Entrepreneur support programme launched by Scottish Government
The Scottish Government has launched a first of its kind programme in partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Business School to help entrepreneurs scale-up their business.
The Scotland Can Do SCALE has two strands, an online course which explores putting customers at the heart of a business and a residential summer school for entrepreneurs.
The objective of the programme is to build a community of entrepreneurs leading scalable businesses across Scotland, with ongoing support provided to those with ambition and potential for growth.
Deputy FM John Swinney comments on the programme.
XYZ Maps used by key plotter manufacturers
Two of the world’s key plotter manufacturers have chosen Business for Scotland member XYZ Maps for use of demo plots last week.
Hewlett Packard bought a selection of maps from XYZ Maps to use for demo plots and Océ, a Canon company specialising in document management systems and services, including hardware, software and digital printing solutions, used XYZ Map’s Europe map as a free demo plot at the FESPA Digital print and graphics show in Amsterdam.
First power at Shetland Tidal Array
Edinburgh tidal developer Nova Innovation has deployed the first 110kW turbine that forms part of the Shetland Tidal Array in the Bluemull Sound. The first M100 turbine of the array is now delivering power to the Shetland grid following operations and testing.
Nova expects to deploy the fourth and fifth units of the £3.75m Shetland Tidal Array, which has £1.9m of grant and loan funding from Scottish Enterprise, by 2018.
Nova director Simon Forrest said it has delivered a project with over 80% Scottish supply chain content, and over 25% of the spend in Shetland.
“This milestone represents a huge achievement and the culmination of a tremendous amount of work from our team in Scotland and Belgium. I would especially like to thank Scottish Enterprise and Elsa for their support and advice which has enabled us to build such a strong, pan-European project rooted in Scotland,” said Forrest.
Full story on reNews.
FM: Scotland can’t succeed without SMEs
The First Minister has said ahead of addressing the Federation of Small Businesses’ National Conference in Glasgow this Friday (18 March) that small businesses and their success is integral to the success of the Scottish economy.
Ms Sturgeon said:
“The Scottish Government will continue to champion small businesses and their capacity for sustainable and inclusive growth. Since we introduced the Small Business Bonus Scheme in 2008, the amount of money being saved by businesses every year has more than doubled. This means that almost 100,000 business premises in Scotland now pay zero or reduced rates under this scheme alone.
“Small businesses are the beating heart of our communities and a driving force in our economy and I look forward to addressing the Federation of Small Businesses and continuing our work together to maintain Scotland’s reputation as an excellent place to do business.”
Scotland economy resilient despite oil revenues decline: GERS
Taking the fall in oil price into the content of a wider economic environment, which has been impacted by muted global demand and more difficult conditions for manufacturers, the FM has said that Scotland’s economy has remained resilient following the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures for 2014-15.
Business for Scotland’s CEO Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp said on the recent GERS report:
“The unprecedented fall in oil price has impacted on Scotland’s fiscal position, but can’t hide the fact that Scotland’s onshore economy has been shown to be highly resilient.
“The figures highlight what being part of the United Kingdom, and therefore not enjoying the protection of a mechanism to deal with the impact of oil price volatility such as a sovereign oil fund, can do to Scotland’s fiscal position.”
Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie and Labour’s Kezia Dugdale comment on GERS.
RGU works with hub North Scotland to give student industry insight
Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU) is linking up with one of the biggest planning, procurement and delivery organisations in the North of Scotland giving its students access to industry experts.
Students studying built environment courses at RGU will hear guest lectures delivered by a range of experts at the organisation, which deals with all aspects of the design and procurement process on projects to ensure best value is delivered.
The organisation has also committed to taking on placement students from the university in the future.
Among the projects hub North Scotland has been involved in are Aberdeen Community Health and Care Village; Brimmond School; Alford Community Campus and Forres Medical Centre.
More on this story in Aberdeen Business News.
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