With the end of 2021 in sight, we crunched the numbers to bring you a round-up of National Technology News’ most popular stories of the year.

Biometrics have been a key topic in 2021, creating delicate issues for regulators and disrupting the business models of many established companies. A feature exploring where biometric technology fits into current legislation and one of the technology’s biggest flaws - racial bias - nabbed the top spot.

More than a third of UK consumers say they’d prefer future technology to prioritise climate concerns over non-essential needs. Released in February, a feature which explored the environmental technologies dominating the UK budget in 2021, was the year’s second most read story.

The piece was released shortly after the British government announced plans for a £12 billion ‘green industrial revolution’ and covered topics such as carbon capture and storage, green aerospace tech, and electric vehicles.

Many humanitarian aid budgets have either been slashed or are under pressure from governments the world over, and in the context of post-pandemic austerity demand for funding certainly outstrips supply. A podcast with two members of geospatial charity MapAction, Hannah Ker and Alan Mills, explored how data can be used to ensure organisations allocate scarce resources - such as limited supplies, vaccines, and skilled personnel - in exactly the right place, to the people who most need them. The conversation covered how incorporating data from social media can help charities, as well the problems involved in vetting data quality.

Next up was a podcast exploring the huge influence a small number of trillion-dollar companies have on which products - and which businesses - ultimately succeed or fail. The podcast, featuring Joost Rietveld, assistant professor at University College London explored the potential impact this immense level of power can have on consumers and businesses. The conversation touched on the steps regulators and governments can take to stem this market dominance and tried to put the current situation in historical context.

A feature exploring the impact that 3D printing has had on the fashion industry also made the year’s most read stories. The technology has been touted as having the ability to change the fashion industry for years, however real-world applications have been limited so far. The piece engaged a host of fashion and technology experts to gauge the issues which are holding back the adoption of 3D printing in the fashion world, and how it could radically change how consumers engage with fashion in the future.

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