Microsoft

Singapore – September 15, 2026 -- Alcott Global has named the Top 30 Leaders in Supply Chain of 2026, selecting winners from a pool of 403 nominees drawn from 354 companies across 24 countries. The fifth edition of the awards, themed "Where Insight Connects the Dots," was revealed during a virtual gala held on September 10, 2026.

Selection required 18-month leadership tenure at billion-dollar manufacturers

Eligibility was restricted to executives holding regional or global leadership roles for at least 18 consecutive months, with end-to-end supply chain responsibility inside manufacturing organizations generating annual revenues above USD 1 billion. Candidates submitted case studies covering transformation programs, digital achievements, sustainability initiatives, and team-development strategies.

Palo Alto, Calif. – September 15, 2026 -- UpDoc has been selected by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) as lead performer in the Agentic AI-Enabled Cardiovascular Care Transformation (ADVOCATE) program, securing an award of up to $9.2 million. Microsoft, OpenAI and NVIDIA are joining the UpDoc-led team as supporting partners.

Riyadh – September 13, 2026 -- NourNet, a Saudi digital services provider, closed its participation at LEAP 2026 by unveiling a beta AI Agent Platform and expanding its flagship data center to 10 MW and up to 750 racks.

NourNet's new platform keeps AI workloads inside the Kingdom

The AI Agent Platform combines Agentic AI with Inference-as-a-Service, letting organizations build, deploy and operate intelligent agents that automate operational tasks, execute multi-step workflows and interact with enterprise data. Hosted entirely within NourNet's Saudi data centers, the platform offers Arabic-tuned and multilingual models while ensuring customer data and AI workloads do not leave the Kingdom.

Frankfurt – September 12, 2026 -- Hertha BSC has completed the migration of its Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central system from an on-premise setup to the cloud, marking the first concrete step in a broader digital transformation partnership with management and technology consultancy BearingPoint.

BearingPoint becomes official Innovation Partner of the 130-year-old Berlin club

The Berlin football institution, founded in 1892 and counting more than 60,000 members, named BearingPoint its official Innovation Partner to drive enterprise IT modernization. The consultancy managed the full transformation cycle, including analysis, migration planning, testing, go-live support and post-launch system stabilization.

Barcelona – September 11, 2026 -- The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) will convene 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 visitors, over 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers in Barcelona from November 3-5, 2026, organized by Fira de Barcelona under the theme "Urban Solutions, Real Impact."

Housing takes center stage as a top urban priority

The 2026 edition places special emphasis on housing, one of the most pressing challenges facing cities globally, showcasing technologies aimed at delivering scalable, tangible results. SCEWC will host the first edition of "HOWS Barcelona," a new global housing summit focused on urban planning, land policy, housing law, affordable housing and building renovation and reuse.

Hong Kong – September 11, 2026 -- ClubMed Lifestyle Group, a subsidiary of Fosun International Limited (656), has joined the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) as a Global Member, WTTC announced on August 28.

Club Med operates 69 resorts across more than 40 countries, targeting 85 by 2030

Based on 2025 turnover, Club Med, the Group's core brand, ranks as the world's largest all-inclusive resort brand, serving over 1.5 million guests annually across six continents. The company plans to expand to approximately 85 resorts worldwide by 2030, up from its current 69.

Barcelona – September 11, 2026 -- The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) will convene 25,000 attendees, 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers from 1,000 cities in Barcelona from November 3 to 5, 2026, organized by Fira de Barcelona under the theme "Urban Solutions, Real Impact."

Housing takes top billing as cities confront a global affordability crunch

The 2026 edition dedicates its content structure to housing as one of the most pressing challenges facing municipal governments worldwide. Organizers will launch HOWS Barcelona, a new global housing summit running alongside SCEWC, covering urban planning, land policy, housing regulation, social and affordable housing, and building renovation and reuse.

Barcelona – September 11, 2026 -- The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) will convene 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 visitors, over 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers in Barcelona from November 3-5, 2026, organizers Fira de Barcelona confirmed.

Housing takes center stage as urban infrastructure gap widens

Under the theme 'Urban Solutions, Concrete Impact,' this year's edition places specific emphasis on housing, described as one of the most pressing challenges facing cities globally. The congress program is structured around seven thematic tracks: enabling technologies, energy and environment, mobility, governance and economy, lifestyle and inclusion, infrastructure and building, and blue economy.

San Francisco – September 10, 2026 -- Eliza, an AI-native consulting firm, has appointed Lori Borg as Chief Operating Officer as the company expands its partnership with OpenAI and scales enterprise AI deployment work.

Borg brings two decades of Microsoft ecosystem experience to Eliza's leadership team

Borg founded and served as CEO of Northwest Cadence, a Microsoft partner focused on DevOps, software development, data, and AI. The company was acquired by 10th Magnitude in 2018, which was later acquired by Cognizant. She subsequently served as Cognizant's Global Head of the Microsoft Alliance, led MCA Connect's Azure, data, and AI business, and most recently held the role of Microsoft's Vice President of Go-to-Market for Americas Enterprise Partner Sales.

Barcelona – September 10, 2026 -- Fira de Barcelona will convene 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 attendees and over 1,000 exhibitors at the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) 2026, running November 3-5 at the Gran Via venue under the theme "Urban Solutions, Real Impact."

Housing takes center stage with new HOWS Barcelona summit

The event will launch HOWS Barcelona, a dedicated housing world summit addressing urban planning, land policy, social and affordable housing, and building renovation. The summit opens debate on what organizers call a new residential paradigm, reflecting housing's status as one of the most pressing global urban challenges.