Advisory / Counseling Services News
A new innovation centre for industrial biotechnology (IB) is forecast to increase IB related turnover to up to �3 billion by 2030, create 1500 jobs within five years and put Scotland at the forefront of a global transformation. Funded by the Scottish Funding Council and supported by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the new Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) � hosted at the University of Strathclyde � is a key element of the National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology � Towards a Greener, Cleaner 2025.
Week Commencing 27th January 2014 Energy & Business Services: Scottish Renewables� �Offshore Wind 2014� Conference and Exhibition took place in Aberdeen this week. The keynote speech was from Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish Government�s Energy, Enterprise and Tourism Minister.
Highlands and Islands businesses interested in exporting to China have an opportunity to access specialist information and advice at a free event in Inverness in March. Organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with Scottish Development International (SDI) and the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), the event comes a matter of weeks after China celebrates its New Year, the beginning of Year of the Horse, on January 31.
Week Commencing 20th January 2014 Energy & Business Services: HIE colleagues have returned to Aberdeen this week for a further series of meetings with companies and agencies. As previously reported interest in Caithness as a place from which to do business is strong, with new companies showing interest in energy sector opportunities.
Week Commencing 12 January 2014 Energy & Business Services: There is further evidence of progress with the programme of upgrades to the electricity transmission network in the north with this week�s announcement that Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission has received final planning consent from Scottish Government for the reinforcement of the electricity transmission network between Caithness and Moray. This will involve a new overhead line between the new Dounreay sub-station and Mybster (on the Causeymire), as part of the wider �1.2bn programme, which includes a subsea link from the east coast of Caithness to the Moray coast.
Week Commencing 6 Januatry 2014 Energy & Business Services: I met today (Friday) with representatives from Financial & Business Services teams in HIE and Scottish Development International to discuss opportunities to attract new business to this area. We have companies in the north providing excellent business process operations (eg Escape Technologies, Aon Hewitt, BT, the Dental Plan) and we discussed forthcoming plans to raise awareness of our area�s skills in national and international markets.
Week Commencing 16th December 2013 Energy & Business Services: As apprentices on the North Highland College engineering programme go out into work placements during Year 2 of their course, the attached video highlights student views on the course and the lessons they have learned to date from their experiences in the workplace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3vgSxfzJFQ Tourism, Food & Drink: Caithness Horizons in Thurso celebrates its 5th birthday this month, and it was good to meet this week with directors, staff and local stakeholders to commemorate this milestone.
Week Commencing 9th December 2013 Energy & Business Services: Partnership representatives held a business breakfast event in Aberdeen this week. HIE�s Roy Kirk and June Love, together with Stephen Sutherland (JGC Engineering Services), Willie Watt (Subsea 7) and Debbie Gray (North Highland College), met a group of business leaders to promote the area as an attractive place from which to do business.
Week commencing 2nd December 2013 Energy & Business Services: Partnership representatives were once again in Aberdeen this week. A CNSRP-sponsored business influencers� event was held in association with the Scottish Council for Development & Industry (SCDI), and attracted around 70 attendees, with key guest speaker Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish Government Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism.
Enabling Activities: Today (Friday 29th November 2013) was the AGM of the North Highland Regeneration Fund, the loan fund established with support from the NDA. Afterwards guest speakers Rob Arthur of Thurso Cinema and Andrew Mackay of Norseman and Castletown Hotels talked about what inspired them to get involved in business.
The Highland Council is to write to the UK Government, the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to highlight its total opposition to the high-cost short-term credit offered by pay day lending companies and the misery that spiralling debt brings to the poorest in society. A priority, they say, is to cap the level of interest on the repayment of loans, which can be as high as 4,000 per cent, at no more than 60 per cent.
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands interested in hearing more about exporting opportunities to one of the UK's largest markets - Japan - are invited to attend a free event in Inverness next week. On Wednesday 27 November Scottish Development International�s (SDI) Country Head in Japan, Stephen Baker and Highland businessman Gilpin Bradley from Wester Ross Fisheries will be available to share their advice on doing business in Japan.
Week Commencing 11 November 2013 Energy/ Business Services: I met today with members of Wick Harbour Authority and representatives from Highland Council, HIE, NDA, Dounreay, Caithness Chamber to hear an update on exciting future plans for the harbour, and to discuss how support can be prioritised to help realise some of the plans. Of particular interest is the opportunity presented by the potential development of two Offshore Windfarm sites in the Moray Firth.
Tomorrow (15 November 2013) The Highland Council launches a public consultation on the Dounreay Planning Framework 2: Draft Supplementary Guidance. The Highland Council approved the existing Dounreay Planning Framework in January 2006, as a land use development brief against which to regulate and control future decommissioning and restoration works proposed at the former nuclear power research site at Dounreay, near Thurso in Caithness.
Week Commencing 4th November 2013 Energy/ Business Services: I met this week with colleagues from HIE and NDA as we discussed with a local business its exciting growth plans. As part of our ongoing focus on key projects it was good to be able to offer a joined-up approach to potential support, and I look forward to helping bring the project forward over the coming months.
Scottish tourism businesses, community groups and social enterprises are being encouraged to tap into ancestral tourism opportunities. A series of Ancestral Tourism workshops are being held across Scotland throughout November in the run up to 2014, when Scotland welcomes the world for Homecoming, the Ryder Cup and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Energy/ Business Services: Gordon Calder�s story in this week�s Caithness Courier carries good news for the area economy. Rolls Royce has confirmed its commitment to work in Caithness until 2030, providing a boost to the 300 strong workforce.
For the first time since its inception, the Gaelic Business of the Year Award has been jointly won, by two companies. The successful companies are Facal, a specialist transcription and translation service company based in Sutherland and Comunn Eachdraidh Nis, a historical society based in Ness, Lewis.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with Scottish Development International (SDI), invites companies to find out more about the business opportunities that exist in Japan at this free event in Inverness on Wednesday 27th November 2013. Japan is the UK�s largest export market after Europe and the USA and the third largest economy in the world.
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands interested in exporting to Central Europe are being offered a one to one business clinic in Inverness with an international business adviser. The free 45 minute sessions being held on November 7 have been organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Development International (SDI).