Week commencing 7th January 2013 Energy: The new year brings further good news from Subsea 7 as it secures another significant contract which will help maintain its current workforce of around 120 at Wester, near Wick. The contract, for Dana Petroleum, will involve pipeline construction for Dana's Harris and Barra fields located to the east of Shetland.
A new package of business IT support for organisations and individuals across the Highlands and Islands is now available. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with Business Gateway and with support from the Scottish Government, have launched an IT engagement programme, offering online IT guides and group workshops.
An agreement to deliver the UK’s most complex broadband project to date is expected to be signed early in the New Year. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is very close to agreeing the detail of the multi-million pound project which will transform access to next generation broadband across the region.
Energy: Last week a number of local people were able to view a demonstration of a system designed by Nuvia and tested at T3UK near Thurso. The remote handling equipment, for spent fuel at a power station being decommissioned in Lithuania, is the product of two years of joint work between Nuvia and JGC Engineering Services.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has announced a decision to proceed with the next phase of the National Nuclear Archive project, which will see a new purpose built archive facility constructed at Wick to provide long-term storage of records and other archive material from civil nuclear sites in the UK. The archive will be operated on NDA’s behalf by a specialist commercial partner and is expected to bring more than 20 sustainable jobs to the town.
As we approach 2013, nearly five years on from the start of the “Credit Crunch” of 2008, households in the Highlands and Islands Region continue to face many financial challenges. There are challenges for both borrowers and savers in equal measure; whether it is the saver who has seen interest paid on savings being slashed, or the borrower who can no longer access credit from their Bank.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has published its renewed Gaelic Language Plan, detailing actions which the development agency will take to support Gaelic language and culture over the next three years. HIE's Gaelic Plan 2012-15 builds on the organisation’s commitment to supporting Gaelic developments and has been approved by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
Week Commencing 3rd December 2012 Energy: At last week's Wave & Tidal Information Day in Thurso staff from Marine Scotland and Highland Council were present to talk about the ongoing work to develop a Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan. The pilot plan aims to develop a strategic decision-making framework for licensing and other consent applications in the marine area.
Highlands and Islands companies shone at a glittering ceremony last night, taking home prestigious Scottish Green Energy Awards. Nigg Skills Academy won the Contribution to Skills and Training award, Edinbane windfarm won Best Project and Rob Gibson was named Best Politician.
Comment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise following today's announcement that Essex based firm Trident Energy is to lease a site at Kishorn Port for sea trials of its prototype electricity generator. Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: “HIE has been pleased to work with the team at Kishorn Port Ltd as it has established and grown its plans for the site, and we are delighted they have secured this investment for the area.
Contract awarded for Inverness Campus access. Work will start in the New Year on the widening of Culloden Road to provide a new access into the new Inverness Campus which Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is developing at Beechwood.
As the renewable energy industry gears up for the most glittering night of the year, a number of Highlands and Islands companies are looking to bring home prestigious Green Energy Awards. The event, now in its 11th year, is anticipated to be the biggest yet.
The North Highland Regeneration Fund, whose board director is local MP John Thurso, has helped retain and create 218 jobs sinces it was set up in 2006. The fund is supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and is designed to distribute loans to businesses in the Far North.
Week Commencing 26th November Energy: The Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Leadership Forum's Wave & Tidal Information Day took place in Thurso and Kirkwall this week. The event had displays and staff from Meygen, Scottish Power Renewables, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd, National Grid, Marine Scotland, The Crown Estate, HIE, Highland Council, Business Gateway, Skills Development Scotland, Caithness Chamber of Commerce, Scrabster Harbour Trust, Wick Harbour Authority, Energy North, North Highland College, the Environmental Research Institute and the European Marine Energy Centre.
The Chairman of the north’s Regeneration Partnership has welcomed the interest shown this week by local people in the developments planned for the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters. Sir Anthony Cleaver, independent Chairman of the Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, said “I’m delighted to hear that the first of the two Information Days held by the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Leadership Forum in Caithness and Orkney has proved to be a success, bringing local people in to hear about progress directly from Scottish Power Renewables and Meygen, as well as from a range of key supporting agencies such as National Grid, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd, HIE, Highland Council, Crown Estate and Marine Scotland.
Week Commencing 19th November 2012 Energy: A reminder that this Wednesday (28th November) there will be an opportunity for members of the public to catch up with current activities in the wave and tidal sector when the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Information Day is held in the Pentland Hotel, Thurso. The event will be open from 2pm til 8pm, with a number of stands from bodies such as Marine Scotland, The Crown Estate, National Grid, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd and wave/ tidal developer companies, as well as HIE, Highland Council, Skills development Scotland, North Highland College and Caithness Chamber of Commerce.
Call for businesses to support economic health check for Highlands and Islands. Businesses and social enterprises are being invited to play their part in a quarterly temperature check of the region’s economy being gathered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Businesses and social enterprises are being invited to play their part in a quarterly temperature check of the region's economy being gathered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The results will provide an ongoing picture of business confidence, growth aspirations, access to finance and the labour market to help inform the business community on challenges and opportunities facing the area.
Businesses interested in moving into international markets attended an export training event held in Inverness on Wednesday and Thursday this week. In partnership with Scottish Development International (SDI), Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) held two Smart Exporter courses this week – ‘Introduction to Developing your International Tourism Markets’ and ‘Preparing to Export: Introduction’.