Six communities selected for Community Broadband pilot. Residents in six communities across Scotland are to benefit from a £5 million fund to bring next generation broadband to hard to reach rural areas.
Business and community leaders in Caithness and Sutherland will be meeting enterprise bosses tomorrow to discuss local and national issues. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is hosting a business breakfast in Thurso with representatives from around 30 business and community groups operating locally.
Update Week commencing 5th November 2012 Energy: Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) this week announced the signing of a Partnership Agreement with the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). SSE is a key player in the development of the energy sector in the north, both as a developer and generator of renewable energy.
Week commencing 22nd October 2012 Energy: Scottish Government has announced the launch of the £103M Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF). Initial priorities for the REIF are wave and tidal energy, community-owned renewables and renewable district heating, as well as other projects with a focus on innovative renewable energy technologies.
£1 million investment to encourage and support dynamic growth entrepreneurs Finance Secretary John Swinney will today (Friday, October 19) announce the creation of a £1million Scottish entrepreneurs fund called EDGE - Encouraging Dynamic Growth Entrepreneurs - which will help accelerate innovative business ideas. The fund will invest up to £50,000 in entrepreneurial businesses to stimulate economic growth.
Mo Farah's sports physiologist, the Medical Director of NHS 24 and the Head of Enforcement at the Food Standards Agency are just three of the experts speaking at the P4 Digital 2012 conference in Inverness next month. Over 200 doctors, researchers, technical experts and business leaders from across the country are gathering at the fifth national conference to discuss the latest developments in digital healthcare.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is stepping up its efforts to ensure that businesses and communities across the region are able to harness the benefits of digital communications, including next generation broadband (NGB). Stuart Robertson, currently the development agency's Head of Digital and Broadband, as well as its Area Manager for Shetland, is to take on a new, dedicated role as Director of Digital Highlands and Islands.
Week Commencing 24th September 2012 Energy: Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd, the consortium of EDP Renewables and Repsol, will be holding public meetings in the north next week to update on its submission to Scottish Government to construct offshore wind projects at three fields (Telford, Stevenson and MacColl) in the outer Moray Firth, just off the coast of Caithness. The events will be at Helmsdale Community Centre on Monday 1st October from 12-8pm and at Mackay's Hotel, Wick, on Tuesday 2nd October from 12-8pm.
£100,000 North Highland fund to stimulate tourism and food & drink sectors. A £100,000 challenge fund which will stimulate new ways of working within the North Highlands' tourism and food & drink sectors is being launched today (Friday).
week commencing 17th September 2012 Energy: Scottish Renewables' Marine Conference and Exhibition took place in Inverness this week, with over 250 delegates and over 40 exhibitors including Kongsberg Maritime, Caithness Renewables and Invest Caithness. To coincide with the Conference Scottish Renewables published data indicating that the costs of connecting to the National Grid for Caithness-based Pentland Firth wave and tidal projects had decreased against previous estimates, whilst connection charges from Orkney had dramatically increased.
HI-SCOT Credit Union is now operating across the Highland area and provides an opportunity for people in the community to come together to save, and borrow money at low rates. Credit Unions are not-for-profit co-operatives, with surpluses being returned to members.
Week commencing 10th September 2012 Energy: DSRL's Commercial Team will be holding two Supply Chain Briefings this month to give an update on the Shaft and Silo Decommissioning Project at Dounreay.The project comprises of the design, build, operations and decommissioning of limited-life plant and facilities necessary to retrieve and treat the waste from within the Dounreay Shaft and Wet Silo. The overall project is valued between £80M and £100M, so it represents a significant opportunity for supply-chain companies.
Thousands of tourists beating a path to Greenwich, home of the Olympic Equestrian Centre and Royal Museums Greenwich, may find their feet on Caithness stone if they also stop by the world’s last surviving tea clipper. One of the world’s most famous ships, the Cutty Sark was devastated by fire in 2007, but opened again to the public this year in grand style after six years of intensive conservation work.
First Minister Alex Salmond officially opened two new energy education hubs at The North Highland College UHI on Thursday 30th August 2012. The First Minister met with staff, students and trainees at the official opening of North Highland College UHI's new Engineering, Technology and Energy Centre (ETEC) and Centre for Energy and Environment (CfEE).
Annemarie Monteforte from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), said: "The two facilities which the First Minister is opening today are key to building further on the skills and R&D required for the energy supply chain in Caithness and the wider North Highlands. "Through this Thurso campus, UHI and North Highland College now deliver the full range of Higher and Further Education services to provide the skills needed for the sector to flourish.
Energy: I took part in a meeting this week to help develop the marketing plan for the Pentland Firth & Orkney waters, together with colleagues from Orkney Islands Council, HIE and EMEC. As partners build on the recent announcement of Marine Energy Park status for the Pentland Firth/ Orkney waters area and the Enterprise Area status for Scrabster, our discussions focused on ensuring that the message to potential investors remains clear and attractive and that local communities and stakeholders are kept informed of progress.
Cairn Housing Association is pleased to announce that it's all change at Caberfeidh Court, Wick. After a fundamental review of the services offered at Caberfeidh Court it has been decided that the housing court at Wellington Avenue in Wick is to be redesignated as Retirement Housing.
Enabling Activities: Enabling those who are currently out of work to find employment, helping school students to identify paths towards employment and supporting those seeking transition opportunities within the current workforce were the three drivers for a meeting I convened this week with colleagues from North Highland College, Skills Development Scotland, Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Highland Council's Employability team. The discussion was to progress plans for an event that promotes access to skills opportunities in new and emerging sectors with relevance to the area.
Highlands and Islands companies confirm academic partnerships boost business. Interface providing vital support to businesses.