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).
Dounreay’s parent body organisation – the consortium of international companies that owns and manages DSRL – is getting a new name. From October 28, the Babcock Dounreay Partnership will be known as the Cavendish Dounreay Partnership.
13 February 2014 The Business Support Roadshows will begin at 4pm with short presentations from each organisation attending detailing how they can support your business. This will be followed by workshops addressing key business issues.
Energy/ Business Services: Staff from HIE have been back in Aberdeen this week as part of our ongoing discussions with oil & gas sector businesses. As previously reported there are several promising leads, based on the increasing awareness of the north as a strategic and cost-effective location from which do business.
Week Commencing 23rd September 2013 Energy/ Business Services: Next week sees a meeting in Aberdeen of the Scottish Government/ Energy North Oil & Gas Task Force for the Highlands & Islands, which has been established under the chairmanship of Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish Government Energy Minister. Several representatives from Caithness/ North Sutherland will attend the event as the north continues to attract attention from the oil & gas industry, both for its infrastructure and its supply chain companies.
Energy/ Business Services: The Scottish Renewables Marine Conference took place in Inverness this week. The event’s key announcement was the news of Scottish Government consent for Meygen Ltd to develop its proposed tidal stream site in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth.
A new Fund has been launched to assist small businesses with their business growth and development and promote the economic growth of Caithness and North Sutherland. Caithness Business Fund was created after discussions between Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Baillie Wind Farm Ltd who had a vision to see a wider area of Caithness and North Sutherland benefit from local wind farms.
The second of two successful sets of free sessions to help businesses develop their websites to attract a wider market are coming up in Inverness and Forres. The e-commerce sessions, developed as part of the Smart Exporter programme through Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), are being held in Eden Court on Monday (23 September) and in Horizon Scotland in Forres on 30 September.
A new collaborative centre, designed to host research and education and attract investment and jobs to the Highlands and Islands, is being discussed by two of the region’s foremost organisations. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) are proposing to build shared premises at Inverness Campus, the 215-acre site which HIE is developing as a location for business, learning and community activities in the east of the city.
Week Commencing 2nd September 2013 Energy/ Business Services: Productive discussions this week with a potential inward investor in the energy sector. It was particularly encouraging to be able to demonstrate the joined-up approach we take to economic opportunity, with colleagues from HIE, Dounreay, Highland Council, North Highland College, HIAL, ports and businesses all involved in supporting roles.
Twenty-one ambitious students who have been bringing fresh knowledge and ideas to companies across the Highlands and Islands gathered in Inverness on Friday 30th August 2013 to present their summer placement project findings to a panel of business experts in a dragons' den style competition. The winner of finals day was Robert Anderson, of Shetland who is studying at Glasgow University.
Week Commencing 26th Aaugust 2013 Energy/ Business Services: Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd (part of the SSE Group) is developing proposals for a new 132kilovolt overhead line between the proposed new Thurso South substation at Geiselittle and a new substation at Phillips Mains near Mey. It has recently published a consultation document on the proposals, which can be viewed at http://www.sse.com/GillsBayRadial/ProjectInformation Two consultation events will be held in Caithness: at Mey Hall on Thursday 5th September 11am-2.30pm and 5pm-7.30pm; and in Caithness Horizons, Thurso on Friday 6th September from 3pm-7.30pm A group of local businesses – including Wick Harbour Authority and Scrabster Harbour Trust - travelled to Lowestoft this week to look in detail at the offshore wind operations base already established there.