Scottish Business Buzz

Scottish Business Buzz (06.06.18)

Written by Michelle Rodger

Glasgow has been shortlisted to participate in the second stage of the pitch process for the new Channel 4 National HQ and two new Creative Hubs.

More than 30 submissions were received in this first round from across the UK, and now seven cities have been shortlisted for consideration as a National HQ or Creative Hub. And a further six have been shortlisted for consideration as a Creative Hub only.

Among the shortlisted cities for the National HQ or Creative Hub are Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and West Midlands.

Each of the shortlisted cities will participate in a second stage process – which will include Channel 4 visiting each city for a presentation and Q&A. Following this, Channel 4 will engage in further discussions with cities and regions as necessary, before selecting the final locations in October 2018.

Read more


Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh has launched a new Business School following a decision to commit strategic investment to further enhance student experience and promote the breadth of subjects and research within its division of Business, Enterprise and Management.

The new  Queen Margaret Business School encompasses the university’s expanding portfolio of postgraduate and undergraduate programmes in business, accounting and finance, marketing, events, and hospitality and tourism management, blended and online provision, and executive education. It is a member of the prestigious Chartered Association of Business Schools.

The move puts the spotlight on the University’s focus on strategic and applied research which benefits user communities and supports its aim to reach out to new markets and groups of students through enhanced programmes of study.

Read more


Growth of broad UK manufacturing activity accelerated modestly in May, from the slowest pace in 17 months in April, but fears over underlying weakness were fuelled by a surge in stocks of unsold goods.

The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, publishing its latest UK manufacturing report yesterday, noted the build-up in finished goods stocks last month was the steepest in the 26-year history of its survey.

It also expressed worries over a sharp reduction in backlogs of work. Manufacturing employment growth slowed to a crawl, with the increase in the workforce the weakest since February 2017.

Read more


Scotland’s digital programme for SMEs has received a £1.7m boost from the Scottish Government to extend the service that has seen thousands of SMEs benefit from digital business training.

DigitalBoost is aimed at helping Scottish SMEs capitalise on digital technology. The programme provides a range of digital training including online tutorials, practical guides, 1:1 support from a digital expert and local workshops on topics including social media, cyber resilience, data analytics, digital marketing strategy and e-commerce.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: “We are committed to ensuring our future workforce and businesses are fully prepared and ready to embrace the digital revolution.

“This further £1.7m investment for Digital Boost Phase 3 brings Scottish Government investment in the programme to over £6m since 2016 and illustrates our on-going commitment to supporting Business Gateway to invest in the digital skills, processes and capabilities of our small and medium businesses. We will continue to support investment in a variety of businesses across Scotland to ensure all companies are ready to benefit from the opportunities of the digital future.”

Read more


More than £90m will be invested in Stirling and Clackmannanshire through an “ambitious City Region Deal, which will drive economic growth across the region”.

Working in partnership with both Stirling and Clackmannanshire councils, the deal will see the Scottish and UK governments each invest £45.1m with regional partners, including the private sector.

The City Region Deal is an agreement between the Scottish Government, UK Government, Stirling Council and Clackmannanshire Council. This deal will unlock economic opportunities across the whole of the region, delivering new and up-skilled jobs across a range of sectors.

Read more


Baker Hughes is to build a subsea manufacturing campus in Scotland’s north east, to support the global oil and gas industry.

Backed by a £4.9 million grant from Scottish Enterprise, Baker Hughes has committed £31 million to a manufacturing centre of excellence, based at their existing location in Montrose, which will create 100 new jobs. The 35-acre site will include test and assembly, research and development (R&D) and workforce training facilities.

The centre will be among the most advanced facilities of its kind anywhere in the world. It will pioneer state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, such as virtual reality tools, industrial 3D printing, automation and sensor-equipped machines.

Read more


 

About the author

Michelle Rodger

Michelle is a former national newspaper journalist who co-founded an award-winning IT business before launching Tartan Cat Communications. A social media and crowdfunding expert she manages media and communications for Business for Scotland.

Leave a Comment