Tech Nation found. This is great news for the industry, but shifts bought by Covid-19, Brexit and IR35 legislation mean that essential specific technology sectors – including big data, cloud computing and cybersecurity – are now facing a dearth of talent.

As the world begins to return to normal, tech firms are abandoning remote working and encouraging a return to the office. Tech companies are currently on the hunt for 1.18 million square feet of space in central London, with Microsoft rumoured to be looking for 300,000 square feet. Other big players have also announced their plans to shun remote working but both Google and Amazon plan to have their employees return to the office by autumn. And it’s not just employers, 60 per cent of UK employees would return to the office immediately if they could.

Technology is transforming the world we live in and healthcare is no exception. The pandemic has accelerated Big Tech’s interest in healthcare; the Big Four, Alphabet, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, are all showing much more of an interest in how we prevent illnesses and care for the unwell.