A month and a half into 2026, we are still being drip-fed predictions for the year ahead. The latest batch of crystal ball musings comes from the DPP, a UK-based coterie for media and technology. The bad news is that the DPP is predicting a slowdown in innovation for the year ahead, driven by continued consolidation across the sector. Though this is a bitter pill to swallow, a caveat of reduced R&D spend should not come as a surprise to anyone. This consolidation trade-off is a necessary evil, according to the DPP, citing media and technology professionals who see stability coming at the cost of innovation. A gradual suffocation of R&D funding is true of both content providers and of…