Month: January 2026

January 30, 2026 /3BL/ – Lenovo and FIFA together announced a swathe of tech solutions during Tech World @ CES 2026 that will deliver a FIFA World Cup™, powered by Lenovo AI, unlike any that have gone before it.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang on the stage at Sphere during a spectacular show that featured the custom AI solutions that will power the operations behind the tournament and provide more immersive, personalized fan experiences for those watching in stadium, at home or on the move.

Lenovo is the Official Technology Partner of FIFA World Cup 2026™, to be played in North America later this year, tasked with delivering the tech solutions that will power the biggest event in the history of humanity.

In addition to the landmark announcement of Football AI Pro Lenovo’s devices, services and solutions will provide the tech backbone for the tournament, across operations intelligence, fan experience and through increasing access to the sport.

One of the more noticeable differences at FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the inclusion of Digital Avatars into officiating technology and match broadcasts.

This will involve producing 3D avatars of the players featuring at the tournament using 3D assets and Advanced GenAI technology, which will improve support the efficiency of the decision-making process made by FIFA’s match officials.

These avatars will feature in 3D animations, specifically during offside replays, to give greater visual contextualization for fans watching at home and in stadium, as well as replicating the individual physical dimensions of the players competing at the tournament.

Chief Information Officer, Lenovo & Chief Technology and Delivery Officer, Solutions and Services Group Art Hu said:

“We are working with FIFA to create the next generation of AI enabled 3D avatars, so that the world’s greatest players are represented as realistically and accurately as possible. No two footballers are the same, with the same physique or dimensions. Therefore, each player’s exact dimensions will be taken into account.”

The integration of Digital Avatars into Advanced Semi-Automated Offside Technology was successfully trialed at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ in Qatar in December.

FIFA Secretary General, Mattias Grafström, said:

“AI-enabled 3D avatars mark a major step forward in how officiating technology supports accuracy and transparency. By combining precise player data with advanced visualisation, this innovation strengthens confidence in key decisions and brings fans closer to the process than ever before.”

Lenovo are also providing resilient infrastructure and hardware to support FIFA and their VAR Technology Provider Hawk-Eye Innovations during the tournament, following a successful implementation at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.

Operations Intelligence

With more teams, playing more matches, and across three countries for the first time, the FIFA World Cup 2026 is an unprecedented logistical and operational challenge for FIFA and its partners.

In addition to tournament device delivery, experience support and warehouse services, Lenovo’s AI solutions will be integrated into tournament operations.

An Intelligent Command Center will support all functional areas at FIFA and provide insightful daily summaries generated by AI, monitoring in real-time all FIFA World Cup 2026 operations and helping officials to observe, and if required respond to, trends across the tournament’s footprint.

Lenovo technologies, including ‘digital twins’ of venues, will also support FIFA to monitor situations in and around venues, aiding FIFA’s operations and enabling real-time decisions to help optimize the event experience.

Additionally, everything across the tournament becomes globally connected with Lenovo’s Smart Wayfinding—cities, fan zones, landmarks, venues, and every key point of interest will be explorable within an interactive space. Real-time venue intelligence and AI-guided navigation provide a frictionless experience for all, enabling effortless movement across the entire tournament footprint. It’s a transformative layer of global mobility, precision, and flow.

Referee View

Following the successful trial of referee body cameras at FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, FIFA and Lenovo have announced that they will feature again at FIFA World Cup 2026, giving an anticipated global audience of over six billion fans access to the referee’s on-field point of view.

This time, the picture quality will be improved by Lenovo’s AI-driven stabilization overlay, giving additional streams to broadcasters and unique viewing experiences for fans, showcasing the referee’s perspective.

FIFA Secretary General, Mattias Grafström, added:

“The clearer, steadier footage achieved through the new generation of Referee View can support match officials in critical moments, while giving fans a sharper, more immersive view of the game from the referee’s perspective.”

Lenovo will also be sponsoring the use of Referee View footage during FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasts.

Lenovo Chief Marketing Officer & Chief Strategy Officer Gina Qiao said:

“Being able to provide billions of fans watching FIFA World Cup 2026 a unique and dramatic viewpoint from the very center of the field is why we got into this Partnership: to change fan experiences for the better, to impact how the beautiful game is watched, engaged with and enjoyed. Fans will see players interacting with the referee and each other, as well as the biggest moments up close and personal. Lenovo is delighted to bring this exclusively to fans across the world.”

FIFA Special Editions

In addition to the motorola razr FIFA World Cup 26™ Edition, the first of which was presented to Gianni Infantino by Yang Yuanqing on stage during Tech World, Lenovo is introducing a range of FIFA Special Edition devices across its commercial, consumer, and gaming device portfolios. These limited-edition models feature exclusive FIFA World Cup 26™ branding and packaging, offering fans a unique way to experience their favorite Lenovo devices during the tournament.

The collection includes:

• ThinkPad X9-14 Gen 1 & X9-15 Gen 1 — premium, ultra-thin laptops designed for professionals who need top-tier performance and reliability.
• ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 & 14 — Lenovo’s flagship business laptop series, enhanced with FIFA World Cup 26™ Special Edition detailing.
• ThinkBook 14 G8+, 14 G9, 16 G9 & 16p G9 — stylish small-and-medium-sized business-focused laptops that balance performance and value with a modern design.
• Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition FIFA World Cup 26™ Edition (14″, 11) — part of Lenovo’s newest premium Aura Edition portfolio, delivering elevated AI-powered experiences in a sleek, ultra-portable form.
• Idea Tab FIFA World Cup 26™ Edition — a versatile tablet with a special-edition finish for entertainment on the go.
• Lenovo Legion Pro 7i FIFA World Cup 26™ Edition (16″, 10) — a powerhouse gaming laptop combining high performance with exclusive FIFA World Cup 26™ aesthetics.
• Lenovo Legion Tab FIFA World Cup 26™ Edition — Lenovo’s portable gaming tablet, now with custom tournament branding.

About Lenovo

Lenovo is a US$69 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #196 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub. 

International Olympic Committee news

You are invited to join an online media roundtable at 2 p.m. (14:00) CET on Tuesday 27 January with Olympic Museum Director Angelita Teo and Deputy Director Yasmin Meichtry, together with Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026’s Education and Culture Director, Domenico De Maio, to discuss what the IOC, the Olympic Museum and the Organising Committee have prepared beyond the field of play, as part of the Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad.

The Olympic Museum is the leading international exponent for promoting and disseminating Olympism in the fields of culture, heritage and values-based education. The IOC has entrusted it with the mission of making these aspects of the Olympic Movement accessible and relevant to all.

It owns the largest collection of Olympican artefacts in the world and is one of the most visited museums in Switzerland, with an average of 400,000 visitors per year.

The Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 started its cultural activities long before the Games, with its Gen26 Education Programme launched already in 2021, and the Cultural Olympiad in 2022.

Registration for media is mandatory by 5 p.m. (17:00) CET on Monday 26 January, via the following link.

The roundtable will last one hour, and will consist of two short presentations by the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage and the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, followed by questions from the media.

Some of the topics the participants will be discussing include:

• The wide variety of exhibitions, activations and creative workshops co-produced by the Olympic Museum in Milan and all over Italy, with prestigious organisations such as the Triennale and the Biennale di Venezia.
• Insight into the Olympic Museum’s incredible collections, including 90,000 Olympic artefacts and 1 million images to support over 50 cultural projects as part of the Cultural Olympiad
• The full programme of more than 300 initiatives of the Cultural Olympiad
• How the Olympic values have anchored educational programmes that have reached thousands of teachers and millions of children in Italy.

Because of limited availability, we encourage you to confirm your attendance as soon as possible, and no later than 5 p.m. (17:00) CET on Monday 26 January.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the roundtable.

Should you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. We look forward to welcoming you to this media event.

Please click here to access the instructions on how to log in and ask questions during the roundtable.

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The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit, civil, non-governmental, international organisation made up of volunteers which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 4.7 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000, email: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.ioc.org.

Broadcast quality footage

The IOC Newsroom: https://newsroom.olympics.com/

Videos

YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia

Photos

For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr.

To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Content Licensing Unit at: images@olympic.org.

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Kendra Decker spends her weekends listening to owl calls as part of a conservation research project at the San Diego Zoo. During the week, she applies that same curiosity and attention to detail to the digital systems that support some of the world’s most highly regulated industries.

Technology, trust and maintaining life-saving environments

As a Regulated Industries Strategist on our Nuvolo team at Trane Technologies, Kendra works with cloud-based software in environments where reliability, precision and trust are essential. For her, the most meaningful part of her job lies in knowing that the technology she supports helps make real-world, life-saving therapies possible.

That sense of purpose led her to Nuvolo, which develops cloud-based connected workplace and enterprise asset management software for organizations like hospitals and clinical laboratories. The platform brings facilities, assets, spaces and work into a single system, helping teams and equipment operate accurately across complex environments.

“When people hear ‘regulated industries,’ they often think about data regulations,” she says. “But my focus is really on documenting how equipment is used and the conditions it supports.”

This attention to detail is vital in industries like healthcare and life sciences, where even the smallest temperature fluctuations can have real consequences on equipment, processes and patient care.

Kendra gives the example of one of her customers, a large pharmaceutical company operating hundreds of plasma donation centers across the U.S. and Europe. “Each site has equipment that has to be checked every day.” These checks help minimize bacterial growth and preserve the integrity and efficacy of the donated plasma, enabling life-saving therapies in environments that depend on absolute consistency.

Growing a career in software for complex systems

Kendra studied geology and ecology in college and began her career in life sciences, pharma and biotech. Early on, she worked with technology tied to pharmaceutical regulations and clinical trials. “Understanding how a drug moves from clinical trials all the way through to patient care was fascinating,” she says. “That end-to-end view really stuck with me.”

When Nuvolo began expanding its life sciences offering, Kendra joined as a solution consultant, working directly with customers. Over time, her role grew into healthcare, public sector and other regulated environments.

“Life sciences has always been my core,” she says. “But Nuvolo gave me the opportunity to expand into other heavily regulated sectors. That really became my sweet spot.”

Today, Kendra’s role focuses on aligning market needs, customer realities and product strategy. She works closely with sales, customer success, marketing and product teams across the company to ensure Nuvolo’s solutions truly work for the environments they’re designed for.

On innovation and the future of cloud-based connected workplace solutions 

As the needs of regulated industries are constantly evolving, Kendra likes to keep a close eye on the trends shaping the future. “In life sciences, for example, one major trend is the number of blockbuster drug patents expiring by 2030. That’s pushing companies to accelerate their development pipelines. There’s also a growing demand for built-in compliance support within software.”

Kendra credits Nuvolo’s acquisition by Trane Technologies in 2023 for being a catalyzing force for keeping up with rapid technological change. “There’s so much potential and possibility in this role to be a part of even more significant innovation,” she says. Kendra now has the opportunity to work with software, building systems and services teams across Trane Technologies to explore what becomes possible when those pieces come together.

“It’s unique because Nuvolo has the agility of a startup with the power of a global manufacturing company. That lets us step back and ask, ‘What can we now do that we couldn’t do before?’”

That connection became especially tangible during a recent visit to Trane Technologies’ La Crosse, Wisconsin manufacturing site. “Standing on the floor in La Crosse, wearing safety gear and seeing the scale of the equipment was eye-opening. It makes the impact of the work feel very real. You understand how important it is to get these systems right, because of the role they play in how buildings operate and how much energy they consume.”

That experience helped Kendra connect her day-to-day work with the broader impact of Trane Technologies’ systems, highlighting how decisions made in software ripple outward into real buildings, real energy use and real outcomes.

Trane Technologies’ mission state is to boldly challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world. Kendra comments on the acquisition by Trane Technologies and how she feels about the company’s mission:

“Sustainability has been of great importance to me since I was a teenager when I began getting involved in community environmental groups, and organizations and community groups centered around sustainable agriculture. I would say the motivation to focus on sustainability in my life was first driven by a love of wild animals, and then quickly shifted towards environmental health of both humans and animals and the realization that we all have a role to play in supporting sustainability efforts, whether we are aware of it or not. When Trane acquired Nuvolo, it married two areas of my life that I thought would always be separate, my career and, of course, sustainability. Two areas that I had always hoped I would be able to connect.”

Startup energy, global impact 

Kendra particularly enjoys the fact that her team can have a global impact while retaining its startup-like culture.

“Nuvolo has always had a startup feel. We’re a very close team. We know each other’s lives, we’ve met each other’s partners, and there’s a genuine sense of investment in one another.”

The culture also encourages experimentation, which Kendra believes has played a big role in her professional growth. “If someone wants to try something new or move into a new space, there’s support for that – which means I’ve had the chance to see almost every core part of the business. I feel like finally understand how a business truly works.”

Advice for digital careers in unexpected places

Although Kendra never expected to build a digital career in manufacturing, it’s actually where she sees some of the most meaningful impact.

“A lot of people don’t initially think about manufacturing or the built environment when they’re exploring digital careers,” she says. “But once you’re inside it, you realize how complex, interconnected and important these systems really are.”

In her work at Nuvolo, Kendra sees how digital tools touch a wide range of industries in very real ways, from healthcare and life sciences to manufacturing and public sector environments. “You’re working on software that has a real-world impact, that connects physical systems, buildings, people and data. There’s a real human impact. You’re supporting environments where people depend on things working the way they should, every day.”

That’s why her advice comes back to mindset. “Develop a research mindset,” Kendra says. “Be genuinely curious. Listen for the signals. Look for patterns and trends. Learn how businesses work end to end. That understanding becomes incredibly valuable, especially if you want to eventually grow into leadership.”

Most importantly, Kendra emphasizes the importance of having fun at work.

Want to build an enjoyable career in tech like Kendra? Check out our digital solutions roles.

AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, OAKLAND, Calif., January 30, 2026 /3BL/ – Cascale today released the Better Buying Responsible Purchasing Practices Snapshot Survey 2025 Report (formerly the Better Buying Partnership Index), offering a data-driven view of how suppliers experience buyers’ purchasing practices across the apparel supply chain. The report draws on findings from the fifth annual Better Buying Partnership Index (BBPI) rating cycle and amplifies anonymized supplier feedback to highlight what is working and where improvement is still needed.

The report focuses exclusively on softgoods, reflecting 974 supplier ratings collected from 51 countries and regions between October 1 and November 7, 2025. China, Bangladesh, and India accounted for the largest share of softgoods ratings, with 920 softgoods responses included in the analysis.

“This report shows that responsible purchasing practices are improving, but also that progress depends on listening closely to suppliers and acting on what they tell us,” said Katie Hess, Head of Product at Cascale’s Better Buying. “Suppliers are clear about what enables strong partnerships: predictable planning, fair terms, and consistent communication. When buyers embed these practices, they create more resilient supply chains and better outcomes for workers, businesses, and the environment.”

Key Findings

• Overall partnership performance improved year over year. The share of buyers rated as True Partners increased by five percent compared to 2024, signaling steady progress in responsible purchasing practices.
• Suppliers report stronger planning and operational practices. The largest gains in True Partner ratings were linked to buyers providing sufficient time for processes, improving operational efficiency, and offering better visibility to support business planning.
• Fairness and integrity score highly. Nearly 74 percent of suppliers rated buyers as True Partners on fair financial practices, and more than 93 percent reported business dealings free of corruption and bribery.
• Audit duplication and working conditions remain priority areas. While scores improved, suppliers continue to point to opportunities for buyers to further reduce duplicative audits and strengthen shared accountability for workplace and environmental performance.
• Supplier voices reinforce the value of collaboration. Open-ended responses emphasized the importance of clear and proactive communication, accurate forecasting, disciplined operational processes, and mutual trust as drivers of successful partnerships.
• Suppliers highlighted practical examples of good purchasing practices, including transparent day-to-day communication, reliable forecasts, stable lead times, and openness to innovation and feedback. Many also pointed to the role buyers can play in supporting supplier capability building, from sharing market insights to aligning on environmental targets.

Supplier Reflections

Based on anonymized, open-ended responses from the 2025 survey, suppliers consistently highlighted the following themes as critical to strong, mutually beneficial buyer–supplier relationships.

• Transparent, day-to-day communication and clear points of contact reduce friction, improve execution, and build trust.
• Reliable forecasts and long-term visibility were repeatedly cited as essential for capacity planning, efficiency, and innovation.
• Timely purchase orders, stable lead times, and simplified processes are key enablers of smoother production and reduced risk.
• Mutual respect, ethical conduct, and fair treatment were identified as foundational to long-term, resilient partnerships.
• Suppliers valued buyers that invest in shared learning, market insights, and long-term capability development.

Cascale encourages brands and retailers to use the findings as a practical benchmark to assess their own purchasing practices and identify areas for targeted improvement.

The Better Buying Snapshot Survey is part of Cascale’s broader commitment to advancing responsible purchasing practices as a foundational lever for decent work, environmental performance, and long-term supply chain resilience. Cascale will continue to support brands and manufacturers in using Better Buying data alongside other tools and programs to drive measurable, collaborative progress.

ABOUT CASCALE

Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people.

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January 30, 2026 /3BL/ – Six-week program connects corporate employees with international conversation partners through technology-enabled human dialogue, aiming for 1 million hours of “empathy work” by end of 2026

January 2026 – The RW Institute (RWI) today announced the launch of The Empathy Project, a structured corporate volunteering initiative designed to cultivate measurable empathy and intercultural understanding across global workforces. The program is now enrolling corporate partners, with initial cohorts scheduled to begin in Q2 2026.

One Million Hours of Empathy Work

Most corporate volunteering asks: How can we get employees to show up, do something tangible, and feel good about it?

The Empathy Project asks a different question: What would it take to help people become the best versions of themselves—and do it at a scale that actually matters?

The answer isn’t another event where people show up for four hours, assemble something, and leave feeling warm but unchanged. It’s a structured six-week experience where employees spend real time in conversation with real people from completely different worlds—often from the Global South—learning to see beyond their own assumptions and connect across genuine difference.

This is volunteering designed for transformation, not transaction. And it’s built to scale.

Because it happens at employees’ desks, it costs $35 per person instead of thousands. Because it runs in cohorts led by internal champions, it works anywhere—Berlin, Mumbai, São Paulo, Dallas. Because it generates anonymized data under strict research governance, companies get credible evidence instead of feel-good stories they wrote themselves.

The ambition is 1 million hours of empathy work by the end of 2026. One hundred thousand employees. Real conversations. Real reflection. Real change.

Not because it makes the quarterly results look better. Because the world needs people who can actually see each other.

How It Works

Each participating employee completes approximately six hours of volunteering over six weeks:

• Champion-led Brief (1 hour): Internal company champions set context, norms, and purpose
• Acquaint Conversations (4 hours): Four one-on-one dialogues with vetted international partners on the Acquaint platform
• Inqli Reflection (1-2 hours): Structured prompts help participants process experiences and surface insights
• Team Debrief (1 hour): Champions lead closing sessions to connect learning back to work

The program is designed in partnership with Acquaint, a global platform for intercultural dialogue, and Inqli, a reflection and sense-making environment. Together, the three partners provide the complete infrastructure for what RWI terms “empathy work”—time spent in structured, meaningful contact across difference.

Research Platform

The Empathy Project functions as a large-scale research platform under strict data governance protocols. No individual employee data is reported to companies; all insights are aggregated with minimum cell sizes to protect anonymity.

Research partnerships are confirmed with Dr. Kirsten Wright and the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (complexity science lens). Additional academic collaborations focused on employee volunteering outcomes are in development.

“We are testing hypotheses, not making promises,” said Chris Jarvis, founder of RW Institute. “The participation model, completion rates, and outcome measures are working assumptions grounded in prior research and behavioral science. The project is explicitly designed to generate peer-reviewed evidence about what actually works when you try to build empathy at scale.”

Investment and Access

Companies purchase seats at $35 per participating employee, which covers the full six-week experience, platform access, champion training and support, baseline research, and all administrative costs. 

The program targets engagement with approximately 100,000 employees across diverse companies by the end of 2026, generating 1 million hours of empathy work when including conversation partner time.

Enrollment Now Open

The Empathy Project began enrolling corporate partners in January 2026. Companies interested in participating can schedule initial cohorts beginning in Q2 of this year.

About RW Institute

The RW Institute designs and delivers transformative experiences that build organizational capability for empathy, connection, and prosocial behavior. Founded by Chris Jarvis, RWI partners with companies to create volunteering programs grounded in behavioral science and supported by rigorous research. https://empathy-project.lovable.app/

Acquaint is a global platform that facilitates meaningful intercultural conversations between people from different backgrounds and cultures. The organization recruits, vets, and onboards conversation partners from around the world—often from the Global South—and manages all matching, scheduling, and session protocols to ensure psychologically safe, high-quality dialogue. Acquaint’s mission is to build global understanding through direct human connection. Learn more at https://www.acquaint.org 

Inqli provides a reflection and sense-making environment designed to help people process experiences, surface insights, and connect learning to identity and behavior. Through structured prompts and a psychologically safe social learning space, Inqli turns conversations and experiences into durable understanding. The platform is grounded in organizational psychology and designed to foster curiosity, connection, and high-quality relationships. Learn more at https://www.inqli.com Contact