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.
For the past three years the Scottish CAB Service has been campaigning against unfair delivery charges for online deliveries. Citizens Advice Scotland’s report ‘The Postcode Penalty’ analysed over 3,000 customer complaints and over 500 online companies, uncovering a ‘postcode penalty’ that sees some Scots having to pay an average of nearly £19 extra when buying goods online.
Week Commencing 24 February 2014 Energy & Business Services: There have been some pieces of news this week relating to Atlantis Resources, the company that now owns tidal developer Meygen. It has been awarded €7.7M in EU funding through the 7th Framework Programme to support the design, installation and operation of its bigger 1.5MW tidal turbine the AR1500 at the Meygen site in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth.
The first residential course for the ScotGrad Graduate Placement Programme in the Highlands and Islands took place this week. The 18 graduates who attended the tailored business skills course are employed to work on innovative projects by organisations across the area.
Highlands & Islands Food & Drink: A cause for celebration as 2014 awards open for entry. Closing Date for entries - Wednesday, 23rd April 2014 Organisers of the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards (HIFDA) are starting 2014 on an upbeat and positive note as they prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the prestigious awards.
A historic north-east fishing community is the first location in Scotland to become superfast broadband enabled as part of a £410m publicly-funded project. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today (Tuesday 18 February 2014) announced that the first cabinet bringing next generation broadband services to rural Scotland is now live in the Moray town of Buckie.
Week Commencing 10th February 2014 Energy & Business Services: As promised last week, further information on the consultation events that Pelamis Wave Power will be undertaking in the north next month as the company prepares to submit application to build a wave site at Farr Point in North Sutherland. Events will be held on Monday 24th March (Caithness Horizons, Thurso, 17.00-20.00); on Tuesday 25th March (Bettyhill Hall, 13.00-16.00 and Strathy Hall, 17.30-20.00) and on Wednesday 26th March (Durness Hall, 17.00-20.00).
Week Commencing 3rd February 2014 Energy & Business Services: Pelamis Wave Power will be undertaking pre-planning application consultation events in the north next month as the company prepares to submit application to build a wave site at Farr Point in North Sutherland. Events will be held in Bettyhill, Strathy, Durness and Thurso from 24th to 26th March.
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.