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UK SMES EMBRACE AI AMIDST INCREASING MANUFACTURING AND PROCUREMENT PRESSURES

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-New research revealed as Alibaba.com brings its agentic AI platform, Accio Work, to Smart Manufacturing Week in Birmingham-

LONDON, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the Official Agentic Business Partner of Smart Manufacturing Week in Birmingham from 3-4 June 2026, Alibaba.com is bringing Accio Work, its agentic AI platform for businesses, to the show floor to demonstrate how agentic AI can address the operational pressures facing UK manufacturers today. 

At the heart of the partnership is a bespoke ‘Event Edition Agent’ built specifically for Smart Manufacturing Week. It brings together three practical tools in one place: ‘AI Expert Agents’, ‘Smart Navigation’ and ‘Industry Trend Reports’, giving visitors a live, hands-on way to find suppliers, compare products and make faster procurement decisions on the spot. Visitors can pre-register for free access to these tools here.

Accio Work acts as an agentic business team for SMEs, handling sourcing, supplier research and procurement and marketing tasks that would otherwise consume hours of manual effort. According to Alibaba.com’s recent study of over 500 UK SME owners, 40% are using AI at least once a week to help overcome day-to-day operational challenges. Time-saving was cited as the primary driver for the adoption (37%), followed by improving efficiencies (36%) and better decision making with better data and insights (22%).

The findings shed light on where that time is actually going, and which risk detracting business owners’ attention from business growth. More than a third (35%) said dealing with emails take up the most time each month, followed by bookkeeping (31%) and invoicing (17%).  19% of those surveyed said chasing late payments was the time-consuming task they liked the least, while over a quarter of SMEs use their evenings to complete such tasks.

Over half (53%) of SMEs believe that running their small business has become more complex in recent years. One of the biggest challenges is knowing which products to stock, develop or launch was a challenge, cited by 49% of respondents.

According to the research, the most frequently used AI-powered tools and services include research tools (26%), writing tools (25%), and AI assistants, such as chatbots (24%).  

Notes to editors

The research was conducted by One Poll, among a sample of 500 SME owners across the UK. The data was collected between 17-18th March 2026. One Poll abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. One Poll is also a member of the British Polling Council.Attendees at Smart Manufacturing Week can meet the Alibaba.com team at the AI Sourcing Lounge on Stand E40, where they will explore the latest innovations in smart sourcing, supplier discovery and AI-driven manufacturing solutions including their agentic AI platform Accio Work designed to help businesses improve efficiency, resilience and growth.

About Alibaba.com
Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering various aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.

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ATFX Connect Partners in South Africa with the JSE to Bring JSE-Listed CFDs to Institutional Clients Across The Continent

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CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ATFX Connect is proud to announce a landmark strategic partnership with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), one that opens direct access to JSE-listed CFDs for our growing network of B2B and institutional clients across South Africa.

This is more than a product expansion. It is a statement of intent. By aligning with two of the most established and respected financial institutions on the continent, ATFX Connect is cementing its role as the institutional liquidity and infrastructure partner of choice for brokers, asset managers, and fintech firms looking to access Africa’s most significant financial markets through a framework they can trust.

What this means for ATFX Connect clients:

Institutional-grade access to JSE CFD productsDeeper local market exposure for South African financial service providersEnhanced execution and distribution capabilitiesThe credibility and backing of two of Africa’s most recognised financial institutionsA richer, more competitive product suite for both retail and professional traders

“This partnership represents another major step in our African expansion strategy,” said Dany Mawas, CEO of ATFX Africa & Co-founder of L7 Prime. “Working alongside the JSE and a couple of local South African banks allows us to deliver stronger, localised solutions to our partners and B2B clients while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the African market.”

Africa is not a future ambition for ATFX Connect, it is a present priority. As the company continues scaling globally, the company’s focus on localised products, institutional-grade partnerships, and scalable infrastructure for brokers, asset managers, and financial institutions across the continent only deepens.

This is what building in Africa looks like.

About ATFX Connect

ATFX Connect is a trading name of AT Global Markets (UK) Limited (authorised and regulated by the FCA), AT Global Markets (Australia) Pty Limited (authorised and regulated by ASIC), and AT Global Financial Services (HK) Limited (authorised and regulated by the SFC). Connect is the Institutional arm of the wider ATFX Group.

ATFX Connect offers Institutional and Professional traders an extensive range of services for both Agency PB and Margin accounts, provides bespoke aggregated liquidity in Spot FX, NDFs, indices, Commodities and Precious metals to a wide range of institutional clients from hedge funds, Tier 1 and regional banks, high net worth investors, asset managers, family offices and other brokers. 

ATFX Connect’s liquidity pool is constructed from Tier 1 banks and non-bank providers that it has partnered with, trading in both sweepable and full amount forms. 

Agency PB Clients can connect via direct FIX API, external technology solutions or via our own trading platform. For margin clients, ATFX Connect provides market access via the group’s MT4/MT5 platform and provides a bridge solution for those who wish to connect via FIX API. 

For further information on ATFX Connect, please visit ATFX Connect website https://www.atfxconnect.com

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BEVERLY HILLS HOME SALE OFFERS BLUEPRINT IN CHALLENGING MARKET

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The estate at 703 N. Arden Drive in Beverly Hills’ prestigious Flats just sold for $24 million — all cash, at full asking price, within hours of hitting the market. How it happened could rewrite the rules for sellers everywhere.

Behind the sale was an unlikely pairing: TrueParity, the real estate industry’s emerging AI-powered agent-matching platform, and Kurt Rappaport, the veteran Beverly Hills broker who has spent his career closing landmark deals far from the cameras and reality TV spectacle that define so much of luxury real estate today. While peers have chased social media trends and television appearances, Rappaport has built his reputation the old-fashioned way — on results. His embrace of TrueParity’s data-driven model reflects a natural extension of that philosophy: when the best tools meet the best talent, the client wins.

The sale comes at a difficult moment for the housing market. Mortgage rates recently climbed to a nine-month high, mortgage applications fell 8.5% in a single week, and housing turnover remains near historic lows.

Yet the Arden Drive property generated an immediate cash offer from a world-renowned artist shortly after the listing launched.

According to TrueParity, the outcome highlights a simple but often overlooked reality: in any market, agent selection remains paramount. Per a company spokesperson, “Choosing the right agent remains one of the most important financial decisions a homeowner can make. TrueParity brings objective performance data to a process that has historically lacked transparency.”

Using verified transaction data and proprietary AI analysis, TrueParity evaluated thousands of agent performance indicators and identified the top local matches for the property profile. The sellers interviewed three highly credentialed candidates, putting them in direct competition to earn their listing. Kurt Rappaport, one of the platform’s highest-ranked recommendations, was their unanimous choice to lead the sale. “The industry is moving toward a more performance-driven future, and homeowners are becoming far more sophisticated about how they choose representation. TrueParity is at the forefront of that shift,” says Rappaport.

The result: a full-price, all-cash transaction completed within hours of listing – and a possible glimpse of the future for hopeful homeowners.

About TrueParity

TrueParity is an AI-powered real estate agent-matching platform that uses verified transaction analytics to connect home sellers with high-performing agents tailored to their specific property. The platform operates as an independent third party focused on objective performance data rather than paid placement or advertising models. It’s trusted by thousands of homeowners nationwide.

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SOURCE TrueParity

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Global Mobility Call 2026 to gather 8,000 professionals and 190 experts to discuss the future of mobility

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MADRID , June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Madrid will host the Global Mobility Call (GMC) from 9 to 11 June, bringing together leading figures from across the mobility sector for an international forum on the future of transport. Organized by IFEMA MADRID, the event will serve as a platform for debate on industry trends, technological innovation and regulation, while fostering projects, partnerships, and strategic alliances across the sector

This year’s edition will be organized around ten thematic pathways designed to bring greater clarity to a fast-evolving and increasingly complex mobility landscape. The aim is to make decision-making easier by structuring discussions around key areas including public transport, automotive, energy, data, logistics, and talent, among others. Together, they offer a practical, result-driven framework at a time when the sector is being rewritten by electrification, artificial intelligence and the latest European regulatory developments.

In this respect, the role of distribution, after-sales, is expected to increase its weight, further developing more digital and customer-driven models. Talent hunting and transformation are just some of the key topics in the program.  

Public transport, and buses in particular, will be another key focus of the event. Discussions in this area will examine its central role in building mobility systems that are more sustainable, accessible and better integrated. Issues such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, modal integration and improvements in the passenger experience are expected to feature prominently in talks involving technology companies, public institutions, and operators.

 On its fourth edition, GMC has signed more than 20 strategic partnerships with leading mobility industry associations, laying the groundwork for future collaboration and joint projects. With institutional leaders, chief executives, transport experts and international public authorities due to attend, Global Mobility Call 2026 stands as a major European forum on the future of mobility. The event aims to encourage collaboration across the sector in support of a more sustainable, inclusive, connected and citizen-cantered model.

If you would like to get further information, please visit: Professional registration | GLOBAL MOBILITY CALL

Press contacts:

Marco Presa
Press chief
mpresa@ifema.es 

Elena Valera
International Press
evalera@ifema.es

Lucas Farioli
International Press
lfarioli@ifema.es 

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