Advisory / Counseling Services News
With the roll-out of superfast broadband set to transform the Highlands and Islands, Scotland’s largest and most ambitious creative industries event is offering its widest ever range of activity, with digital at its core. Leading industry figures from around the world, will be in Inverness for goNORTH 4-5 June to discuss and share experiences on how increased access to high speed broadband and mobile services have changed the way people watch film, listen to music and read.
Companies from the Highlands and Islands are grasping the opportunity to give Europe and beyond a flavour of what they have to offer when they showcase their produce at the Seafood Expo Global 2014 in Brussels. This global annual event which takes place this week (Tuesday 6th May – Thursday 8th May 2014) attracts over 25,000 seafood buyers along with exhibitors from more than 70 countries.
Ambitious businesses and social enterprises in the Highlands and Islands are showing increased confidence and positive performance, according to figures compiled by development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The organisation’s year-end results show that it enjoyed another successful year in 2013-14, supporting more than 2,000 jobs and meeting or exceeding each of the performance measures it agrees annually with the Scottish Government.
Specialists may be able to carry out a life-saving diagnosis on someone suffering a stroke hundreds of miles away, thanks to new technology being investigated in a research collaboration led by the University of Aberdeen and supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). An ultrasound scanner connected to a state-of-the-art communication system will transmit images of the patient’s brain in real time to centrally based specialists, aiming to increase survival rates and minimise resulting disability.
Week commencing 21st april 2014 Energy & Business Services: The Department for Energy & Climate Change this week announced the eight renewables projects on its revised list of “Final Investment Decision Enabling for Renewables”. This list has been published following a final review of affordability, after an interim list was published in December 2013.
A new £11.3 million innovation centre dedicated to helping Scotland capitalise on the growing market in analytics and ‘big data’ technology is set to open later this year. The investment is projected to return a minimum of 345 new jobs and an additional £155 million of value to the Scottish Economy.
Hydrasun, a leading specialist provider of integrated fluid transfer, power and control solutions to the global energy market, is looking to expand its operations with a £3M investment in its specialist manufacturing facility in Aviemore. This is also being supported by a £500,000 development grant from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Homes and businesses in Lerwick on Shetland are set to be Scotland’s first island community to get fibre broadband as part of the £410 million Digital Scotland partnership. Lerwick joins Keith in Moray as the latest areas to be announced as part of the Digital Highlands and Islands project which will deliver fibre broadband to 84% of premises across the region by 2016.
Food and drink businesses across the Highlands and Islands and within the Cairngorms National Park area have just days left before the deadline to enter the region’s largest and most prestigious food and drink industry awards. As the Wednesday, 23 April deadline approaches for entries for this year’s Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards, sponsored by Gordon & MacPhail and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), organisers are calling on the area’s food and drink businesses to make sure they don’t miss the closing date.
Week commencing 7th April 2014 Energy & Business Services: Atlantis Resources Ltd has announced an extension to its partnership with Chinese company Dongfang Electrical Machinery which will enable testing of the Atlantis AK1000 tidal turbine in China. As previously reported, Atlantis now owns Meygen Ltd., and Atlantis tidal devices will be deployed at the Meygen tidal site in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth following Scottish Government consent last year, and Atlantis’ successful raising of project finance.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is delighted to announce Natural Retreats, a specialist leisure and travel company, as the new operator of Cairngorm Mountain, taking effect in June 2014. Natural Retreats are renowned for offering customers and guests high quality tourism based experiences in some of the most dramatic natural locations around the world.
Highlands and Islands businesses are at the forefront of showcasing Scottish food and drink in Singapore as part of two international events. Eight companies from the region are part of an 18 strong Scottish delegation participating in a trade mission to Singapore on 6-10th April in a bid to crack one of the world’s wealthiest economies.
Week Commencing 31 March 2014 Energy & Business Services: SSE’s transmission business is consulting on the next phase of plans to enhance the electricity transmission grid in the north. The company this week held two days of public consultation in Thurso and Mey on plans to construct a new substation at Phillips Mains near Mey, which will connect to a new substation near Thurso via a new 132kV overhead line.
he marine energy sector is to benefit from £6 million in funding to further develop testing of new wave and tidal energy prototypes in the seas around Scotland. Scottish Enterprise is launching the third round of the remaining competitive funding from the initial WATERS fund in collaboration with Highlands & Islands Enterprise.
Week commencing 24th March 2014 Energy & Business Services: Following last week’s news of consents given to the two offshore wind developments in the Moray Firth, SSE has this week announced its major review of offshore wind commitments in the UK. Whilst the company has announced plans to scale back investment in renewables, the good news is that investment in a 375MW Beatrice project will continue, with further key project decision points expected at the end of 2014 and in early 2016.
Week commencing 17thj March 2014 Energy & Business Services: Scottish Government this week gave consents to two applications to develop offshore wind sites in the Moray Firth. The applications from Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) and Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd (MORL) were granted subject to specific conditions relating to environmental monitoring.
Wick Harbour Authority is making progress with its plans to create a heavy-lift facility on the commercial quay at Wick harbour, with contractors Gunns Lybster Ltd having now begun the work. The project, and its associated dredging works, was supported by CNSRP partners HIE and NDA respectively and is the first of several proposed phases of work to position the harbour as a key player in the energy sector, with the current focus being on potential to benefit from the development of Offshore Wind in the Moray Firth.
Week Commencing 10th March 2014 Energy & Business Services: Wick Harbour Authority is making progress with its plans to create a heavy-lift facility on the commercial quay at Wick harbour, with contractors Gunns Lybster Ltd having now begun the work. The project, and its associated dredging works, was supported by CNSRP partners HIE and NDA respectively and is the first of several proposed phases of work to position the harbour as a key player in the energy sector, with the current focus being on potential to benefit from the development of Offshore Wind in the Moray Firth.
Week Commencing 3rd March 2014 Energy & Business Services: It was good to hear this week’s announcement of new ownership and opportunities for AGM Batteries and ABSL Power Systems in Thurso. Under the new structure ABSL Power Systems will become Denchi Power Systems Ltd (named after Denchi House in Thurso, where both businesses are based).
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Chief Executive Alex Paterson has been visiting a Thurso factory where two battery manufacturing firms are powering ahead under new ownership. HIE has supported the smooth change-over for new investors at AGM Batteries and ABSL Power Solutions, which were previously owned by US-based multinational Enersys Inc.