NASA, Chelsea FC & Circularity: Top Procurement Stories

Why is NASA Partnering With SBA on Small Business Sourcing?

To strengthen the nation's supply chain and increase sourcing from innovative technology small businesses, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been signed between NASA and the US Small Business Administration.

This partnership will primarily operate through NASA’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), which manages the agency's tech affairs, in tandem with the SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) and the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) programme.

NASA will utilise its technological expertise to detect and address gaps in supply chain logistics, while the SBA manages SBIC investment funds that pledge at least 60% of their capital to NASA-specified focus areas.

How IFS Will Power Procurement at Chelsea FC

IFS, a global leader in Industrial AI, has reached an agreement with Chelsea Football Club to make Chelsea a trailblazer in the use of AI within its operations.

IFS says it is already setting a new benchmark and innovative approach for a Premier League football club. This agreement follows on from February’s announcement of the multi-year global partnership between IFS and Chelsea Football Club.

In this deal, IFS will be implemented across Chelsea’s operations through this period. To start with, it will work across finance and procurement solutions; IFS and Chelsea FC will look to extend the use across a broad range of industrial AI capabilities including asset management and facility operations.

IFS technology will play a leading role within the operational foundations of the business and will use next-generation IFS.ai tooling to enhance performance, drive efficiency and uncover opportunities for future growth.

Driving Circularity: How the EU Ecolabel Validates Value

The EU Ecolabel acts as a practical, third-party verified tool that bridges the gap between Europe's circular economy policies and everyday market choices. It helps consumers navigate a crowded market of environmental claims while helping businesses stay competitive and ahead of upcoming regulations.

There is a greater need for products to last longer, use resources more efficiently, contain fewer harmful substances and generate less waste. Alongside this, people need to be given reliable information to identify better options in a market where environmental claims proliferate. This is where the EU Ecolabel plays its part.

As the EU looks to move forward the Circular Economy Act and implements the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, the EU Ecolabel is a practical tool for linking policy objectives to everyday market choices.

Circularity begins at the design stage. Decisions made regarding materials and ingredients, the durability of a product, its repairability, its chemical profile and its end-of-life options all influence whether resources remain in use or become waste.

How Coupa is Powering Procurement Transformation for Uzabase

Cloud AI spend management platform, Coupa, announced it is strengthening the procurement management infrastructure at Japanese business intelligence and media company Uzabase. 

Coupa says that Uzabase selected it due to its nature as a global-ready SaaS solution with a simple architecture, capable of covering all types of spend across the entire group.

Many procurement professionals are looking to streamline financial processes in line with recent technological developments in AI and cloud software. 

According to Deloitte, a more integrated, end-to-end, process-driven approach to procurement and finance operations can result in a 20% to 40% uplift in realised savings and 10% to 30% improvement in operational efficiency.

PSM & Datavault AI: US$700m Mineral Supply Chain Tech

Datavault AI announced a proposed strategic partnership with Patriot Strategic Metals (PSM) to jointly develop what they call a Strategic Materials Acquisition Platform.

The companies describe it as an institutional digital infrastructure platform to support the financing, tokenisation, settlement and lifecycle management of strategic mineral assets.

Critical minerals like copper, lithium and cobalt are in increasing demand owing to use in AI infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, defence, robotics and electrification.

The IEA says that in a world of high geopolitical tensions, critical minerals have emerged as a frontline issue in safeguarding global energy and economic security.

The agreement is intended to support the acquisition, storage, transportation, certification, insurance and distribution of eligible strategic minerals.