FutureFive Australia - Consumer technology news from the future

Australian Stories

Inflation stories

Five key trends reshaping Australia's packaging sector
Supply Chain

Five key trends reshaping Australia's packaging sector

Regulation, soft plastics revival and cost-conscious shoppers are driving five packaging shifts set to reshape Australia by 2026.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Wed, 11th Feb 2026
Digital gift cards reshape Lunar New Year in Australia
Digital Transformation

Digital gift cards reshape Lunar New Year in Australia

Cost-of-living pressures are pushing Australians to swap traditional red envelopes for digital gift cards this Lunar New Year.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Fri, 6th Feb 2026
Commonwealth Bank to raise variable business loan rates
Small Business

Commonwealth Bank to raise variable business loan rates

Commonwealth Bank will raise eligible variable business loan and overdraft rates by 0.25 percentage points from 13 February 2026.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Wed, 4th Feb 2026
Survey reveals divide in Australian supply chain focus
Manufacturing

Survey reveals divide in Australian supply chain focus

Australian supply chain chiefs look beyond cost cuts to growth and automation, while frontline managers remain fixated on immediate savings.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Thu, 29th Jan 2026

Global Stories

Inflation stories

Denmark tops 2026 FM resilience ranking, India climbs
Disaster Recovery

Denmark tops 2026 FM resilience ranking, India climbs

Denmark tops FM's 2026 Resilience Index for a third year as Europe dominates the rankings and India makes broad-based gains across all zones.

By Shannon Williams • 4 min read • Fri, 27th Feb 2026
Unhedged FX losses push corporates back to hedging
Risk & Compliance

Unhedged FX losses push corporates back to hedging

Unhedged FX hits UK firms for GBP £6.71m and US peers for USD $9.85m on average, spurring a renewed shift towards defensive hedging.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 3 min read • Thu, 19th Feb 2026
Optimistic trans-Tasman SMEs face widening service gap
Digital Transformation

Optimistic trans-Tasman SMEs face widening service gap

Trans-Tasman small firms are upbeat and boosting tech and marketing, yet consumers report patchy service and missing digital basics.

By Melania Watson • 6 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
A look ahead: workplace and tech converge in 2026
Software-as-a-Service

A look ahead: workplace and tech converge in 2026

Australian workplaces brace for 2026 as AI, hybrid models and security demands converge to reshape how, where and why people work.

By Brad Pulford • 6 min read • Tue, 10th Feb 2026
AI, cyber & inflation top concerns for Australasian CEOs
Distributed Denial of Service

AI, cyber & inflation top concerns for Australasian CEOs

AI disruption, cyber threats and inflation now rank as top concerns for Australasian CEOs, even as most still plan to expand in 2026.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Tue, 3rd Feb 2026
UK finance jobs surge, led by tech & fintech roles
Digital Transformation

UK finance jobs surge, led by tech & fintech roles

UK finance jobs jumped 13% in 2025 as tech and fintech hiring surged, with London tightening its grip and banking still leading the field.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Thu, 29th Jan 2026

Stories from Other Regions

Inflation stories

Inflation, US debt & AI: key risks for NZ investors
Risk & Compliance

Inflation, US debt & AI: key risks for NZ investors

New Zealand investors are warned AI-fuelled gains face “incredible danger” from US inflation, soaring debt and turbulent midterms ahead.

By Michael McCarthy • 5 min read • Wed, 18th Feb 2026
Stress robs Canadian small firms of 31 workdays a year
Financial Systems

Stress robs Canadian small firms of 31 workdays a year

Stress is costing Canadian small business owners 31 workdays a year, with many losing sleep, missing events and weighing up closing shop.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Fri, 13th Feb 2026
Stress rising for New Zealand's small business owners
Data Analytics

Stress rising for New Zealand's small business owners

Stress is surging for New Zealand's small business owners, with nearly half considering closing as rising costs and tax shocks take their toll.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
IMP Software named UK education industry leader 2025
Software-as-a-Service

IMP Software named UK education industry leader 2025

IMP Software has been named The Assignment Report's UK education company of 2025 after rapid growth supplying finance tools to MATs.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Fri, 6th Feb 2026
Cleo relaunches UK AI money app to ease cash anxiety
Fintech

Cleo relaunches UK AI money app to ease cash anxiety

AI fintech Cleo stages UK comeback with a waitlisted app, betting its chatty budgeting assistant can ease mounting money anxiety.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Fri, 6th Feb 2026
AI boom drives PC component shortages, price rises
Storage

AI boom drives PC component shortages, price rises

AI data centre investment is starving Europe's PC market of key components, driving sharp RAM and SSD price rises into 2026.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Fri, 6th Feb 2026
UK tech leaders embrace risk, private equity & global growth
Digital Transformation

UK tech leaders embrace risk, private equity & global growth

UK tech, IT and telecoms leaders grow bolder on risk, eye private equity backing and global expansion despite rising cost pressures.

By Shannon Williams • 4 min read • Wed, 4th Feb 2026