Business Scotland 25

BusinessScotland Scottish Chambers of Commerce Magazine

New Year Honours for Dr Liz Cameron and Tim Allan Skills Development Scotland outline plans in the race to Net Zero Leading voice in the energy sector welcomes a new era

It’s vital big business and SMEs collaborate in the ‘Race to Zero’

Scottish Chambers of Commerce

ISSUE 25

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BusinessScotland

CONTENTS

ISSUE 25

30

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46 12 13 44 48

70 FIFE CHAMBER - TRANSFORMING ITS ONLINE INTERACTIVITY WITH LAUNCH OF ITS NEW WEBSITE SPEY | SCOTLAND’S BEST SMALL COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANCY DOUBLES CLIENT BASE IN 2021 NSI GROUP – PROTECTING YOUR WORKPLACE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER – ‘BACK FOR THE FUTURE’ BUSINESS STAR AWARDS

54 55 60 62

£500K INVESTMENT IN DATA CENTRE CAPACITY DELIVERS FUTURE PROOFED SERVICES ISLE OF EIGG HERITAGE TRUST PLANS PROGRESSING MANUFACTURE SKILLS ACADEMY LAUNCHES PANDEMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE INVERNESS CHAMBER’S HIGHLAND BUSINESS AWARDS MAKE WELCOME LIVE RETURN

Scottish Chambers of Commerce Business Partners

64 68 70 72

DIGITISATION IN THE WORKPLACE POPULAR TOURISM SITES RECEIVE £2.6M FUNDING TO IMPROVE VISITOR EXPERIENCE SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE TO TURN UP THE DIAL ON THE DIGITAL ECONOMY SCOTS BUSINESS LEADERS TARGET USA FOR FIRST INPERSON TRADE MISSIONS SINCE PANDEMIC BEGAN

42% of Scotland’s employers believe finding staff with the right skills will be the biggest challenge in the next 12 months.* Here at The Open University, we are uniquely equipped to help industry address national skills priorities and support employers to develop a futureproof talent pipeline in an ever-changing world of work.

We engage with organisations of all shapes and sizes across Scotland, to understand their business challenges, helping employers to upskill and reskill their workforce to plug critical skills gaps.

FIND OUT MORE open.ac.uk/business/potential *The Open University Business Barometer 2021

FOREWORD

Fighting the corner for Scottish business at every opportunity Thank you for picking up this edition of the Business Scotland magazine.

Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year as the new President of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce I look forward to representing the Scottish Chamber Network as we fight the corner for Scottish business at every opportunity.

As we adapt to living and working with Covid, businesses need to work together to maintain growth and renew Scotland’s economy with added vigour, to champion all sectors, and to position Scottish businesses, rightly, as global players. From the grassroots to the G20, the Chambers of Commerce Network is the world’s largest business-to-business network, which is supporting the restarting, reopening and growth of companies across Scotland and internationally.

This edition celebrates Scotland’s digital success and looks towards how businesses in this sector will help shape the future of Scotland’s economy and I am truly encouraged to see some great Scottish

stories from around the country within this magazine.

Take Inverclyde Chamber for example, showcasing their support for the Kickstart scheme which helps young people find work placements. Kickstart has been pivotal for local businesses throughout the pandemic as they seek to rebuild the economy.

Perthshire Chamber also demonstrated their resilience with the return of their prestigious Business Star Awards after a cancellation last year due to Covid.

Elsewhere you will find outstanding contributions from Skills Development Scotland who are training the next generation of renewable professionals and CGI who are encouraging businesses to engage in the ‘Race to Zero’ building on the commitments made at COP26.I would like to also congratulate Tim Allan & Liz Cameron on their recognition of CBE in the queen’s new year honour list, more info on this on page 58.

Stephen Leckie

President, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

I hope you enjoy this edition of Business Scotland magazine.

Remember, your local Chamber of Commerce is here to support your business.

If you need support, connections advice or guidance, just get in touch with our Chamber Experts across Scotland. Contact details are included on page 74.

Featured Stories and Contributors Stephen Leckie

Stuart Patrick CBE

Howard Gray

Dr Liz Cameron CBE

Richard Jenkins

Neil Young

Jeanette Forbes OBE

Adam Hardie

David Hartley

President, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Director & Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Chief Executive, PCL Group

Chief Executive, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce

Chief Executive, National Security Inspectorate

Business Development Partner and Head of Food and Drink at Johnston Carmichael

Director of Consulting Sustainability & Climate Change, CGI

Engineering & Technology Director, Marine - Babcock

Digital Economy Team Leader, Scottish Enterprise

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Business Scotland

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

It’s vital big business and SMEs collaborate in the ‘Race to Zero’ so we cross the finish line together for the sake of our planet

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

As businesses focus on the New Year ahead, many will see the most immediate challenge as mitigating the corrosive impact of a resurgent COVID-19.

organisation and support them to navigate a path to net zero.

Yet it is still only two months since Glasgow hosted COP26, when minds were unilaterally focused on climate change.

To make this accessible and affordable we have developed a flexible service model, supporting organisations take those first steps in becoming a more responsible business.

This gives SMEs the advice and confidence to get started, develop a relevant sustainability strategy for their business and then continue to engage them through their journey.

But we want to reach out further and engage with others, using our experience, size and scale to provide a transparent approach to meeting the priorities of SMEs so they can embrace change, and recognise the real need to set net zero targets of their own.

COP26 shone several spotlights on the huge efforts required to keep the rise in global temperatures down to 1.5C. One of the biggest is the need for all businesses to commit to the ‘Race to Zero’, and find more sustainable ways of working that will help us meet our collective net zero ambition.

Beyond just doing the right thing, organisations which develop their credentials as a responsible business give themselves the opportunity to positively engage their customers, shareholders and employees. Equally, more sustainable businesses have been shown to stimulate innovation and drive growth, ‘Race to Zero’ is not one which results in an overall winner. For us to succeed, everybody needs to reach the finish line at the same time, regarding of size and reach.

In particular, it is vital that SMEs are fully engaged. In a recent Scottish Government survey, published before the pandemic, there were 354,125 SMEs operating in Scotland, providing an estimated 1.2 million jobs. They accounted for 99.3% of all private sector businesses, 55.4% of private sector employment and 41.5% of private sector turnover.

These figures reveal how SMEs are the vibrant ecosystem that provide the backbone of goods and services across Scotland – and indeed the UK and rest of the world. It is critically important, therefore, that they play a full role in developing more sustainable methods of working.

But a sizeable number are struggling to do so. A survey by the British Chambers of Commerce in 2020, entitled Business Attitudes to Net Zero, found two-thirds don’t see net zero targets as a high priority post-pandemic despite almost half admitting their customers do.

Howard Gray

Howard Gray is CGI’s Director of Business Consulting responsible for leading its client facing sustainability and climate change advisory team in the UK This is where big business can step in. Take, for example, CGI. We have chosen to lead by example through our own responsible business strategy, receiving validation for science-based targets (SBTs) that commit us to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2026. This goal will include both GHG emissions under our direct and indirect control.

Part of our commitment to SBTs is a scope 3 (supply chain) engagement target, specifically to ensure 50% of our suppliers by spend will have set their own science-based targets by the end of 2026. Our supply chain will not only include those already engaged with planning their path to net zero but also SMEs who have yet to start this journey.

In addition to this corporate level commitment, we want to share our expertise to help others, meaning our clients and partners – which include a large proportion of SMEs. At CGI we are growing our sustainability advisory practice, working with our clients across the private and public sector to help them better understand the role of sustainability within their

By finding a common language to drive collaboration, we can ensure that our net zero journeys align by embracing together the technology, co-creation and proactive engagement necessary to find a solution to the problems small and medium-sized companies face in prioritising climate change.

In 2022, getting started with sustainability should be a priority for SMEs that have not yet taken those first steps. In the first instance, it is important to establish a baseline and understanding of your organisation’s operational carbon and societal impact. It’s then about developing a compelling strategy, understood by your organisation and relevant to your customers and stakeholders. Finally, it is about developing an actionable roadmap with KPIs and ambitious but achievable objectives, in time aligning these to SBTs. At CGI we are well versed in doing complex things well, so stand ready to help organisations take these first steps. For us, the process of guiding our clients through the complexity of a suitable response to net zero is a very natural development.

With our sustainability advisory practice we can provide the expertise and experience our clients need to help create clear sustainability strategies and drive the sustainability initiatives that align with their organisational visions, values, people and processes.

If you are interested in discussing how you can be supported on your net zero journey, feel free to contact me via our website at www.cgi.com/uk/en-gb/experts/howardgray.

“By finding a common language to drive collaboration, we can ensure that our net zero journeys align by embracing together the technology, co-creation and proactive engagement necessary to find a solution to the problems small and medium-sized companies face in prioritising climate change.”

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

CityFibre’s Inverness full fibre network build marks two-year anniversary Two years after starting its build, CityFibre has now installed a staggering 306km of full fibre optic cables up and down the streets of Inverness as part of its £21m plan to future-proof the city’s digital connectivity. The significant milestone means there is enough full fibre cabling connecting the city’s homes to take in the 305km from Inverness to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, as the crow flies.

The landmark achievement was marked by CityFibre as City Manager, Allan McEwan, welcomed Councillor Duncan MacPherson for a tour of the build and a visit to the Cradlehall office of HighNet, one of CityFibre’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) partners for Inverness.

As part of the visit, Councillor MacPherson was introduced to the advanced technology CityFibre is using to construct its digital infrastructure, before meeting with the Inverness headquartered HighNet team, which has launched a residential internet service, BrawBand, specifically to provide city residents with full fibre access.

Councillor MacPherson, said: “It has been fantastic to see the progress CityFibre has made on its Inverness rollout, and I know that this investment into the city’s digital infrastructure is going to bring massive benefits to residents and businesses for years to come.

“Like many across Inverness I am already beginning to feel these benefits as I have recently connected to the network through BrawBand, the process of getting onto the network was very easy and hassle-free and I am enjoying having access to faster, more reliable broadband.”

Allan McEwan, CityFibre’s City Manager for Inverness, said: “Two years on from when

It has been fantastic to see the progress CityFibre has made on its Inverness rollout, and I know that this investment into the city’s digital infrastructure is going to bring massive benefits to residents and businesses for years to come.

Councillor Duncan MacPherson

we first started work on Inverness’ city-wide full fibre network, the fact that we have now laid enough fibre to cross the Irish Sea to the Giant’s Causeway really hits home how much progress we have made. We’re well on our way to giving Inverness the digital foundation it needs to thrive now, and in the future, ensuring its residents and visitors will reap the benefits for decades to come.

“As a team, we’re really proud of the speed of deployment and benefits this will bring to Inverness, and with our network now live across many parts of the city we are pleased to be enabling residents to connect to the fastest and most reliable broadband services available.”

David Siegel, Managing Director, HighNet said: “HighNet are delighted to have been involved in this project to deliver full fibre connectivity to the city of Inverness. Having been partnered with City Fibre for a number of years and being involved in this project since the early days, it is fantastic to see this vision become a reality with so much fibre being rolled out across the city. Our customers have not been shy in telling us what a difference BrawBand has made to their internet browsing experience, with

buffering videos now a distant memory! The team were delighted to welcome Councillor Duncan into the office to hear about how he has benefitted from an ultrafast full fibre connection.”

Inverness is one of the first of a growing number of locations in the UK to benefit from CityFibre’s £4bn Gigabit City Investment Programme which will bring new and improved broadband infrastructure within reach of up to eight million homes and businesses nationwide.

CityFibre’s build partner GCU Utilities Ltd is working in various locations across the city, with construction currently ongoing in the Bught, Dalneigh and Scorguie areas. Work has been completed across large sections of the city including Balloch, Culloden, Smithton, Drakies, Crown, and Inshes with more to follow shortly.

As work is completed in each neighbourhood, residents can access some of the fastest and most competitive broadband packages available. In Inverness, services are available from BrawBand, TalkTalk and Zen, with more providers expected to join the network soon.

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OPINION

Infrastructure and connectivity are the foundational building blocks that enable businesses to develop, grow and thrive Infrastructure connects people to jobs, businesses and trading opportunities locally, nationally and globally. Investment in new transport technologies, digital connectivity, energy transition to net-zero, rail expansion and more all have a critical role to play in reaching Scotland’s net-zero targets and returning the economy to growth in 2022.

By Dr Liz Cameron CBE Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Whilst progress is being made by the Scottish and UK Governments who are both setting out ambitious National Economic Transformation Strategies and Levelling Up plans respectively, businesses want to see greater urgency injected into the vital infrastructure and connectivity projects already underway to create the conditions businesses need

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to propel the wider economy back to the pre-pandemic levels of economic growth we all aspire towards.

Digital connectivity has never been more important to the Scottish economy and super-fast broadband connections have been critical throughout the Covid-19 pandemic for our businesses’ ability to operate remotely, for our young people to access effective online learning, and for our workforce to remain connected.

The Scottish Government is continuing to address the digital inequality that exists in Scotland through a wide mix

of policies but the pandemic has added to the urgency to go further and faster.

Governments should work together to invest in an ambitious digital roll-out revolution which delivers gigabit-capable full fibre broadband and good mobile coverage to every home and business in Scotland as soon as possible. Picking up the pace in this area will help to keep Scotland connected and internationally competitive.

As essential as upgrading Scotland’s digital connectivity is to economic growth, so is improving our transport connectivity and infrastructure, domestically and internationally.

OPINION

Aviation and airports are at the heart of Scotland and the UK’s continued economic success which supports thousands of jobs, bolsters international trade and underpins the tourism sector which touches on every part of Scotland’s economy.

Scotland’s business community were pleased that our calls to create a new Scottish Aviation Strategy had finally been heard by the Scottish Government and it’s important this opportunity is used effectively to kick-start the industry’s revival and growth.

Of course, with ongoing international travel restrictions in place, it’s vital that in the interim targeted support is made available for the sector and government seriously consider the need for an aviation restart fund, route development and further financial support for regional airports across Scotland. Our counterparts across the European Union are providing vital policy and financial support and Scotland and the UK must do the same.

Scotland should also seek to lead the way in driving the aviation sectors Net Zero agenda with sites , including St.

Fergus in the North East, offering prime opportunities for the production of sustainable aviation fuel.

Around 40% of Scotland’s transport emissions however come from cars, opposed to just 15% from aviation, and if Scotland wants to reach its ambitious Net Zero goals much greater investment in a strategic plan to drive the adoption of low emission vehicles across the private and public sectors and developing the infrastructure to support them such as charging locations and hydrogen refuelling stations is necessary.

Businesses also want to see clearer commitments and timetabling for those major infrastructure projects already underway such as the dualling of the A9 and A96 to ensure business in the Highlands and North East are better connected to the central belt, boosting business travel and tourism options for those regions.

All these infrastructure and connectivity issues pose major challenges and opportunities for Scotland and it’s essential that government works as closely as possible with industry if we are to realise the full economic potential of

Scotland within the next decade as the economy, jobs and workforce transition away from carbon intensive industry and successfully pivot into a sustainable, greener economy.

The rapid establishment of Scottish Greenports and Freeports will also unlock significant economic activity and innovative projects such as the Acorn carbon capture and storage facility in Aberdeenshire have the potential to be world leading examples of a Just Transition in action.

Businesses stand ready to work with government to support our economy and climate ambitions and collaboration will be required to access and secure the funds necessary to support investment, innovation and development across Scotland.

By securing and investing in our connectivity, Scotland can create a collaborative, digital and low carbon economy that celebrates unique Scottish localism, while at the same time attracts diverse global businesses, investors and talent.

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Fife Chamber transforming its online interactivity and communication with its members with the Spring launch of its new website Fife Chamber of Commerce is making one of its largest investments ever with a complete overhaul and re-development of its website.

Central to the modern design is vastly improved navigation; a bigger, better, and more accessible members’ area; a slick, user-friendly one-stop-shop to access all member benefits, services, and events; and a straightforward way to join up as a Fife Chamber member online.

Fife Chamber members, current and new, will be able to: View and book Chamber events and training online and with ease; Highlight their business to fellow members and the wider business community; Share their successes and business developments through articles and blogs submitted directly online; Share exclusive discounts and offers with fellow members; Advertise job opportunities with the introduction of an online job board; Book e-shots and supply content for upcoming Fife Chamber eNewsletters;

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Draw on the wide range of knowledge, skills, and experience of fellow Chamber members; Chat with the Chamber team instantly online when only a conversation will do.

Running alongside the new website will be an improved digital communications strategy to make the best use of this new online tool.

The new website also gives a far improved introduction to Fife Chamber membership for the wider business and Third Sector community too: settings out how the Chamber encourages growth and development through Valuable connections both within Fife and further afield; Access to well-regarded training for business, both domestic and internationally; Raising brand awareness and profile in the business community; Access to benefits, from competitive roadside assistance to foreign currency services;

Networking, at dedicated networking events and at larger prestigious events; Access to valuable export support with documentation, training and expert knowledge; Marketing opportunities such as eShots, sponsorship and eNewsletter inclusion; The opportunity to collectively lobby on behalf of members at local, Scottish and UK level.

The website is scheduled to go live before April 2022.

Alan Mitchell, Fife Chamber CEO, sums up the progress so far: “This is one of the biggest and most transformative projects we have ever undertaken. ‘Face to face,’ and ‘in person’ will always be in our DNA but as more people choose digital communications channels as an option, we must do the same. The new website will not replace the personal contact and commitment of the team, but it will complement it and significantly enhance the Fife Chamber ‘experience’ for all our members and partners.“

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

SPEY | Scotland’s best small communications consultancy doubles client base in 2021 Scotland’s best small communications consultancy, according to PRCA, is celebrating significant growth in 2021. The Speyside-headquartered agency doubled its client base, made several hires at every level, launched Scotland’s first Gaelic PR service and picked up several accolades by industry-leading bodies.

Some of the new clients include the world’s first Rewilding Centre at Dundreggan by Trees for Life, Aberdeen’s top independent school and Scotland’s only all through girls school, St Margaret’s School for Girls and family business famous for its traditional Scottish produce, Speyside Specialties. The company has also added to its unrivalled whisky portfolio with the world’s finest whisky festival Spirit of Speyside and Ayrshire’s Lochlea Distillery as it prepares for its inaugural release.

Emma Scott, previously SPEY’s general manager, was recently promoted to Head of Operations after her return from maternity leave, Thom Watt joined the team from Weber Shandwick, heading up SPEY’s expanding social media operations as Head of Digital, and the agency created four new roles via its internship and graduate programme at their Speyside HQ to recruit and retain talent to and from the Highlands.

In a first for Scotland, SPEY also launched

the country’s first Gaelic communications service providing PR and digital support to clients who require multilingual services.

Award wins include: Media Relations Award 2021 at the PRCA DARE Awards GRAND PRIX Small Agency of the Year 2021 PRCA DARE Award Team Culture & Community Award 2021 PRCA DARE Awards FMCG Marketing and Communications Campaign of 2021, PRmoment Best PR Agency in whisky 2022, Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Awards Managing Partner Jennifer Robertson said: “Our team decided we didn’t want to just weather the financial storm of the pandemic, we wanted to come out of it stronger, so we doubled our client base from the previous

year and are on track to triple our turnover from 2018. This is thanks to our ambitious team thriving in an agency which prides itself on being small but mighty, making local brands global.

“We have no doubt that being deeply rooted in the largest part of Scotland, the Highlands, supports our creative point of difference in a crowded market place as a truly Scottish independent agency.

“This year we have had the honour of picking up some top industry accolades, including the Best Culture and Community Award thanks to our long-standing flexible working culture, support for mums returning to work, being a carbon neutral company and commitment to attracting and retaining talent in Speyside through our internship and graduate programme now in its 3rd year. I’m proud of our achievements and look forward to continuing our ambitious financial growth plan in 2022.”

Our team decided we didn’t want to just weather the financial storm of the pandemic, we wanted to come out of it stronger, so we doubled our client base from the previous year and are on track to triple our turnover from 2018. Jennifer Robertson, Managing Partner Business Scotland

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Whisky chairmen provides kickstart roles for young people A local entrepreneur has helped young people gain a barrel-load of skills and experience through a UK Government jobs scheme.

Rory MacDonald, who runs The Whisky Chairmen in Greenock, has taken on five new staff through the Kickstart programme, with Inverclyde Chamber acting as the gateway organisation.

The project helps young people aged 16-24 who are receiving Universal Credit to find

I can’t thank Andrew Bowman at Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce and Kathleen McCormick at the Jobcentre enough for their hard work in getting this going in Inverclyde. Both of them are outstanding and have made this process very easy.

Rory MacDonald

six-month work placements so they can gain experience and skills that will set them up for future employment.

Whisky Chairmen’s primary focus is turning end-of-life whisky barrels into luxury furniture, but those appointed are filling a variety of roles within the business.

New recruits have been helping in the workshop, managing marketing and sales and assisting craftsmen – and told the Tele they’re gaining valuable hands-on work experience.

Amy Leith, who was brought on as a workshop assistant, says that the scheme has given her a supportive environment to develop her skill set.

She added: “I’ve been trying to find a job for ages and it’s been really difficult.

“I suffer from anxiety and employers don’t always understand that, but Rory has been great.

“You get good experience and the chance to pick up a lot of new things. Kickstart has been brilliant for me.”

Amy and fellow employees Allan Ayre and

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Rhys McGhee, all pictured, are yet to get the chance to work on restoring one of the workshop’s old oak barrels – but Rory hopes they will soon all be ‘hands on’.

In the meantime, the trio has been given some smaller tasks to develop up their woodwork skills.

Rory, who has been unemployed himself, says that Kickstart gives those furthest from work the chance to build up a bank of real-world experience.

He said: “I think the scheme is fantastic.

“Having been unemployed in the past, I wish something like this existed for me back then.

“It works well for both the business and the employee and it would be great if the government continued to run it past the end of this year.

“I can’t thank Andrew Bowman at Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce and Kathleen McCormick at the Jobcentre enough for their hard work in getting this going in Inverclyde.

“Both of them are outstanding and have made this process very easy.”

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Lifesaving scheme helps property firm to kickstart careers A fast-growing property firm has praised a ‘lifesaver’ UK Government scheme, facilitated by Inverclyde Chamber, that helped it to bring in new staff following lockdown.

Andrew Bowman, director of Bowman Rebecchi, told the Greenock Telegraph that the Kickstart programme, which helps young people find work placements, played a crucial role in the company’s decision to hire new staff after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

She’s now the full-time marketing executive for Bowman Rebeccchi Letting and also works alongside the firm’s Glasgow partners, Newton Letting.

The scheme helps young people aged 16-24 who are receiving Universal Credit to find six-month work placements, so they can gain experience and skills that will set them up for future employment.

“I started in April, working mostly in the commercial side of things, then I got taken on full-time last month.

The Gourock-based firm currently has two Kickstart scheme staff, with a third, Lucy MacDonald, recently taken on as a full-time employee after the success of her initial sixmonth placement.

As a Kickstart employee, international business management graduate Lucy was the marketing officer for Bowman Rebecchi’s commercial arm.

Kickstart positions guarantee successful applicants placements of at least 25 hours per week and Lucy spent those hours working in all areas of the firm’s commercial portfolio.

Hardworking Lucy (above left) was delighted to have been taken on and says she is settling in well to her new role. She said:

“Kickstart made the application process really easy for me and it’s good to work for an Inverclyde-based company.”

The firm is hoping its two other Kickstart staff will find similar success.

Holly Brown and Rhys Elliott (pictured below) were brought in after Lucy, with the former providing administrative support while the latter has been helping the firm migrate onto a new computer system.

Holly (above right), a recent school leaver, was thrilled to be given the opportunity to join the local firm. She said: “I’m loving it. To come straight out of school and get a chance to build my skills up like

this is great and I’m appreciative of the opportunity.”

Bowman Rebecchi’s participation in the Kickstart scheme was facilitated by Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Mr Bowman says the scheme has been crucial for the company and the young people involved, especially after the uncertainty of the pandemic. He added: “It’s been a lifesaver for us at times. When Lucy started, we were still coming out of lockdown and we were unsure if we’d be able to take someone on at that point.

“Rhys and Holly have been doing well since they came in and we’re really pleased with how they’re progressing.

“The Kickstart scheme being there as a test start for us to get someone on board and manage their workload while also having funding to support has been a gamechanger for us.”

“We’d like to thank Inverclyde Chamber and DWP for their support throughout the scheme, which has been superb.”

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Race to Zero Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth.

RACE TO ZERO

The world has changed From ensuring compliance with government and public health guidance, to assisting in post-Covid economic recovery, Stagecoach continues to put customers and local communities first.

Like many other businesses, Stagecoach has received the ‘Good to Go’ certification from tourism body Visit Scotland. This stamp of approval helps people recognise businesses adhering to government and public health guidance as well as those having carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment to check they have everything in place to reopen safely – or, in the case of Stagecoach, to continue to operate safely.

The company already had robust and wellestablished cleaning processes in place for their buses and coaches, and since March 2020, they have further enhanced these measures. The rigorous regimes now include more regular cleaning of the main customer touch-points such as hand poles and grab rails with anti-viral products.

Additional cleaning materials such as personal hand sanitisers have also been given to staff.

In addition to this, Stagecoach is continuously monitoring passenger numbers and, where possible, adding extra buses at busy times. Intending passengers can also see the estimated busiest and quietest times to travel, based on how many people use the service, on the live map on the StagecoachBus app. This new feature puts passengers in control of when to travel.

While cash is still accepted on board, Stagecoach encourages customers to pay by contactless wherever possible, including Apple Pay or Google Pay. Tickets can also be bought in advance online or on the StagecoachBus app, such as their new Flexi 5 flexible day tickets. Flexi 5 is ideal for part-time and shift workers, or anyone who doesn’t need to travel on the bus every day.

While some passengers may be returning to bus travel, others are using the bus for the first time. That’s why the team at Stagecoach are always there to ensure every journey is safe and enjoyable. As well as helping keep their passengers healthy, the company has recently outlined their goals for keeping the planet healthy too.

To support post-Covid economic recovery and boost prosperity for employees and communities across the UK, Stagecoach’s new sustainability strategy – Driving Net Zero: Better Places to Live and Work – has been released. The strategy aims to help create a greener, smarter, safer, healthier and fairer country. It sets out plans to

achieve this by leveraging the power of public transport to address climate change.

The plan will see investment in new zeroemission fleets and other green technologies over the next 15 years to reduce the impact of the company’s operations on the planet, as well as initiatives to cut waste, boost recycling and conserve water.

Stagecoach is aiming to decarbonise its business by around 70% by 2035 as well as targeting having a zero emission UK bus fleet by that date. It follows a 14% reduction in Stagecoach carbon emissions between 2014 and 2019, supported by investments in LED lighting, intelligent building heating control systems and renewables.

The company will this year be introducing 46 new fully electric buses in key transport networks across Scotland in Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Perth as part of the Government’s Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme.

the chance to help reduce congestion and improve air quality, through providing their people with instant and easy access to great value bus tickets they can use for work or leisure.

Plan your journey at stagecoachbus.com, or find out more about corporate ticketing options at stagecoachsolutions.com.

If you’re planning to travel, please remember that in line with advice from the Scottish Government it is compulsory to wear a face covering when using public transport and when using indoor public transport hubs in Scotland. Wash your hands before and after travelling and keep windows open on board where possible to increase ventilation.

Stagecoach also offer corporate ticketing solutions, giving workplaces across Scotland

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RACE TO ZERO

g2 Energy can provide a full turn-key solution for your project g2 Energy are a Lloyds Registered Independent Connection Provider (ICP), which enables us to complete Contestable Works and grid connections at voltages up to 132kV. We have experience in working with all the regional DNO’s across the UK & Ireland for a number of High Voltage power projects across a number of sectors.

Full Turnkey Service If you are considering any type of electrical power scheme, we can help. As a High Voltage Electrical and Civil ‘Balance of Plant’ specialist, we have the capability to offer a full turn-key service and can complete the design and build of a project utilising our inhouse teams. This includes the initial liaison with the Distribution Network Operator (DNO); as well as full system studies and Earthing design of the scheme, through to on-site project management during the construction phase, through to final commissioning and site clearance.

In-house Design g2 Energy have extensive in-house design capabilities within the electrical distribution, transmission and generation sector, working on projects up to 132kV. Our Design Engineers are highly experienced in working on projects throughout the UK and are able to offer flexibility to the differing DNO

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requirements and specifications. Our design capabilities have been further enhanced with our in-house CDEGS Earthing design team and specialist System Studies team.

We can provide clients with full Electrical, Civil and Structural layouts and designs in a number of formats using programmes such as AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical, Revit or Bentley Microstation.

Bespoke Containerised Substations

g2 Energy’s innovative Containerised Substation solutions create a time- and cost-saving solution for grid connection projects. Designed and assembled at our Head Office and Warehouse facilities, each container is designed to DNO and customer requirements. One of the main advantages of building the substation within a Container is that the substation arrives on site with pre-installed and fully tested switchgear, ready for immediate connection, followed by customer witness testing.

Net Zero Future

The UK government has set out targets for net zero emissions by 2050, with Scotland aiming to be net zero five years earlier. Not only this, but Consumers and the General Public are becoming more aware of the increasing need for sustainability, and conscious of the impact they are having on the environment.

For several reasons, the grid network is under increasing strain, including the huge increase in demand for electricity across the UK. Clean energy sources such as Wind, Solar, Gas Peaking Plants and Battery Storage sites are not only helping to balance the stability of the grid but also create a greener grid, taking us closer to the net zero commitment.

For more information on g2 Energy’s services, contact us on the following; 01234 482482 | sales@g2energy.co.uk | www.g2energy.co.uk

RACE TO ZERO

Container and Modular Buildings: We think a little brighter Dynamix have supplied Battery Energy Storage Units to be used in conjunction with existing power supplies and or diesel generators to smooth widely varying power demands, also to enable diesel generators to be more efficient and have lower emissions.

The diesel generator then runs at its most efficient state enabling a smaller more generator and using less fuel. At this point the emissions are lowest and also the diesel engine can run for longer between maintenance intervals. The Dynamix BESS unit can be either stand alone with a generator or connected to the grid, where it can take power for excess demand or deliver back to the grid.

The Unit is designed to DNV recommendations and can be designed to be used offshore or onshore. The unit has a sophisticated A/C system to enable optimum efficiency of the batteries coupled with a full fire safety and gas detection system to enable them to be used for safe area and Zone II requirements.

The units have DNV 2.7.1 & 2.7.2 design capability for thus can be deployed quickly for temporary additional power requirements.

Other power and telecoms needs can also be incorporated in the design. The range is from 300kw in a 10 x 8 container, to a 1.2Mw in a 40 x 8 container – other bespoke sizes are available.

Please contact James Walbrin or John Wolstenholme at our Aberdeen manufacturing facility on solutions@dynamix-modular.com

Bespoke, flexible and innovative Container & Modular Building solutions At DYNAMIX ONE we provide our clients with a range of bespoke containerised solutions tailored to fit the delivery of their unique operations, from DNV approved Energy industry containers, energy storage solutions and modular buildings.

We have the capability to expand and maintain your fleet, innovate your operations and deliver your potential through sale or rental.

DNV 2.7-1 and 2.7-2 / BS EN ISO 10855-1:2018 Offshore Containers A60 Modules and Cabins (with zoned and pressurised options) ISO CSC Shipping Containers and Conversion Projects Modular Buildings, Off-site Solutions and Flat Pack Cabins Bespoke Manufacturing Projects Battery & Energy Storage (On Grid, Off-grid & Quayside)

Contact us: t: 01224 047064 solutions@dynamix-modular.com

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| www.dynamix-modular.com

RACE TO ZERO

NOW’S THE TIME TO INVEST IN AIR PURIFICATION CLAIM UP TO £2,500

The Business Ventilation Fund is set to help small and medium sized businesses in Scotland improve their ventilation and help reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Visit the gov.scot website for further details on how to apply for the funding.

Key considerations when investing in air purification: Has the system been proven to remove Covid-19?

Does the system feature H13 HEPA Filters?

Can you see the air being cleaned when the system is in operation?

† Based on laboratory testing with an aerosolized concentration of SARS-COV-2

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to advertise or contribute to the next edition advertising: lisa.miller@ distinctivegroup.co.uk editorial: karen.southern@ distinctivegroup.co.uk

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ANTHESIS

Anthesis Group acquires Canadian Agri-food sustainability consultancy Provision Coalition Inc Acquisition forms important part of Anthesis’ global growth strategy Anthesis, the largest group of dedicated sustainability professionals globally, has announced the acquisition of Provision Coalition Inc., a Canadian-based consultancy focused on sustainability in the Agri-food sector.

The acquisition is an important part of Anthesis’ growth strategy, following significant minority investment from Palatine Private Equity in March 2021 and building on Anthesis’ growing operations in North America and scaling its impact in the food sector.

Founded as an industry-led non-profit in 2013 by one of Canada’s leading figures

Our purpose at Provision is to help the food and beverage industry rise to the challenges of creating a more sustainable food system.

As we face this decisive decade, we are thrilled to align our strengths and passions with those of the Anthesis team to deliver more impact, faster, to more companies, together.

Cher Mereweather, CEO of Provision Coalition Inc

in food industry sustainability, CEO Cher Mereweather, Provision Coalition Inc. is a team of eight food and beverage industry sustainability experts based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Provision Coalition Inc. supports food and beverage companies with a holistic approach to sustainability. This embraces people, business strategy, operations, value chains, data and storytelling and is supported by a suite of training and software solutions designed specifically for the food sector.

Transforming minds and building social awareness is a core focus for Anthesis through educational initiatives scaled through digital. Provision Coalition Inc.’s high-impact training, which has helped nearly 100 Canadian food and beverage entrepreneurs in the last year achieve clarity on their purpose and develop a plan for sustainability and circularity, will continue to strengthen this focus.

Prior to acquisition, Anthesis and Provision Coalition Inc. have been collaborating on the co-creation of a software platform for the Canadian Agri-food Sustainability Initiative that makes it easier for agricultural producers to assess their compliance with multiple sustainability standards (provincial, national, and international).

With an estimated 58% of Canada’s food production still being wasted, Provision Coalition Inc. has been at the forefront of work to prevent and upcycle waste, identifying $13.5M of potential food loss and waste in the last three years. This focus on impact is strongly aligned with Anthesis’ mission and with its B-Corp status.

Provision Coalition Inc. will operate as Anthesis Provision and integrate globally with Anthesis’ existing food and regenerative agriculture team and the broader business supporting leading food industry companies such as Cargill, Nestlé and Danone.

Stuart McLachlan, CEO of Anthesis Group, commented, “2022 will be a significant year for Anthesis as we build on our position as the world’s leading firm of sustainability specialists. This strategic move highlights our commitment to the North American region and our determination to drive change through social awareness and education in one of the world’s largest industries. I am delighted to welcome the Provision Coalition Inc. team to Anthesis. We are aligned on driving impact and our combined strength and market-leading expertise will support our clients as they navigate this decisive decade.”

Cher Mereweather, CEO of Provision Coalition Inc., added, “Our purpose at Provision is to help the food and beverage industry rise to the challenges of creating a more sustainable food system. As we face this decisive decade, we are thrilled to align our strengths and passions with those of the Anthesis team to deliver more impact, faster, to more companies, together. We have been impressed not just by Anthesis’ ambition, but by their values and look forward to amplifying the creative and groundbreaking work that Provision has become known for, by joining the world’s largest group of sustainability experts.”

This is the 14th M&A activity for Anthesis Group since it was established in 2013. Other acquisitions include Best Foot Forward, UMR GmbH, Caleb Management Services, SecondNature, M4C, LRS Consultancy (who also acquired Urban Mines), TEP ME, Mosaic Sustainability, Enveco SE, Sustain, MADEBY (IP assets acquisition), GoodBrand, and Spanish sustainability services provider, Lavola.

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OPINION

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OPINION

In the wake of COP26, a leading voice in the energy sector welcomes a new era… but says it can’t happen overnight

By Jeanette Forbes

Entrepreneur and Business Leader

Now that COP26 has drawn to a close, it’s absolutely right to get even more serious about climate change. That may sound strange coming from someone working in oil and gas but, believe me, it is the single most pressing item on the industry’s agenda. Not only because we know that we must urgently get to net zero to save our planet, but also because we must have a sustainable economic future too.

When we have fully transitioned away from fossil fuels, our industry must still have a purpose and a product. That is why the likes of BP, Shell, Total and others are transforming to become integrated energy companies.

That’s why SMEs in the supply chain are developing the technology and skills that are needed to support the energy transition, from transferring expertise honed in the harsh environment of the North Sea to offshore fixed and floating wind, to carbon capture, usage and storage, and hydrogen.

The oil and gas industry is a huge part of

the solution to tackling climate change.

Indeed, it will also fund the shift.

This is an industry that has given so much to Scotland and the UK, in taxes which have paid for our public services, in jobs which have supported livelihoods and generated spend in local economies, in the advancement of skills and technology and also in the support of education, sport, the arts and the third sector. The stark reality is that until we have reduced the demand for hydrocarbons and found a solution to ensuring energy supply so the lights don’t go off, we cannot simply turn off the taps in the North Sea tomorrow.

I’m old enough to remember the energy shortages of the past, when the coal miners went on strike. I was a teenager back then and I remember the lights going out, the central heating thermostats going off and having to light candles, gas lamps or take a torch to see whilst getting into bed.

I was born in West Yorkshire but married an Aberdonian and moved to the NorthEast. Back in 1988 I was working in the comms room of the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, at the time of the Piper Alpha disaster, when an explosion ripped through an oil platform killing 167 men. I took the first telephone call to ARI when

Piper went up and my eight-hour shift became a 17-hour shift, like many others who were involved on that fateful night.

I remember sitting in my car sobbing the next morning at what I had just experienced. In the days and weeks after, it was like a veil had fallen over Aberdeen.

The city was shrouded in sadness. It was during this time that I decided I wanted to work in oil and gas, to try to help make a change, to make it safer and more gender diverse.

Through sheer hard work and a little luck, the company I set up supports the industry, the economy and a considerable number of jobs. But one thing I have come to accept, living and working in the North East, is that when the oil price drops, the ripple effect across the whole economy, on jobs and families, is devastating.

Stopping Cambo will not just impact on jobs in the industry; the knock-on impact means shops, restaurants, taxi drivers will all suf­fer. It’s also worth pointing out that the disposable income generated by the industry does not just benefit Aberdeen, as workers come from other areas up and down the UK. Another element of job losses or uncertainty is that people downsize their homes, impacting on the housing market

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OPINION

In the North-East, we understand that we’re on a journey. That’s why it’s called the energy transition. It won’t happen overnight, and it must be accelerated, but it can only be driven at pace if industry and government work together.

Jeanette Forbes

and property prices, they take their children out of private education and nurseries as they can no longer afford the fees.

Commercial property in Aberdeen looks very dif­ferent today due to the downturn.

Big buildings on the outskirts of Aberdeen are being vacated to smaller ones in the city centre. What’s going to happen to these bigger buildings if more jobs are lost?

There’s already considerable downsizing going on. I’ve experienced many downturns as a result of the cyclical nature of our industry. But the downturns get longer, and their bite gets deeper.

If we switch off oil and gas and move to green projects too quickly, before they are economically viable, we won’t just have another downturn. We’ll have an economic disaster, and not just in Aberdeen.

I’ve felt for a long time there is a disconnect between the Central Belt and the NorthEast, which is now getting wider. Political rhetoric, such as ‘Stop Cambo’, is damaging and disingenuous.

In the North-East, we understand that we’re on a journey. That’s why it’s called the energy transition. It won’t happen overnight, and it must be accelerated, but it can only be driven at pace if industry and government work together.

It’s time for some serious education about the demand for hydrocarbons – it’s not just

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about fossil fuels for transport, it’s about petrochemicals that are used in our daily lives, from clothing to toothbrushes and contact lenses.

During the pandemic, where would we have been without the energy to power the generators in hospitals, pumping oxygen into the lungs of the desperately sick? The plastic aprons, masks, vials and the syringes that have been used to deliver life-saving vaccines?

Yes, we must be working faster and harder to bring forward new cleaner, greener energy sources, but we must also be able to meet existing demand, using fields like Cambo and ensuring that we develop these fields in a way that dramatically reduces emissions.

With demand to ensure our energy supply and security unlikely to be met by other sources in the shortterm, and with demand for all those products I mentioned unlikely to reduce suf­ficiently in the nearterm, we must produce domestic hydrocarbons. The alternative is to import them at a much higher cost to the environment.

Losing out on the jobs and technological innovations which can be derived from Cambo and other fields is not only economic suicide, it will also impact on our ability to transition at scale and at pace.

Decimating a supply chain that can help deliver the energy transition at this time

before the new green opportunities and jobs exist is simply cutting off our nose to spite our face. We can’t ignore the economic realities of the times as we try to rebuild from the pandemic. Not developing Cambo is not the answer.

This industry is transitioning. If people could only see the things I’m seeing – the innovation and the transformation – they’d be blown away. It’s time for government and industry to come together to appreciate this, educate the wider public and have a debate on how we use the oil and gas industry to tackle the climate emergency, rather than simply throw it all away.

Switching off oil and gas today would see the fatal erosion of our knowledge base and, one of our greatest strengths, our skilled people who develop the technology and services which are exported all over the world.

I don’t want my grandchildren to ask me why I didn’t do anything about climate change. I want them to see it was the oil and gas industry, long part of the problem, that became the solution. That through its innovation and digitalisation, it drove the energy transition.

As an industry, we’re working hard to deliver net zero and are all on board supporting the new era of energy. Just let us play our part, rather than curtail us with inaccurate rhetoric.

ASK THE EXPERT

Harnessing full fibre for successful cloud migration Alex Ferguson, Head of Business Development at Mother Technologies explains why, as businesses migrate their services to the cloud and adopt hybrid working practices, full fibre connectivity is becoming essential

If you’re not already migrating your IT applications and services to the cloud, the chances are you’re thinking about it. The pandemic has strengthened the alreadycompelling arguments for moving most or all services to the cloud. With security concerns addressed, users can work productively from anywhere.

We have all experienced the seductive power and convenience that collaboration tools provide. The growth of Microsoft Teams over the last two years has been phenomenal. On 12 January, Microsoft announced that it had seen 400 percent growth in monthly active usage of Teams among frontline workers since March 2020.

Hybrid becomes the norm We are moving unstoppably towards a world in which hybrid working is the norm. We have become accustomed to the flexibility home-working brings and many organisations will never return to the 5-day office-based week. Conversely, they are just as unlikely to adopt a permanent homeworking policy.

Inevitably, with employees working in the office and at home, IT infrastructures need to be adapted to meet their needs. Almost certainly, your approach to IT will become hybrid in nature with applications and services moved to cloud platforms where possible and others remaining on-premise for security, compliance or performance reasons.

Wherever your services are hosted, users need fast, secure access to them irrespective

of their location. This places connectivity at the forefront of your considerations.

Good connectivity is already a vital part of our operations but, with cloud and remote working featuring so prominently, it is now critical to ensure productivity of the workforce.

Performance The increased demand for high-bandwidth and low-latency connections is significant.

Collaboration tools like MS Teams are an accepted part of our armoury and it’s hard to imagine returning to a schedule crammed with face-to-face meetings. The need to provide high-quality, video, voice and data dictates that your Internet connections can facilitate the demand.

Reliability Increased speed isn’t the only prerequisite when considering your connectivity requirements. We need consistent performance from our circuits without interruption or downtime. Connectivity outages cripple your staff, your operation and your business.

to build its own network which now has an extensive reach across our Scottish cities.

Consequently, CityFibre connections are not dependent upon existing Openreach infrastructure that’s shared amongst all the other providers; it is dedicated CityFibre infrastructure that delivers low-latency, high-bandwidth connections with consistent high performance and reliability. Without being subject to charges from Openreach, CityFibre is in full control of its costs which translates into extremely attractive pricing for our customers.

Mother Mother Technologies was recently awarded the accolade of City Champion by CityFibre for delivering best-price, best-performing, full-fibre circuits to its customers.

With IT, Telecom and Connectivity engineers providing 24/7 local support across Scotland, Mother Technologies is ideally placed to help organisations with their cloud migrations and ensure that their connectivity prerequisites are met.

CityFibre We are seeing a much higher demand for full-fibre (as opposed to broadband and all of its super-fast variants) to combat these challenges.

Mother delivers Internet circuits from all the major UK providers and CityFibre is top-ranking amongst our carriers of choice.

CityFibre has made massive investments

Alex Ferguson Head of Business Development www.mother.uk.net

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BEYOND HR

Office not in use – the new work landscape The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on firms across the world and as many employers introduce a permanent hybrid model of remote working it brings a new debate to the forefront of conversations across the nation: what is the future of the office, and does it have any place in today’s modern work landscape or is it simply an outdated and unnecessary cost to businesses? BeyondHR Managing Director Neil McLeese shares his thoughts: Covid-19 struck hard and fast and, in its wake, has redefined normality for workplaces across the world. The ‘stay at home’ message enforced by government meant that many firms had to move entire offices to remote working – a trend that had struggled to gain traction pre Covid-19. With offices across the country shutting shop, the mass fear among business leaders was palpable as they feared the move from the traditional office-based model posed a real threat to productivity levels. However, it soon became apparent, that for many firms across a variety of sectors, this was simply not true.

In fact, many employers noticed employees were more productive and became more engaged with the company.

Without having to navigate busy commutes, employees found themselves pocketing more time for themselves and this new worklife balance caused a massive upheaval in employee thinking. After being wedded to the comforting familiarity of heading into the office and working 9-5, workers are now demanding more and are unwilling to go back to the way things were pre-pandemic.

The aftermath of Covid-19 has created a brand-new work landscape and one which puts employees at the forefront. The scales that were firmly weighted on the side of the employer have tipped over onto the side of the employee as the great resignation continues into 2022, calling for greater company benefits.

2021 saw more people than ever changing careers, causing a massive shift in the recruitment market and a sudden skills shortage.

The success of remote working has provided unprecedented opportunities for employers, enabling them to tap into locations previously out of reach. However, this itself comes with its own problems, increasing competition between employers to attract the top talent. With talented employees being in high demand, firms need to redesign their strategies if they hope to attract employees.

Company culture will continue to play a big role in the recruitment process, including how firms manage employee wellbeing.

With many companies introducing permanent hybrid remote working policies, it casts doubt over the future of the office.

Proponents of remote working argue that

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been firmly planted on the table demanding serious consideration. Bring in the 4-day week debate. Although this concept has hung around in the wings for a long time, it would appear it is finally getting its big debut as companies across the country begin to consider the concept by signing up to a six-month trial of the 100:80:100 working model – 100% pay for 80% of the time yet committing to 100% productivity.

Neil McLeese

the office is dead, an old-fashioned concept that is out of touch with the real-world, draining resources without providing any obvious value. For office advocates, there is no mimicking the office environment and subsequent benefit it provides such as quick idea generation, team building as well as offering an opportunity for employees to learn from one another. The office allows us to interact face-to-face, creating a sense of camaraderie built over those short chats over the coffee machine or a quick-fire weekend recap with colleagues and it is these dialogues that knit the crucial threads in the tapestry of collaboration.

Whether companies choose to return to the office will depend on the nature of their business as well as their culture, however, the new post-pandemic office will be a collaborative space providing a balanced workplace that is a hub for social activity as well as a productive place to get work done.

It will be a key tool in attracting and retaining top talent, a true reflection of a company’s core beliefs and values.

The pre-pandemic whispers of the need to find better ways to work have blown into booming conversations and suddenly things that were seemingly a far-off dream have

Although in theory this sounds like a no brainer, with employees getting more free time for the same salary whilst business runs to the usual exacting standards, as we start to delve a little deeper, we can’t help but unearth some unavoidable obstacles. As consumers we demand high standards, we want a range of services and products, and we want them now. The constant growth of companies such as Amazon with its speedy next delivery and even some companies offering same-day delivery further highlights our reluctance as consumers, to wait for what we want.

For people in those industries, how do we offer more me-time or the ideal work-life balance when demand constantly outweighs supply? We already have a shortage of delivery drivers and that is without considering the need for extra drivers to cover the proposed 4-day week. Also to consider are the companies depending on employees working a 5-day week, such as childcare providers. Should a 4-day work week be introduced it would have a monumental impact on their business operations as they inevitably lose a huge chunk of income.

While there is no denying that the introduction of a 4-day week would enable employees to enjoy a better work-life balance whilst also providing companies willing to introduce the scheme a welcomed opportunity to attract the top talent, for many firms it is simply not possible.

In my view, I think for many businesses, the office environment will return. It will be different, a new reinvigorated place for us to learn, grow and thrive in. The Zoom era will slow down and instead collaboration will happen together, in a real place, our office.

Personally, I am looking forward to returning to the office and working with my team and clients in person, creating an office that is fit for the future.

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

The future of work: introducing the virtual head office service supporting your business remotely Launched in November 2020, The Skills Collective is a virtual head office giving clients access to the senior level professional services they need to achieve their business goals.

Founders Sarah-Jane Dale and Karen Nichol believe that businesses of all sizes should have access to the tools and resources they need to achieve their goals regardless of scale or industry. They recognised that not all businesses are equipped with those resources in-house and instead rely on strategic partnerships with external experts, so they created The Skills Collective as an end-to-end support solution. By combining a wide range of skills in one place The Skills Collective provides senior level business support for start-ups, SMEs and third sector organisations throughout Scotland, and beyond.

The Skills Collective works with clients who have ambitious goals, but they don’t have in-house access to the skills and experience in their organisation. Not all businesses are large enough or are reliant upon funding cycles, to directly employ senior level professionals in areas of sales, business development, marketing or training. Some may wish to eventually, others don’t; but still need a way to tap into these skills and others like business planning, strategy development

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and project management. That’s where The Skills Collective comes in.

This unique business support solution offers a highly flexible approach, recognising that one size doesn’t fit all. Businesses pay for the support they need, when they need it, whether that be for a one-hour advice session, a large project over a finite period with very specific objectives, or in the form of ongoing support with a variety of tasks and projects carried out each week or month. The Skills Collective aims to work as an extension of their client’s team, as enthusiastic and committed to achieving the goals set as their clients.

Close and effective collaboration is an integral part of The Skills Collective’s success and is one of the five core values that provide the foundation upon which the business is built. Those values collaboration, innovation, excellence, passion and personality - are what allows the team to realise their vision of helping ambitious businesses of all shapes and sizes do more with what they have.

As a virtual head office, all the support The Skills Collective provides is fully remote with client meetings being carried out via video conferencing platforms or over the phone, and all work being done remotely.

The virtual nature of delivery means we there is no geographical limitation to the scope of partnerships that can be engaged in, and the team can, and does, work with clients across Scotland and beyond. In the last year, The Skills Collective has worked

with nearly 30 different businesses from sole traders and start-ups to SMEs across 11 different sectors including third sector, local authority, education, hospitality, leisure, food & drink and the creative industry.

Given how much virtual technology the business community has embraced over the last two years to make continued working possible for many, it seems likely that appetite for partnerships of this kind will continue to grow as businesses begin to understand the scope of what’s possible through virtual collaborations. This is a trend that bodes well for The Skills Collective, already an award-winning business after only a year of trading having been awarded the Start-Up Business of the Year 2021 award at the prestigious Business Women Scotland Women in Business Awards in November.

The team are proud of such recognition and just as proud of the relationships they’ve built along the way, none more so than with their local Chamber of Commerce. The pair say, ‘The team at Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce are exceptional at what they do and have been a great support to us on our journey. They are enthusiastic cheerleaders of all their members and take genuine pleasure in connecting people. We love being part of such an inspiring and welcoming community, led by Lynn Blaikie and her team.’

For more information about virtual head office support visit www.skillscollective.co.uk

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Group set up to support Chamber members in the area of talent and skills development and retention

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Inspiring Talent Group was set up to support Chamber members in the area of talent and skills development and retention. The committee is comprised of representatives from both education and a wide range of business sectors. The role of the committee is to consult on long term skills and talent needs, understand the changing skills and talent picture through COVID, Brexit, and the City Region deal, as well as understanding the challenges for different sectors.

It’s obvious that the last 18 months has challenged everyone and there are some inspiring stories that have emerged from the difficulties of the lockdown period. In January of this year we ran an on-line “Inspiring Stories” event with the Chamber’s Inspiring Communities group, where we heard how different organisations, including businesses and charities, had adapted their working models to support their colleagues, individuals and other organisations during the lockdown period. Over the last few months we have been working towards building an agenda based on the collective experiences of those Chamber members represented on the Inspiring Talent committee. Some of the subjects being discussed are longstanding issues affecting talent recruitment (e.g. equality and diversity), others are solutions developed during the pandemic to make

common activities more efficient and effective during the pandemic, but can still be used during and after the recovery (e.g. virtual work placements).

Recent data from Skills Development Scotland indicates that employment in Edinburgh has been significantly affected during the pandemic. For example, despite an average annual increase of over 1,300 over the last decade, the accommodation and food sector saw an average annual decline in employment of 3000 over the last two years. However, other sectors have seen employment increase over the same period, especially in health and social care. Additionally, job postings in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian for the year to 31st May 2021 were only down 0.5% on the previous year, with the most common postings in software development, IT and nursing and care.

The biggest demand for jobs over the next three years is predicted to be in human health and social work, accommodation and food services, wholesale and retail, arts and entertainment, education, and administrative and support services.

In Scotland nearly 60% of organisations said they find it more difficult to recruit in the last six months compared to the same period last year, and in the latest Open University Business Barometer nearly a third of decision makers reported spending more on recruitment in the last 12 months.

A large fraction of Scottish employers (33%) say they have not been able to fill existing vacancies because of Brexit, and just over 60% say there is a skills shortage in their organisation. Particular skills that seemed to be lacking range from industryspecific skills to data analysis, leadership and management, and soft skills including team working.

We are also aware that “conscious consumerism” is spreading to the world of work. Not only are individuals looking more at the consumer habits around environmental impact, sustainability and social justice, they are looking for these credentials in future employers. This is unlikely to be a passing trend.

The Scottish Government, through the Scottish Funding Council, are providing Upskilling Funding and National Transition Training Funding to Scotland’s universities to support short course (CPD, standalone short courses and modules) to address the skills shortages experienced by companies in Scotland. Information is available through the universities.

Over the coming months the Edinburgh Chamber’s Inspiring Talent Group will publish a series of blogs to raise awareness, to invite comment and discussion in some of the areas that we feel would interest Chamber members. We would be happy to hear from members on other issues.

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CHAMBER GLASGOW SCIENCE NETWORKCENTRE NEWS

Experience the IMAX at Glasgow Science Centre for your next event Following a recent re-vamp, the IMAX is open for bookings as an events venue and is now fully operated and managed

by Glasgow Science Centre.

The recent refurbishment also opens up three new spaces within the IMAX foyer allowing additional capacity for a green room and drink receptions. Views of Glasgow Tower and the River Clyde can also be taken in from the foyer and the surrounding outside decking area can be used to give event attendees an opportunity for a breath of fresh air.

The IMAX is an impressive building clad in titanium that stands next to Glasgow Science Centre’s main Science Gallery.

It has a capacity of 370 in tiered theatrestyle seating with truly spectacular audiovisual capability, giving a real auditorium experience that will bring your conference to life. The venue is versatile and can be used for a whole range of events from conferences, product launches, public talks, lectures, awards ceremonies and more.

Planning events can be overwhelming, and Glasgow Science Centre is here with you every step of the way. From event management, technical AV and catering, we can provide extensive support or work with your production company to create an out of this world event.

Why choose the ordinary when you can choose the IMAX at Glasgow Science Centre?

DUNCORANN HOUSE Caithness Serviced Apartments based at Duncorann House in Wick, Highland has been looking after business travellers and work teams for well over 20 years and won multiple awards for offering a complete affordable accommodation package to meet your company requirements. The personal handling of your reservation and throughout workers stay is brilliant and the properties are clean, convenient and very comfortable with loads of space and everything you need for an easy stay. A genuine service, one call sees everything arranged reducing your admin time and testimonies from companies give great reviews so your workers will be happy at these great properties.

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For more information and enquiries, contact our Corporate Events Sales Manager, at Hannah.wright@glasgowsciencecentre.org or visit glasgowsciencecentre.org/ corporateevents

WILSONS AUCTIONS

Wilsons Auctions - more than auctioneers Shortlisted as Asset Valuer/Auctioneer of the Year and Best use of Technology, Wilsons Auctions highlight just how they are the leading provider of premium asset advisory and remarketing services across the UK and Ireland.

Police Scotland, TrustFord, HHS Hire, Crown Commercial Services, Motability, to name a few.

2021, was another turbulent year however Wilsons Auctions continually adapted their services throughout and provided tailored commercial solutions for any size and type of business. In proof of this, the auction company offered over 200,000 items at auction.

As an independent company, its family culture brings a truly personal service to clients, enabling it to be responsive and proactive for its clients.

Honoured to offer a multi-disciplinary team of valuation, logistics, marketing and IT specialists alongside their highly experienced auction team, Wilsons Auctions is able to offer bespoke services for each client.

“In 2021 alone, we helped companies across the UK & Ireland release millions in capital”, says Gareth Wilson, Director and Auctioneer at Wilsons Auctions. “We are more than just auctioneers in the traditional sense. We take a holistic approach, providing a full service from start to finish.”

Holding over 3,100 auctions last year, which is an average of 60 auctions a week, online sales grew by 30% in 2021.

Being finalists for not one, but two awards at the 2021 Turnaround, Restructuring, and Insolvency (TRI) Awards, displayed the significant innovation, continuous improvement and skilful management of worldwide customers, clients and assets that Wilsons Auctions has worked with over the last 12 months.

Wilsons Auctions can and do auction every category of asset from cars and vans, plant and machinery to property and general goods. It also has the expertise to deal with more luxurious goods including planes, yachts, gold bars, supercars, designer goods, prestigious watches and more recently expanding its offering to cryptocurrency.

“As we continue into 2022, we are here to offer help to any business navigating through this very challenging time. As the tried and trusted auctioneer and valuer, our online auctions are an excellent way to sell assets in today’s climate, as they are open to a global audience, from the comfort and safety of their desktop or mobile device,” he concluded.

The company welcomed a range of vendors from both the private and public sector to avail of the asset management and disposal services. The wide swathe of clients includes

Contact your nearest branch and discover what Wilsons Auctions can offer your business. Visit www.wilsonsauctions.com for further information.

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Build a brighter future with an apprentice Scottish Apprenticeship Week returns on 7-11 March 2022, and Business Scotland is supporting the event to show the value of apprentices to people, business and the economy.

This year’s theme, ‘Apprenticeships Work’ aims to highlight how apprenticeships are providing the skills that employers need now and for the future.

Developed in partnership with employers, apprenticeships continue to adapt to respond to industry needs. Scottish Apprenticeships work by providing thousands of opportunities to get a job, get paid and get qualified across Scotland every year. The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships in Scotland, and is providing opportunities and support for people and businesses to help strengthen the economy.

Scottish Apprenticeships are a crucial part of the Young Person’s Guarantee, providing thousands of opportunities for young people affected by the pandemic. Apprenticeships can help to drive equity of opportunity and give employers the tools and support to be inclusive in recruitment.

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is a time to show that apprenticeships provide opportunities that work for everyone.

To find out more about how Scottish Apprenticeships work and to get involved, visit apprenticeships.scot. You can advertise an apprenticeship for free on the website, and access information on apprenticeship options, contributions to learning costs, funding incentives, and help with inclusive recruitment.

Did you know? More than 12,000 employers are currently involved in Scottish Apprenticeships.

There are around 43,000 apprentices in Scotland.

Meet Scotland’s top apprentice 2021 The week shines a light on the crucial role played by apprenticeships in supporting work-based training, employers and the Scottish economy.

Of course, the event wouldn’t exist at all without you – the employers – and over the years, businesses of all shapes and sizes have taken part. While the last couple of years have been far from normal, employers and apprentices have shown admirable determination in keeping valuable learning and work-based training on track.

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Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022 Apprenticeships Work 71--11 7 March March || apprenticeships.scot apprenticeships.scot || #scotappweek22 #ScotAppWeek22 This is Samir’s story.

Apprenticeship opened doors

Scotland’s top apprentice has had a momentous year – from working through the pandemic to winning two prestigious awards, and being one of the first people in the country to complete a Graduate Apprenticeship.

Samir said: “I am now sitting here with a degree, a job that I love and two awards I never thought I would achieve so early, thinking ‘this is only the start and what is next?’. The Graduate Apprenticeship has opened so many doors and widened my engineering network.

Samir Khan-Young was named Graduate Apprentice of the Year and Scotland’s Apprentice of the Year at the Scottish Apprenticeship Awards in March 2021.

During his apprenticeship at global tech company Thales, he stepped up and took over the nightshift with the manufacturing team to support making PPE for NHS frontline workers.

“It has now started to sink in that I have a degree and, on reflection, looking back at the hours I spent trying to balance my career, football and family life, it was all worth it. However, seeing my son smile is beyond anything else I will ever achieve.”

Having completed his Engineering Design and Manufacturing Graduate Apprenticeship, and celebrated the birth of his son, Samir said: “I have felt that lockdown has produced some of my best work. It also gave me the opportunity to help our NHS out which made me feel like I was doing my part.

More than a degree

“I think this can probably be said for all engineers and people in a similar situation where they have needed to step up and produce. You just need to look at the NHS for the best example of that.”

“I owe a lot to the people in Thales that have helped me along the way since starting in the company in 2012 and the people that have pushed me to do more and better any work done previously.

Speaking about his apprenticeship journey and experiences, Samir said: “It has been the mentoring and the knowledge that I have gained that means the most to me and not actually having the degree.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

I am now sitting here with a degree, a job that I love and two awards I never thought I would achieve so early, thinking ‘this is only the start and what is next?’. The Graduate Apprenticeship has opened so many doors and widened my engineering network.

Samir Khan-Young

Samir added: “I look at my degree as more of a tool to help unlock some different career paths rather than something I can say I have.

I do, however, feel that it will help me in my career immensely.”

Looking to the future Looking to his future, Samir has new learning and development aspirations within

his career at Thales. He said: “My shortterm goal is to apply for IEng with IMechE, which I have been working on recently. I wouldn’t have even thought about it without the Graduate Apprenticeship.

“Also, as one of the first to complete this Apprenticeship, I want to help those that are currently in the process of completing and help drive them to success.”

He added: “Completing my Graduate Apprenticeship means I now have options to pursue many roles in Thales as having a degree is a minimum entry requirement. I no longer have barriers in place and instead have a wide range of opportunities.” Full details about finding / advertising for an apprentice are at apprenticeships.scot

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Scottish skills gap a long-term challenge for employers Scottish businesses are suffering from a significant skills gap and they don’t expect the situation to get much better in the near future. So says The Open University’s (OU) Business Barometer Report 2021, produced this year in conjunction with The Institute of Directors (IoD), with a fifth of the 1,500 senior business leaders polled in the annual survey being from Scotland.

The report found that almost two thirds (62%) of organisations in Scotland are struggling to recruit the skills they need, with 61% saying they think the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation.

There’s a shortage of specialist, entry-level talent in particular. Almost half (42%) of the respondents think they will continue to struggle to recruit the talent they need over the next 12 months, while more than a third (35%) think skills shortages will remain a challenge for the next five years.

Previous Business Barometer reports have also highlighted sizeable skills gaps, which indicates that this is an ongoing problem.

“The skills gap is a long-term term strategic challenge, rather than a bump in the road,” says Suzanne McQuade, Business Relationships Manager (Scotland) at the OU. “And it encompasses many sectors, extending far beyond what we hear in the news.”

This ongoing skills crisis has a big impact on employers. It also impacts employees.

According to the survey, more than half (52%) of Scottish employers think their workforce is overextended because of unfilled vacancies. They say the lack of available talent stifles the potential growth of their business and could be having a negative impact on employee wellbeing.

As a result, business leaders increasingly recognise that it is incumbent on them to address the situation and that rather than taking the short term approach of hiring talent – or trying to hire talent – when the need arises, it’s better to build a strong internal talent pipeline.

The OU/IoD survey revealed that more than half (57%) of business leaders in Scotland highlighted apprenticeships and workbased learning as being critical to achieving long-term success. This correlates with recent research by Skills Development Scotland, a key finding of which is that Scottish employers want more work-based learning opportunities in order to recover from the fallout of the pandemic. Graduate Apprenticeships: Developing Scotland’s Future Workforce, talks about the fact that employers want people to have relevant work experience, rather than just academic

qualifications. The report also discusses the need for certain sectors in particular – transport, engineering, construction and energy, for example – to equip workers with more future-focused skills in order to achieve net zero and to operate in a green economy.

Digital skills are in high demand everywhere in the UK, including Scotland. As a result, the OU’s Graduate Apprenticeships in Cyber Security have been hugely popular.

International IT services and consulting company, Capgemini, for example, have a number of their Inverness based employees undertaking an OU apprenticeship. Fully funded by the Scottish Funding Council, it is enabling the apprentices to work towards a BSc Hons in Cyber Security. Darren Robbins, Deputy Manager at Capgemini’s Security Operations Centre in Inverness, said: “We are committed to our employees’ development to help them unlock their potential. Our apprentices will use their workplace experience and studies to gain a degree, and Capgemini and our clients will benefit from their new knowledge and understanding of cyber security.”

As employers take a more proactive approach to workforce planning, many (66%) are trying to make their workforce more diverse and inclusive and 64% plan to invest more on training up existing employees.

The switch to remote working during the pandemic showed that employees can work and learn remotely. This has opened up new

opportunities, enabling employers to tap into a more diverse, geographically dispersed talent pool.

During the pandemic, a significant number of SMEs – organisations with less than 250 employees – in Scotland took advantage of the short courses offered by the OU, such as microcredentials in leadership and management, and digital. Almost three quarters (73%) of Scottish business leaders think the OU’s short courses provided through Scottish Government schemes, like the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF), are hugely beneficial to themselves and the local economy. As a result, 90% of leaders would consider enrolling. Euan Murning, Director of two Scottish care organisations – Hogganfield Care and Skye Care – enrolled himself and several members of his workforce on OU courses during the pandemic. Accessing the training through the FWDF, they completed a mix of microcredentials and other short courses.

“You don’t often get the chance to access high quality training that is funded,” he says.

Find out more about how to unlock the potential of your workforce in Scotland through the OU’s innovative solutions: www.open.ac.uk/business/potential

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Water Industry welcomes UK’s first Higher-Level Qualification in Developer Services Management Following accreditation from Ofqual, training provider Learning & Development Associates (L&DA) has announced the launch of the Level 5 Certificate and Award in Developer Services Management.

The new programme, which will represent the UK’s first foundation degree level qualification in Developer Services Management, offers companies in the water and environmental industries with the opportunity to advance managerial knowledge and understanding of the design and construction of water and waste water network infrastructure assets and services.

Learning & Development Associates was commissioned to develop the new Level 5 framework following the success of their wider suite of higher-level qualifications, including those in the management of risk and resilience and leading innovation in the water and environmental industries.

Commenting on the launch, Glenn Jackson, Managing Director of L&DA, said: “In comparison with the only other alternative qualification in this function, the Level 5 Certificate and Award is not

only more in line with current Developer Services Management (DSM) practices and regulations, it is also more appropriate in terms of education level for the roles in Developer Services - particularly as many personnel in these roles are/were engineering graduates.”

L&DA highlighted that new qualification will address the technical needs of managers and others working in the water and environmental industries and will provide learners with a thorough understanding of the rationale for water and waste water planning, design, construction and asset installation.

The Level 5 Certificate and Award in Developer Services Management will also address the important impact that commercial sustainable development has on the broader water and environmental infrastructure and will assess the ability of the industries to renew, extend, repair and

replace water and waste water network assets.

A representative of L&DA’s delivery team further added: “The launch of the new qualification provides a clear education pathway for managers and builds upon our company mission at L&DA to advance the competence of the water and environmental industries.

The new qualification is expected to result in a short 5-day course that will be available for delivery from February 2021.

For more information about Learning & Development Associates, visit https://learninganddevelopment. associates or contact enquiries@ learninganddevelopment.associates

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GOLDS AWARDED AT EDINBURGH CASTLE E

dinburgh Castle provided the stunning backdrop for the 2021 Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Awards.

The joint regional event saw employers from the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, and the North of England recognised for the outstanding support they give to the Armed Forces Community.

Nationally, 140 organisations received the award.

Recipients in the Highland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association area (including two Gold holders who had their existing awards revalidated*) were: Dundee City Council*; Fife Chamber of Commerce; Highland Council; Horizon Security Solutions Ltd; McLeod Glaziers; Perth & Kinross Council; Scottish Ambulance Service*.

In addition, there were eight winners in the Lowland RFCA area and five in the North of England RFCA area.

Representing the highest badge of honour, Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Awards are awarded to those that employ and support those who serve, veterans and their families. This year’s awardees brings the total number of Gold holders to 493.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans, Leo Docherty said: “The vast range of those recognised this year demonstrates how employing the Armed Forces community makes a truly positive and beneficial impact for all employers, regardless of size, sector or location.”

To win an award, organisations must provide 10 extra paid days leave for Reservists and have supportive HR policies in place for Veterans, Reserves, and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, as well as spouses and partners of

those serving in the Armed Forces.

Organisations must also advocate the benefits of supporting those within the Armed Forces community by encouraging others to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and engage in the Employer Recognition Scheme.

The awards were presented late last year at Edinburgh Castle by Chief of Defence People Lieutenant General James Swift.

Fife Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Alan Mitchell said: “Everyone at Fife Chamber is delighted and humbled to receive this ERS Gold Award. We advocate for our Armed Forces and connect the Highland RFCA team with local employers because it is the right thing to do and because we believe we should acknowledge and be grateful for what our country’s service men and women do for us every day.”

Highland Council’s Armed Forces and Veterans’ Champion, Councillor Roddy Balfour, said: “It is a great honour for Highland Council to have received the ERS Gold Award. The continued support to Armed Forces personnel past and present and their families is vital to the wellbeing of our whole community.”

To find out how you can support the Armed Forces, contact Highland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association’s Regional Employer Engagement Directors.

Contact Roy McLellan by email: hi-reed@rfca.mod.uk.

Contact Ray Watt by email: hi-reed2@rfca.mod.uk.

The ERS Gold Award winners from the Highland RFCA area.

Guests gathered in the Great Hall at Edinburgh Castle.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Moray College UHI ... at the heart of the business community At the heart of the Moray business community, Moray College UHI has years of experience working with local businesses to provide customised training programmes which support business growth and employee development.

Their lecturing and training staff have a close relationship with industries ensuring that they have up to date knowledge of industry requirements and new practices so you can be assured of high-quality professional training to meet all your business needs.

As part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, Moray College UHI can provide an extensive portfolio of courses at all levels, many of which are funded meaning there is no cost to your business. By investing in staff training, you will develop a highly motivated and skilled workforce.

Committed to supporting businesses and individuals looking to update or develop their skills and knowledge, Moray College UHI offer a range of provisions including: Foundation Apprenticeships (FA) – many businesses across Moray are involved in the FA programme by offering work experience to young people while still at school. A foundation apprenticeship bridges the gap between the classroom and the workplace and provides invaluable insights for young people to the world of work. For more information about the FA programme - www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/fa Modern Apprenticeships (MA) – with over 100 MA frameworks available there is a programme to suit most business sectors.

Modern Apprenticeships are ideal for your business no matter what size and stage in development. The programme offers you the opportunity to invest in Moray’s young people by providing them the opportunity to train towards a nationally recognised qualification while working as one of your employees. For your business the programme ensures that you will develop highly qualified, motivated and skilled staff to ensure business competitiveness, growth and sustainability.

Benefits include: Trained workforce tailored to employers’ needs Improved quality Investment in your organisation’s future Motivated staff To find out more about the MA programme www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/ma

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Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) – now in its 5th year the FWDF has funded valuable training for employees within industry to address priority skills gap.

The fund provides £15,000 per annum to businesses who pay the apprenticeship levy and £5,000 to small to medium enterprises (less than 250 employees).

Many businesses across Moray have already taken advantage of this funding and have realised many benefits in relation to the motivation and skills of their employees. To find out more about the FWDF including the range of provision on offer and eligibility www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/fwdf Professional Development Awards (PDA) – PDAs are ideal for your employees and your business as they are aimed at broadening the individuals skills base while achieving a nationally recognised qualification. PDAs can be studied flexibility which means that in many cases they can fit around work and life commitments. Moray College UHI offers PDAs across many sectors. To find out more about the PDA programme www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/pda

First Aid courses – Moray College UHI offers a wide range of first aid courses from the 3-day First Aid at Work to Emergency First Aid, Childcare First Aid, Resuscitation Skills and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Users. Courses can be run in the workplace (max numbers apply) at very competitive rates. For details of courses, upcoming dates and fees visit - www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/firstaid Bespoke Tailored Provision – Moray College UHI can also work with you to develop specific provision based on your individual needs. Each programme will be developed with you and delivered by highly qualified staff who have direct and up to date industry experience.

Visit www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/for-business for the complete portfolio of training provision.

For more information and to discuss your individual requirements contact – Jacqui Taylor, Head of Marketing and External Relations, Moray College UHI – jacqui.taylor.moray@uhi.ac.uk

Moray College UHI ...at the heart of the business community Moray College UHI has many years experience of working with local businesses providing customised training programmes to support business growth and employee development.

We are committed to supporting businesses and individuals looking to update or develop their skills and knowledge.

We work with businesses to provide training solutions tailored to specific business needs across a range of sectors including: ❱ Foundation Apprenticeships ❱ Modern Apprenticeships ❱ Flexible Workforce Development Fund ❱ Professional Development Awards ❱ First Aid ❱ SVQs ❱ Bespoke training provision on demand For more information about our training provision Visit: www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/for-business

Moray College UHI ... at the heart of the business community

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

British Army joins forces with CrisisCast to develop revolutionary virtual reality training Working closely in partnership with the British Army, expert disaster and crisis management organisation, CrisisCast, has announced the pilot of a virtual reality platform developed to assist Armed Forces training in human emotions and cross-cultural communications.

Project Tyrion, Human Domain Matrix is a new, innovative prototype training concept developed by the British Army and CrisisCast, which brings the immersion and role-play of virtual reality platforms into a military environment.

CrisisCast, award-winning film makers, virtual reality producers and disaster and crisis management experts, were engaged to craft the virtual reality platform piloted with the British Army as a result of the organisations wealth of experience in utilising state-of-the-art British and Australian film industry and VR techniques to dramatise events for emerging security needs in the UK, Middle East and worldwide.

Going beyond training the cognitive to introduce more emotionally driven behavioural mechanics, which are inherently complex to model and simulate, the new virtual reality training platform seamlessly merges art, technology and science to enable military personnel to interact in realistically simulated environments that they may encounter, in order to provide immersive training in human emotion and cross-cultural communications.

Following its successful pilot, the virtual reality platform has highlighted how it can

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help to improve how judgement and empathy are practiced in a military environment.

Containing accurate and relevant choice points in cross-cultural communication with impactful consequences, the learning through engagement experience will significantly enhance the current provision in pre-deployment, bridging the knowledge gap and giving access to advanced qualitative, psychosocial-emotional profiles of complex TAs. David Wayman of CrisisCast, and a Senior Producer on the project, added: “We’ve been relentless in our attention to detail, to ensure we can really suspend the learner’s disbelief, from accurate pattern of life events right down to the correct flashes on the uniforms. The art team have worked tirelessly to reproduce the reference images in high fidelity, whilst our coders have been helping us in coming up with ever more ingenious devices to deliver the training aims in-game.

Even though it’s only a proof of concept right now, the cinematic narrative, lifelike and likeable characters and stunning artwork has created a truly unique and impressive learning experience for our service personnel.”

The virtual reality training platform has also been developed through CrisisCast’s collaborative partnerships with other global experts. Australia-based organisation Spectre Studios enabled the project to be brought to life through their expertise in production design, art direction and ability to drive innovation the virtual reality landscape.

Washington, DC-based organisation ValkaMir Human Security supported CrisisCast in developing the content within the virtual reality training platform through their expertise in science-based analysis and solutions to preventing and countering protracted human conflict and violence.

Project Tyrion was further supported through the intelligence, big-data and analytical capability of global-based organisation Predli.

To find out more about Project Tyrion, Human Domain Matrix visit crisiscast.com/virtual-reality

KELVINBRIDGE | MILNGAVIE | NEWLANDS

Start their story

Contact us on 0141 342 5494 or admissions@tga.org.uk for more information.

The Glasgow Academy is an educational charity registered in Scotland: Charity Number SC 015368

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NSI

Protecting your workplace

Richard Jenkins, Chief Executive of the National Security Inspectorate, explains the important responsibilities Chamber business owners/managers must fulfil covering mandatory life safety fire risk assessments at any commercial site. He sets out how, as legally identified ‘Duty Holders’, they can best discharge these legal responsibilities and simultaneously satisfy related insurance requirements There’s no getting around these two basic facts: one, Scottish business owners/ managers are likely to be the legally identified ‘Duty Holder’ tasked with ensuring, firstly, that a ‘life safety fire risk assessment’ is carried out on their premises; and two, they are required to ensure the findings of the assessment are implemented.

In practical terms, this means any fire safety shortcomings or recommendations identified must be carried out in full, as specified, and completed within the stipulated timeframe.

The results of a mandatory life safety fire risk assessment may require, for example, the implementation of fire safety protections including fire detection, extinguishing and

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alarm systems, and emergency evacuation procedures.

In terms of inspections and enforcement action, the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service might visit your premises to check the fire risk assessment and related prevention measures are appropriate. As a result, you could receive an Enforcement Notice. This would occur if it were considered a serious risk was not being managed. The Notice, if issued, would detail the improvements needed – and by when.

Penalties can include fines and two years in prison. On top of that, reputational harm in this era of fast and uncontrolled commentary

via social media can be damaging – the implicit assumption on social media being there’s ‘no smoke without fire’.

Conducting a fire risk assessment Responsibility for fire safety in a building rests with the ‘Duty Holder’ in a wide spectrum of non-domestic premises.

The definitions of those responsible are contained within the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – introduced in England and Wales in October 2006 – the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, and the F&RS (NI) Order 2006 / Fire Safety Regulations 2010.

In essence, life safety fire risk assessment (LSFRA) protects lives and is central to

NSI

establishing sufficient fire prevention, protection and suppression measures, alongside safe evacuation procedures that can be applied in the event of an incident.

Assessment is best conducted once a building is occupied and operational.

Building use changes over time. LSFRA is only meaningful in the context of current use, as well as the integrity of physical elements such as escape routes and fire doors. Where five or more people are employed the results of LSFRAs must be documented and all assessments must be periodically reviewed to ensure they remain valid, for example when any change of use is implemented.

Identifying the ‘Duty Holder’ The Duty Holder can be anyone with control and/or oversight of a premises. In the majority of instances, it is considered the responsibility of each employer to safeguard their staff, patients and visitors.

The Duty Holder has to work together with all other parties, such as an external facilities management provider or assigned contractor(s), to ensure the requirements of the LSFRA are met.

Where maintenance of a building (including regular fire alarm testing, portable fire extinguisher and other routine maintenance) is undertaken by a facilities management provider, or another external contractor, the Duty Holder must maintain a close working relationship with them to ensure required maintenance procedures are being adequately discharged, and that any changes in use are reflected in the siting and maintenance of safety equipment.

Competent assessments Perhaps surprisingly, fire safety legislation does not define fire risk assessor ‘competence’. Government guidance states that where identified Duty Holders are unwilling or unable to complete an LSFRA they should seek the advice of a competent person. The guidance recommends assessments be conducted by a person with comprehensive training and experience in the type of fire risk assessment they are being asked to carry out.

Where Duty Holders are seeking competent assessors, third party certificated or approved providers can provide significant reassurance for those seeking help to meet their fire safety obligations. Approved LSFRA providers all commit to an independent on-going audit programme to verify their competency. Holding approval from a UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service)accredited independent certification body such as NSI (which is licensed to deliver the BAFE Life Safety Fire Risk Assessment Scheme SP205) provides evidence of their competence to conduct fire risk assessments and clearly demonstrates

Richard Jenkins

Ensuring all appropriate fire safety measures are adequately identified and periodically reviewed by risk assessment is the primary task of the Duty Holder. Following this up to ensure measures are effectively implemented is key. their services are compliant with current appropriate industry standards and best practice.

Conclusion – final steps Ensuring all appropriate fire safety measures are adequately identified and periodically reviewed by risk assessment is the primary task of the Duty Holder.

Following this up to ensure measures are effectively implemented is key. Where changes in building use and working practices have occurred – say as a result of Covid-19 – these should be considered in any competent fire risk assessment review.

ensure they effectively fulfil both their legal responsibilities and insurance requirements and demonstrate their commitment to the safety of their staff, customers and visitors to the space they oversee.

UKAS accredited NSI is a leading independent third party certification body within the UK’s fire safety, security systems and guarding services sectors. www.nsi.org.uk

Requesting third party certificated/ approved LSFRA providers to review measures in place can help Duty Holders

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Why there are reasons to be cheerful about future of Glasgow

By Stuart Patrick Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce

Never has it felt more necessary to start a new year with optimism. This must be the year when the pandemic, its frenetic, twenty-four hours a day news coverage and the debates over the implications of public health scenarios fade into the background.

We need to turn our minds to recovery, to growth and to fresh experiences.

Glasgow may have been battered by the Covid-19 crisis but it has every reason to be confident and there is a great deal to anticipate.

The city’s effectiveness in hosting major events was fully demonstrated with COP26 and this year the planning will continue both for the 2023 Cycling World Championships and for Glasgow’s unprecedented second time round as 2023 European Capital of Sport. And, on top of that, we have the World Indoor Athletics Championships to look forward to in 2024. Glasgow Life has done a first class job in securing those events.

This year will also see the Burrell Collection reopen in the spring after a five-year programme of repair and refurbishment.

Welcoming its first visitors back in 1983,

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the Burrell was one of the earliest steps in Glasgow’s transformation into a contemporary, creative capital, drawing on its rich and diverse cultural heritage.

I would like to think that 2022 will be the year that the Scottish Events Campus secures the £180m it needs to carry out its next phase of investment. Only a handful of assets generate as much return for Scotland as the SEC and the new funds will help expand the main conferencing facilities to serve the biggest world events while making the SEC one of the most modern and sustainable venues on the planet.

Glasgow was named the world’s best festival and events destination at the 2019 World Travel Awards in Oman. Clearly travel demand has been heavily suppressed in the last two years, however we are surely due a significant boost next year and the city is well placed to recover the momentum that resulted in that accolade. We will though have to work hard to support the team at Glasgow Airport to rebuild their international route network and we will be looking to both the UK and Scottish Governments to play their part.

Next to the Airport, we can also look forward to the opening of the HQ for the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. That will be a centrepiece for the emerging Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District led by the University of Strathclyde and already features strengths in metallurgy

and medicines manufacturing. That the University was recently awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its work in advanced manufacturing simply confirms the hopes we already have for re-emphasising Glasgow’s credentials as an engineering city.

Additionally, we can expect to see some new facilities opening at the University of Glasgow as its extensive campus development project continues. Due to be completed this year are the £116m Advanced Research Centre and the £50m Clarice Pears building for the University’s Institute of Health and Wellbeing – important steps towards a closer relationship with industry as the campus plan unfolds.

We also have high hopes that the next stages of the Scottish Government’s review of strategic transport projects (STPR2) will finally confirm the importance of the Glasgow Metro. The early stages of the review recognised both a growing population in the Glasgow City Region and the desperate need to invest in the city’s public transport system. An announcement that the key connection to Glasgow Airport is going ahead quickly would be a very welcome boost.

You might notice I have said nothing about our hard-pressed city centre. That deserves a review of its own.

This article was first published in The Herald on Wednesday 5 January 2022

ALDI

Aldi plans £24m investment in Scotland in 2022 From 2022-2023, the supermarket will invest over £55 million as part of their ongoing commitment to Scotland

suppliers and produce on its shelves. In 2021 Aldi surpassed its target of working with over 90 Scottish producers and stocking 450 items of locally sourced food and drink, and in coming years has set its sights on increasing this number to 500 locally-sourced products.

Aldi has unveiled plans to invest £24 million and create hundreds of new jobs in Scotland next year as part of its continued expansion throughout the country.

Aldi’s support for the local brewing industry in Scotland will continue in 2022 with its hugely successful Scottish Beer festivals. Celebrating their tenth year in 2022, the festivals have showcased over 80 Scottish breweries, resulting in £3 million in sales for local suppliers.

Following the opening of its 100th Scottish store in 2021, three new Scottish Aldi stores will open in the coming year – two in Aberdeen at Countesswells Road and Hareness Road, and one at Greendykes Road in Broxburn.

The new store openings will create an additional 150 jobs, taking the total number of staff employed by the retailer to nearly 3,500 by the end of 2022.

Since launching in Scotland almost 30 years ago, the supermarket has been focused on growing the number of Scottish

The retailer’s Supermarket Sweep initiative will again offer support to local foodbanks in 2022 and its Scottish Sports Fund programme, which has donated £290,000 to over 500 local sports clubs, will also continue.

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland said: “The prospects for the coming year look very exciting for Aldi in Scotland. We reached a

significant milestone with the opening of our 100th Scottish store in 2021 and we are continuing to demonstrate our commitment to further expansion and investment in our Scottish stores.

“During the course of 2021, we have invested £36 million in new store locations and in the next two years we will invest an additional £55 million in new stores and extensions, with a further nine stores planned.

“Almost three-quarters of our stores are now in our improved Project Fresh store format, providing a more customerfriendly layout with additional space and a brighter shopping experience - and we’re on track to upgrade the remainder by the end of 2023.

“We are incredibly grateful to all our colleagues and suppliers, who have continued to work tirelessly in very challenging times. We look forward to the New Year and continuing to grow and serve the people of Scotland.”

The prospects for the coming year look very exciting for Aldi in Scotland. We reached a significant milestone with the opening of our 100th Scottish store in 2021 and we are continuing to demonstrate our commitment to further expansion and investment in our Scottish stores.

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

‘Back for the Future’ Business Star Awards Hundreds of business people throughout Perthshire came together last Friday to celebrate innovation and success at this year’s prestigious Business Star Awards.

Perthshire Chamber’s glittering ‘Back for the Future’ awards was back with a bang at Crieff Hydro – after cancellation last year because of Covid.

And Perth’s own football team St Johnstone and local hospitality and catering legend Ian Gibb were also winners on the night, picking up outstanding achievement awards.

Hosted by broadcaster and journalist, Stephen Jardine, and with an upbeat address from Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, the evening saw 11 awards handed out.

And it also saw a change at the top of the Chamber with outgoing president, hotelier Stephen Leckie, handing over the reins to new president, Perth businesswoman Lori McGaffney.

Perthshire Chamber chief executive Vicki Unite said: “It was so good to be able to host

It was so good to be able to host our business star awards again after such a difficult time for everyone and I am delighted that the event was a great success. I am very grateful for the support of all our sponsors and supporters, and all those who entered the awards and bought tickets, plus our stellar team who made it all happen on the night.

Vicki Unite, Perthshire Chamber Chief Executive

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our business star awards again after such a difficult time for everyone and I am delighted that the event was a great success.

“I am very grateful for the support of all our sponsors and supporters, and all those who entered the awards and bought tickets, plus our stellar team who made it all happen on the night.

“It was a terrific night and the atmosphere was amazing. People came to celebrate, congratulate and support each other.

“There was a clear message of support and love from our local businesses through the trusted chamber network.

“It was a privilege to be able to highlight so many amazing local businesses and individuals and promote them through our platforms, which will continue well into 2022 and beyond.”

The main sponsor of the awards was innovative Perthshire business Binn Group Scotland’s largest independent and leading provider of integrated recycling and waste management services. And Stagecoach sponsored the bus to take guests from Perth to the event and then back.

Ensuring the night was such a success was valuable support on the night from Background Support, Caithness Glass, Crieff Hydro, Danscot, DeLorean Hire, Flonix, Groove Culture, Instant Image, Johnston Media, Milestone Media, Perthshire Picture Agency, Perthshire Sound and Light, Stagecoach Group and Wee Wraith.

The winners were: Apprentice of the Year Award sponsored by Castle Water and Perth College UHI Brandon Mills from Club 300 Perth Highly Commended: Eva Hall from EvaLucia.

Most Promising New Business sponsored

by Business Gateway/Elevator and Johnston Carmichael ReNu Bathrooms

Best Covid Response and Reinvention Award sponsored by Background Support and Perthshire Advertiser Horsecross Arts Highly Commended: Graham Hygiene Services Best Use of Social Media sponsored by Flonix and Wee Wraith Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance Outstanding Young Business Person sponsored by Blackadders and Invest In Perth Holly Irvine of Highbeat Digital Highly Commended: Hasan Mohammed of Zayns Fast Food Excellence in Customer Service Award sponsored by Blackhills Specialist Dental Clinic and OCO/Starbucks Perth Castle Water (large business) Club 300 Perth (small business)

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Community Hero (Group) sponsored by ACS Aviation and EvaLucia Feldy-Roo Community Hero (Individual) Katie McCandless-Thomas of Missing Pets, Perth and Kinross Outstanding Achievement (Group) St Johnstone Football Club Outstanding Achievement (Individual) Ian Gibb Anyone interested in finding out more about Perthshire Chamber can contact them on 01738 448325, email at info@ perthshirechamber.co.uk or online at www.perthshirechamber.co.uk.

Full details and more pictures from the event can be seen at Business Star Awards.

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Live lessons bring vision to classroom Tech employers are being encouraged to bring their industry to life for young people through an innovative series of live lessons being delivered in Scotland’s schools.

Tech Industry in the Classroom sees employers from across the digital sector using their industry experience to offer pupils an insight into their day-to-day work.

Employers such as energy firm SSE are making use of the resources, recently delivering a live lesson with Johnstone High School in Renfrewshire focusing on data security.

Tech employers also have the opportunity to join training sessions explaining the support available for taking part in live lessons, including a best practice guide to virtual engagement, and to make use of a new online toolkit offering further support.

Mark Logan, author of the Scottish Tech Ecoystem Review, is amongst those encouraging employers to take part.

He said: “Partnerships between school and industry are essential if we are going to strengthen the talent pipeline.

“Engaging schools in this way provides young people with a richer idea of what a career in tech could offer them. It brings the curriculum to life and shows the realworld applications of what is taught in the classroom.

“I’d ask tech employers of all types to consider how they could play their part in attracting the next generation of talent.”

SSE’s live lesson with Johnstone High School focused on the role data security plays in tackling climate change, with the lesson aligned to the National Progression Award (NPA) in Cyber Security.

Michael Wallis, SSEplc Group Chief Information Officer, said: “The biggest challenge facing us all is the climate emergency and it is the young people of today whose future is really being threatened by this.

“At SSE we are reimagining the world of energy so we can protect their future and the planet. That’s why I am proud of our support for the Scottish Careers Week where we can

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share our vision with those who want to join us on our journey to net zero.

“Emerging digital technologies, artificial intelligence and cyber security sit at the heart of our response to climate change.”

Employers can also make use of the Tech Industry in Schools toolkit which aims to make it as easy possible for the tech industry to sign up to the myriad of education-related programmes available.

Claire Gillespie, Digital Technology Skills Industry Manager at Skills Development

Scotland (SDS) added: “The success of our pilot programme of live lessons showed this concept has a great deal to offer. It gives young people a genuine insight into the tech sector and helps employers engage with potential new talent.

“As the adoption of new technologies continues to accelerate, it’s hugely important that tech employers grasp the opportunity to show young people how digital skills can unlock an increasingly vast array of exciting new careers.”

HORISK

Horisk-developed platform helped maintain rigour of Crown Estate Scotland wind farm bid process and make progress towards Scotland’s net zero targets Fife web consultancy Horisk Leslie Development has helped Crown Estate Scotland (CES) take a big step towards achieving Scotland’s net zero targets by developing the ScotWind Evaluation Platform website used to score bids to lease areas of Scotland’s seabed for offshore wind farms.

In December 2020 the Cupar firm and SCC member won the tender process to develop the platform to allow CES to score and analyse the bids because of its record for delivering secure business critical tools for public sector organisations. Its experience of developing online systems to replace Excel models, working with large volumes of complex data and providing workflow tools to manage processes was key in the successful bid.

Four months earlier it had seen the launch of the Sustainable Procurement Tools platform for Scottish Procurement which brought together three tools to help Scotland’s public sector bodies identify and address how they can optimise the economic, social and environmental outcomes of their local procurement.

Complex model CES had a complex model to score bids developed using Microsoft Excel but needed an online system to allow bids to be compared, data to be checked across them, give access to expert reviewers across the globe and provide workflow tools to manage the scoring process.

To meet the brief, between early last year and September Horisk developed the platform with an easy-to-use data entry system to allow: Reviewers to enter data and comments in response to more than 500 questions per bid Replacement of the Excel model calculations, backed up by a suite of tests to ensure correct results

Admin tools to manage the reviewer teams and moderators for each bid Integration with CES’s existing login system and databases Horisk also provided support to the CES team during the evaluation period.

The system has since been used by Crown Estate Scotland to run the bid evaluation process from September to December last year. The results were announced recently.

Benefits

A process to allow moderators to easily spot differences between reviewing team scores and produce a comprehensive moderator score at each stage

One of the key benefits of the new platform has been to ensure proper weighting for bids which demonstrated the best likelihood that the project would be delivered, rather than simply the highest value bid, and it’s understood CES was pleased to be able to give the web development contract to a Scottish company able to deliver and support the robust evaluation platform required.

Tools and reports to allow comparisons both within each bid and across all bids - to ensure they were consistent and neither capital nor project partners were over-committed across multiple bids

Speaking about Horisk’s role, Scott Ross, Offshore Wind Leasing Coordinator at Crown Estate Scotland, said: “We set Horisk a complicated task and they were diligent in understanding our requirements and

A workflow to ensure each bid completed the full review process - which involved each bid being scored by two independent teams of reviewers

producing a product which exceeded our initial brief. They excelled in responding to our requests for additional reporting capabilities with their helpdesk support. We are extremely thankful for the experience of working with Horisk and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to any business seeking a bespoke information management platform.”

Director Brian Horisk, said: “As a company we are pleased to have played our small part in the ScotWind project, which is of such vital importance to meeting Scotland’s climate change targets.

“The ScotWind Evaluation Platform was a significant, complex project which needed to be delivered in a relatively tight timescale.

Although the process in itself was unique, we were able to bring to bear our experience of projects with large amounts of complex data to develop a system that was user-friendly, robust and secure.”

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

SCC deepens Dubai connections at landmark bi-lateral chamber exchange The Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) and Dubai Chamber, the largest business organisation representing Dubai’s private sector, have come together to lay the foundations for a new Chamber-to-Chamber partnership between Scotland and Dubai during Expo 2020 Dubai.

Members from the first Scottish business delegation to Expo 2020 in Dubai, held discussions with H.E. Hamad Buamim, president and chief executive of Dubai Chamber and Chair of ICC-World Chambers Federation.

Seeking to deepen the connections between the Scottish and Dubai Chambers of Commerce, the bilateral exchange committed to exploring a future strategic partnership agreement which would seek to boost global trade and business-led solutions, initially built around alignment with the Scottish Business Trade Missions taking place over the course of the Dubai Expo, which includes missions themed on Food and Drink, Energy & Renewables and Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Women in Business.

Commenting on the meeting, His Excellency, Hamad Buamim, president and chief executive of Dubai Chamber said: “Our interactions with Scottish Chambers of Commerce were very positive and encouraging and we identified several areas of synergy and opportunity that we can build on in the future. There is plenty of untapped trade and investment potential between our countries and we look forward to exploring such prospects through our cooperation.”

Commenting on the meeting, Dr Liz Cameron CBE, director and chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said: It was an honour to meet with H.E. Hamad Buamim, president and chief executive of Dubai Chamber, to discuss

strengthening the links between our two Chambers. This was a landmark Chamber to Chamber meeting that clearly demonstrates Scotland’s commitment to global trade and to forging more partnerships between Scotland, Dubai and the wider region, opening the door for businesses to access this rapidly growing market.

“We look forward to building on this new relationship and strengthening the business connections between Scotland and Dubai, as one of the fastest growing economic regions in the world.”

Ivan McKee, Scotland’s Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, said: “It is great to see the Scottish

Chambers of Commerce flying the flag for Scotland internationally and to see more local Chambers involved in such missions. I am delighted to support them as they seek to continue to internationalise Scotland’s business landscape. Developing constructive and close working partnerships is key to this endeavour so I welcome their focus on initiating partnerships with the Dubai Chambers of Commerce. Both Scotland and Dubai will benefit from such business partnerships and our respective countries have much to offer each other, particularly as we are all exploring how to build a net zero future. I hope that this event will lead to long lasting and fruitful working relationships which benefit both our countries’ business interests and needs.

It is great to see the Scottish Chambers of Commerce flying the flag for Scotland internationally and to see more local Chambers involved in such missions. I am delighted to support them as they seek to continue to internationalise Scotland’s business landscape.

Developing constructive and close working partnerships is key to this endeavour so I welcome their focus on initiating partnerships with the Dubai Chambers of Commerce.

Ivan McKee, Scotland’s Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Skills Development Scotland outline plans in the race to Net Zero Training for the next generation of renewable professionals, putting climate change resources into schools and harnessing apprentice talent to solve low carbon industry challenges.

Just three of the actions taken under a raft of projects from the first year of Scotland’s Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan.

Launched in December 2020, the plan will ensure Scotland’s workforce has the skills needed for the transition to a net-zero economy.

Minister for Green Skills, the Circular Economy & Biodiversity Lorna Slater said: “As an engineer who has worked in Scotland’s growing renewable energy industry, I know how essential it is for the Scottish Government to invest in skills development.”

“Scotland has enormous potential to be a global leader in the green industries of the future, but to take this opportunity we need to equip people with the skills they need to shape and transition through their careers” “This first year of the action plan has demonstrated a collective will to achieve, and it shows Scotland is on the right track.”

The plan is overseen by a steering group made up of more than 20 organisations across Scotland, coordinated by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and Scottish Government.

Chris Brodie, Director of Regional Skills Planning & Sector Development at SDS said: “The move to net-zero by 2045 has the potential to create tens of thousands of well paid, highly skilled jobs over the next 20 years.

“This action plan is making sure we seize those sustainable skills opportunities for everyone learning and working here in Scotland.

“The climate emergency is happening now, which is why we have such a strong focus on reskilling and upskilling our existing workforce.”

The first year of the action plan also saw the launch of the Green Jobs Workforce Academy and further support for businesses including bespoke climate emergency training and development of a net zero toolkit to support engineering SMEs. There was also targeted support through the National Transition Training Fund and Green Jobs Fund.

Developed in partnership between public, private and the third sector, the action plan is industry and evidence led.

Professor Dave Reay, climate change scientist at the University of Edinburgh, is Chair of action plan’s Implementation Steering Group.

He said: “This action plan identifies a series of priority areas for employers, education and individuals and is a leading example of planning for sustainable skills against climate change targets.

“Throughout discussions and events at COP26 this year it was clear that Scotland is well-placed to take advantage, in particular, of the green energy boom that is starting across the globe. But as we move forward, every job needs to become more sustainable.

“Our skills system is well equipped to deal with the rapid adjustment to face the challenge of net zero and we will continue to work together to drive change as we take the plan forward.”

Work is also continuing on the Green Jobs Skills Hub which will offer insight into the numbers and types of sustainable jobs that will be needed over the next 25 years, as well recommendations from the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board’s work on sustainable skills in apprenticeships.

Chris Brodie added: “Robust data is key to supporting businesses, education and training providers and individuals as we move ahead and that will be a key focus of the plan heading in to 2022.”

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

£500k investment delivers future proofed internet and cloud services for customers Connectivity, cyber security and data hosting and management specialist IFB, has invested £500k to accelerate its expansion plans which includes a new partnership with Scotland’s leading hybrid cloud managed service provider, Brightsolid.

The long-term agreement provides IFB with access to new and considerable data centre hosting capacity, and with the addition of core network upgrades, will also support the Aberdeen headquartered firm’s business customers with ten times the UK average internet speeds, increased cyber security and additional support for office and home working.

IFB has been providing connectivity, data centre cyber protection, cloud and telephony solutions since 1995 and has over 700 business customers in the public sector, business services, education, and industrial industries across Scotland and the UK. The firm has experienced substantial interest in its business-critical services since the coronavirus pandemic ushered in a new era of remote working and companies became more data driven to continue operating productively. Organisations scaling up or using technologies which require more and better access to data and cloud-based software and IT infrastructure, have also necessitated an increased demand across IFB’s service range.

This collaboration with Brightsolid is part of IFB’s ongoing growth strategy to further fortify its operational excellence in delivering digital transformation and adoption for businesses across the country. The increased data centre capacity and storage, and new cloud services, come hand in glove with investment in new ‘fibre to the premise’ ultrafast gigabit internet access. Earlier this year, the firm also launched its Threat

This development fuels our ambitious growth plans as we continue to elevate our position as one of Scotland’s leading data management and preferred network connectivity providers.

Graeme Gordon, IFB chief executive officer

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Graeme Gordon

Intelligence Platform to help companies identify and mitigate potential system vulnerabilities, as well as simplifying cyber security accreditations.

IFB chief executive officer, Graeme Gordon, said: “In the last couple of years, businesses have evolved and working practices have changed. This has resulted in a rapid upsurge in the need for essential and secure data management with dependable network connectivity so people can remain productive, conduct meetings and collaborate virtually, email securely, and protect and store confidential company documents with confidence.

“We are 100% committed to maximizing our customers’ uptime and productivity and have always prided ourselves in meeting their needs. Through this £500k longterm investment and the partnership with Brightsolid, we have bolstered existing services delivering a substantial increase in data centre hosting capacity. Our investment also enables us to increase our capacity to deliver greater internet bandwidth meaning we are able to provide and support speeds ten times faster than the UK average, assisting customers to connect with their data in less than a millisecond and remain productive. Through our combined expertise and infrastructure, we can ensure our clients receive a reliable, scalable, safe and cost-effective solution for the hybrid working environment.

“This development fuels our ambitious growth plans as we continue to elevate our position as one of Scotland’s leading data management and preferred network connectivity providers, trusted for delivering and managing solutions that enable our customers to work from anywhere at any time.”

Brightsolid has over 25 years’ experience in data centre hosting and cloud services.

Under the arrangement, IFB’s UK business network will connect to Brightsolid’s tier III designed secure data centres in Aberdeen and Dundee integrating these into IFB’s current infrastructure to provide safe, data hosting, high-capacity internet access and wide area network solutions Brightsolid’s chief executive officer, Elaine Maddison, said: “We are delighted that IFB has chosen Brightsolid’s data centre to underpin their ambitious growth plans.

Brightsolid and IFB have worked together for some time providing complementary services to customers and this is a natural extension of our existing partnership.”

IFB was a finalist in the ‘Customer First’ and ‘Inspiration from Innovation’ categories for the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s Northern Star Business Awards, further cementing the firm’s position in the local market and its commitment to delivering exceptional customer service.

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust plans progressing It was a very busy summer over on Eigg with the welcome return of tourists and work progressing at pace on the An Laimhrig redevelopment, their community hub located at the pier area.

Completion of first phase development The first phase is now complete and Taigh Nighe, the Wash House, is ready to open.

The new building will cater for campers, day visitors and guests in their camping pods and boasts all new shower and washing facilities. Taigh Nighe is powered by their biomass boiler which is fuelled with wood from Eigg’s very own forestry plantation.

Working with design team at WT Architecture, contractors Compass Building and Construction Services have been going flat out since the spring and the workers have settled well into the community – especially during the European Championships when matches were shown on the Small Isles’ new mobile cinema screen.

Starting phase 2 Now that Phase One is complete, work has began in earnest on Phase Two. The area of the current building which housed

the tearoom, craft shop and waiting room has now been stripped out ahead of the refurbishment. However, the island’s shop remains open while the extension to the building is built and work is progressing swiftly.

The frame for the extension to the building is already up and we they beginning to get a sense of just how much more space will be available for the shop, tearoom, craft shop and Eigg Adventures.

The roof will be on shortly with the hope that the building will be wind and watertight prior to Christmas but, as ever on Eigg, a lot of this depends on the weather!

Visit from council representatives The Highland Council leadership team visited and where excited to see how the new development was progressing and spent time with islanders discussing a range of issues. This was a great opportunity for the council representatives

to see just how much progress is being made as Eigg looks to build a sustainable future for its population.

They are grateful to their funders the Scottish Government, Highland Council, Visit Scotland, the National Lottery, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Inspiring Scotland, SSE, Centrica, Triodos and Eigg Trading for their help with this project which will help secure Eigg’s longterm future.

Plans for affordable accommodation The Trust is also continuing with plans to build two new properties for affordable rent to islanders. These will be: a twobedroom new build and a refurbishment of the Old Surgery building to create a twobedroom home.

They are grateful to NHS Highland and NHS Estates and HIE for their help in acquiring the land and buildings and are hopeful that work on these homes for life will begin building in Spring 2022.

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels celebrates staff with a Smile Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels celebrated its team’s perpetual outstanding work and achievements at the annual team Smile Awards.

The awards included eight different categories and were spread across each of the eight hotels, which includes Crieff Hydro, Peebles Hydro, Murraypark hotel in Crieff, The Park Hotel in Peebles, Taypark House in Dundee, The Isles of Glencoe, Ballachulish Hotel and Kingshouse Hotel, also in Glencoe.

The Smile Awards recognise teams and individuals for their phenomenal work throughout the year, particularly relevant in the challenging climate the hospitality sector has faced in recent times.

Employee of the Year awards were presented to Florin Diaconu, Zaneta Falharova, Helen Brown, Tunde Rigo, Clem King and Greg Chisholm for their endless exceptional work.

The 2021 awards ceremony was held in The Melville, Crieff Hydro Hotel’s new state-ofthe-art meetings and events space. The event was celebrated in style with a Willy Wonka theme, and staff were presented with a golden ticket upon entry.

The Melville was decorated with candy canes, sweet stalls and even Oompa Loompas. The incredible entertainment created a night the staff will not forget with magicians, firebreathers and dancers.

The annual awards created the perfect opportunity to gather and bond staff from across the hotel group, and a chance for owners the Leckie family to attend and show their gratitude, reinforcing the family spirit of the company, with lots of fun and excitement added in.

Stephen Leckie, Chairman and CEO of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, said: “The Smile Awards is very much about celebrating and rewarding our fantastic teams and individuals throughout the group who have continued to shine through an extremely difficult time.

“We wanted to create a fabulous night to remember for everyone involved and we are delighted with the outcome. Our ethos at Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels is just that – family – and it was fantastic to get everyone from each of the hotels together to celebrate a special night – a night for them.

“We are so proud of every single individual on each of our teams and appreciate them for all their hard work and positivity.”

The Smile Awards is very much about celebrating and rewarding our fantastic teams and individuals throughout the group who have continued to shine through an extremely difficult time.

Stephen Leckie, Chairman and CEO of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels

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The full list of winners is as follows: The Simple Award Josh Wellum, Lee Morrissey, Antonin Boisseau, Craig Green, Kayleigh Cooper and Scott McNeil The Memorable Award Alvaro Leguizamon, Roxana Liliana Vida, Steffi Clark, Stacey McDonald and Saphia Wallek The Independent Award Careen Kahn, Daniela Dobre, Dora Barah, Jennifer Scrim and Molly Law The Lean Award Gavin Hunter, Ryan Hogg, Zsoltne Siska and Jodie Broddell The Engaging Award Sandra Sanchez Navarro, Diana Lopez, Laura Raeburn and Dawn Hunter Employee of the Year Florin Diaconu, Zaneta Falharova, Helen Brown, Tunde Rigo (IOG, Clem King and Greg Chisholm Manager of the Year Ashleigh Pink, Catherine Bull, Colin Grieve, Laszlo Csegedi, Joan Adams and Stuart Cairns Team of the Year Housekeeping / Self Catering at Crieff and Murraypark, F&B at Peebles Hydro, Grounds Teams at the West Coast hotels and IT/Finance at BP.

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Michelin development backs Dundee satellite ground stations start-up Michelin Development, which provides funding and advice to firms to drive growth in areas where it has previously had facilities, is backing another innovative start-up, Dundee Satellite Station Ltd. The programme, which provides funding and advice to firms with the potential to expand and provide high-quality, long-term employment, has helped Dundee Satellite Station Ltd to introduce systems to manage large streams of data.

This will underpin the delivery of services now offered by Dundee Satellite Station Ltd, including support for small satellite operations, access to data from Earth observation satellites, and technical expertise in R&D, modification and operation of ground stations. The company is looking to create five new roles in the near future.

The station’s founders, Neil Lonie and Paul Crawford, approached Michelin Development to help unlock this stage of growth for their business.

Paul said “We’ve had great support from Michelin Development and we are now able to undertake the work to provide direct fibre connectivity to the site and ensure we have the network capacity to quickly manage more data, which is crucial to the development of our business.

“This will enable us to move forward with our plans to grow and roll out our proposal to create five new scientific and technical jobs.”

Neil and Paul are world-renowned experts in the design, construction and operation of satellite ground stations. They set up their company in 2019, taking over from the former University of Dundee Satellite Receiving Station, where they both worked for more than 30 years.

Over that period, Neil and Paul have been involved in ground station projects in Dundee and around the world, including the Antarctic and the Middle East, as well as projects for international space agencies such as NASA and ESA. Their work has also supported scientists studying climate patterns, natural disasters and other environmental phenomena by providing them with access to data from Earth monitoring satellites.

Neil said: “We are really pleased to be carrying on the Dundee legacy in satellite

ground station operations for a new era. It’s a hugely exciting sector and we are looking forward to building our profile and activity at our Errol site to support projects around the world.”

High-potential, small and medium-sized enterprises in and around the Dundee and Angus Area may be eligible for support from Michelin Development, accessing services including unsecured, heavily-subsidised loans, as well as free, independent and expert advice to pave the way for growth.

Brian Cairns, of Michelin Development in Dundee, said: “Michelin Development is here to support employment in and around the city by helping high-potential firms and entrepreneurs turn their ambitions into reality. Dundee Satellite Station is a great example of a dynamic, sustainable business that we are in a position to help.

“Manufacturing, engineering or service sector (B2B) businesses with fewer than 250 employees may be eligible for support.

Applications must be supported with a viable business plan, together with relevant

financial accounting information, and also demonstrate the potential to create highquality jobs.”

Lois McLeod, Business Banking Regional Relationship Manager at Royal Bank of Scotland, Michelin Development’s banking partner, added: “Scotland’s TMT sector is a thriving industry that contributes significantly to the country’s GDP. “Similarly, as Scotland’s fourth largest city, Dundee plays a strategically important role in the development of the country’s SME and corporate sectors.

“We are therefore delighted to have supported this venture between Michelin Development and Dundee Satellite Station Ltd, a partnership that crucially supports regional economic growth.

“Our purpose as a bank is to drive and empower enterprise at every level and provide businesses with not just finance, but the resources and tools they need to achieve success. That is why we will continue to invest and build upon the support we provide to Scottish businesses in 2022.”

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

“I will continue to champion Scottish and British businesses to the world and remain steadfastly committed to working in collaboration with civic society to accelerate our recovery, growth and future position in the global marketplace.”

Dr Liz Cameron

CBE Honours for Scottish Chambers of Commerce Dr Liz Cameron, Director & Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, has been honoured with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s 2022 New Year Honours List for services to the promotion of Scotland and UK International Trade alongside former Scottish Chambers of Commerce President, Tim Allan.

This follows on from Dr Cameron’s 2013 honour where she was recognised with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to business and commerce.

The accolade is in recognition of Dr Cameron’s service to business, in particular, her contribution to the promotion of Scottish & UK businesses on the world stage.

Dr Cameron has spearheaded new public/ private partnerships with the Scottish Government which has onboarded 500 new SME exporters, with those participating increasing turnover by up to £20 million and in the last three years alone, has created over 300 new jobs.

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Dr Cameron has led the expansion of trade relationships across the world which has included the signing of 40 country-to-country market agreements and the establishment of new Scottish Trade Offices, with the first opened in Yantai, China in 2017, making it more accessible for Scottish & British companies to export to new markets.

She has also galvanised the international Scottish business community further by creating a global network of Scottish Chamber Ambassadors, who enable faster access to markets using their in-market expertise and connections.

Dr Cameron represents the Scottish business community on several high-level

Scottish & UK Government committees and groups. Most notably, she is the Scottish Business Representative on the UK Government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group, shaping and informing the UK’s future trade policy and ongoing negotiations with current and prospective trade partners.

Liz was also appointed to the UK Government Scotland Office International Trade Working Group in 2020. At a Scottish Government level, Dr Cameron has participated in a wide range of influential groups including, most recently, the Enterprise & Skills Strategic Board, responsible for delivering economic growth in Scotland and provided strategic advice and

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

expertise into the formulation of the Scottish Government’s “Trading Nation” export growth plan.

Dr Cameron also serves as a GlobalScot Trade Ambassador.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Liz Cameron, said: “This is a tremendous accolade and I am deeply honoured and humbled to be awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Honours List.

“I am truly thankful to my family, my colleagues and my friends for supporting me throughout my career. I am also grateful to have the privilege of working with so many talented and outstanding businesses and leaders who continue to inspire and motivate me to do more for our business communities.

“I am so proud of how Scottish businesses and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network have continued to forge ahead. This award is a tribute to all businesses who, even in times of crisis, push the boundaries of innovation and trade, and continue to seize the opportunities.

“The interconnectedness between the economy, arts and culture will be an important enabler of our economic recovery and I look forward to continuing to play my part in supporting these efforts.”

Tim Allan

“I will continue to champion Scottish and British businesses to the world and remain steadfastly committed to working in collaboration with civic society to accelerate our recovery, growth and future position in the global marketplace.”

Former SCC President, Tim Allan has also been honoured with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s 2022 New Year Honours List for Services to Business, Charity & the Arts The leading Scottish business figure holds a wide-ranging portfolio career spanning multiple sectors in business, education, arts and culture. He is a private equity and property entrepreneur through his investment business Tricorn Capital Limited. He is also a Founder and Director of Motor Fuel Group, the largest independent fuel retailer in the UK with more than 900 stations across the whole country. Since 2017, he has served as President of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the largest business network in Scotland.

Tim also serves as Chair of V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum and the first V&A museum outside London, where he recently led a £1 million fundraising campaign to support cultural organisations in Dundee respond to COVID. He serves as a NonExecutive Director of Archangel Investors, a prominent business syndicate that invests more than £15 million per year in earlystage Scottish companies.

Tim has served as a Member of Court at the University of St Andrews since 2015 and sits on their board for the Eden Campus at Guardbridge.

Commenting on the announcement, Tim Allan, said: “Contributing to the business, arts and culture sectors has been a privilege and I am thrilled to receive such extraordinary recognition. I am profoundly grateful for this honour and I thank my colleagues and peers for their unwavering support, guidance and expertise throughout my career.

“The interconnectedness between the economy, arts and culture will be an important enabler of our economic recovery and I look forward to continuing to play my part in supporting these efforts.”

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Liz Cameron, said: “The Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network are absolutely thrilled that Tim has been honoured with

a CBE. This recognition is richly deserved and is testament to his selfless leadership, dedication and commitment to Scotland’s economy and to the arts and charity sectors.”

Commenting on the announcement, Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “Tim has generously brought his energy, business insight and commitment to culture to support V&A Dundee over many years, as well as helping others in business and the arts to thrive.

“He is a champion of creativity and of its potential as a catalyst for change, as well as being a passionate advocate of Dundee.

We’re delighted he is receiving this much deserved honour.”

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

The Recovery ROCCO’s Renfrewshire celebrates business resilience at ROCCO AWARDS 2021 The ROCCO Awards returned with a roar on Friday 19th November at the Normandy Hotel, Renfrew.

An ecstatic crowd of 400 people cheered 17 winners being crowned at Renfrewshire’s largest black-tie business event, now in its 17th year. The ambitious destination brand PAISLEY.IS returned as main sponsor for a third year signifying their ongoing support for the Renfrewshire business community.

Chamber President Liz Connolly highlighted the chamber’s achievements since Rocco 2019 and focused on the response in supporting the business community during the pandemic. The guests were piped into the Normandy by the talented St Columba’s School Pipe Band.

Mary Crearie Director, Communities, Housing and Planning Services,

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Renfrewshire Council gave the principal sponsor address and profiled the economic grant support awarded by Renfrewshire Council of over £53 million to the business community.

The ROCCO raffle raised an outstanding £9,000 supporting St Vincent’s Hospice and Kidney Research UK in memory of muchloved chamber director and friend Elaine Sherlock from Ingliston Country Club & Hotel.

The Rocco favourite host Fred MacAulay kept the audience laughing all evening and the GGC NHS Choir drew a warm and ecstatic response from the guests following their stirring performance with many of the choir members having been on the front line with the response to Covid-19.

The Awards also featured a brand new trophy designed and made in Renfrewshire

by JGB Steelraft and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company.

The Winners: Award for Environmental Sustainability Sponsored by Paisley Is. Winner: Glasgow Airport Award for Developing the Young Workforce sponsored by Developing the Young Workforce (West) Winner: Rolls-Royce plc Award for Innovation & Technology Sponsored by Creation IP. Winner: Glasgow Airport Award for Excellence in Manufacturing Sponsored by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland.

Winner: Rolls-Royce plc Award for International Trade - Sponsored

by Glasgow Airport.

Winner: Volantes Technical Recruitment Ltd

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Award for Excellence in Business Resilience - Sponsored by Invest In Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire Council Winner: Right Way Credit Union

Award for Community Champion of the Year - sponsored by Engage Renfrewshire & The Royal Bank of Scotland Winner: I Am Me Scotland

Award for Most Promising New Business 2021 - Sponsored by Renfrewshire Council Winner: Squared Insurance Brokers Limited

Award for Outstanding Performing Business <=5 employees – sponsored by Braehead Winner: Plush Plans Ltd

Award for Renfrewshire’s Favourite Business - Sponsored by Paisley Daily Express Winner: I Am Me Scotland Award for Resilience in Tourism Sponsored by Paisley Is Winner: Open Road Scotland Award for Family Business of the Year – Sponsored by The Malcolm Group Winner: Carli’s Kindergarten Ltd Award for Young Business Person of the Year – sponsored by Rolls-Royce plc Winner: Andrew O’Brien J.G.B Steelcraft (UK) Limited Award for Employer of the Year – sponsored by West College Scotland Winner: Arnold Clark

Award For Outstanding Performing Business 5>25 employees – sponsored by The University of the West of Scotland Winner: J.G.B Steelcraft (UK) Limited Award for Outstanding Performing Business >25 employees – sponsored by Doosan Babcock Winner: Wholesale Domestic Equipment Company Ltd Award for Business Leader of the Year – sponsored by Diageo Winner: Eddie Hawthorne, Chief Executive & Group MD, Arnold Clark Bob Grant chief exec said: “The event marked a crucial step on the road to normality for our business community.

The board and team at Renfrewshire felt it was crucial to run Rocco 2021 this year

and plant a flag to mark the resilience and recovery underway. We witnessed a fantastic response from all our sponsors, companies entering and our guests on the night.”

“You can view all images on our Facebook page and comments on #2021Rocco. I encourage all Rocco winners to utilise their win across their PR channels. Thank you to the entire Chamber team for all their work before and on the night to ensure our 400 guests had a great time. Special thanks to principle sponsor Paisley.is, Diageo who supplied our drinks reception, Andrew O’Brien from J.G.B. Steelcraft and the team at Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Co for our new trophies, Cameron Presentations & Gap TV for all the AV, the Printbrokers for the program, Gary & Jan from NS Design for the excellent social media coverage and the Normandy Hotel for the superb meal and service. Thanks also to St Columba’s School Pipe Band who welcomed guests in such style.”

“Finally, thank you the GGC NHS Choir. It was a privilege to have them entertain us with many of the choir members having been on the front line with the response to Covid-19 from our wonderful NHS. Planning for Rocco 2022 is already underway, and we hope to see you enter and attend this year.”

The event marked a crucial step on the road to normality for our business community. The board and team at Renfrewshire felt it was crucial to run Rocco 2021 this year and plant a flag to mark the resilience and recovery underway. We witnessed a fantastic response from all our sponsors, companies entering and our guests on the night. Bob Grant, Chief Executive Business Scotland

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Inverness Chamber’s Highland Business Awards make welcome live return The eighth edition of the Highland Business Awards was hailed as even more special than usual as it returned to the Drumossie Hotel some 113 weeks after the last awards in 2019.

Stewart Nicol, chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce which organises the awards in partnership with Highland News & Media, said it truly was special to be able to hold the awards in person.

He continued: “Prior to the pandemic, I would regularly describe our business community as being resilient, innovative and diverse. I’m delighted to report that the resilience, innovation and diversity of Highland business has been demonstrated by every one of our finalists and most certainly the winners.”

Caithness gin-maker Dunnet Bay Distillery was the only finalist to take home two awards, winning both the innovation and environmental sustainability awards.

The firm, which was founded by Martin and Claire Murray, was also shortlisted in the employer of the year category, but was pipped to the title by PR agency Muckle Media.

MacGregor’s Bar won the resilience award for initiatives including its daily Live at Five internet broadcasts which have earned the Inverness bar a worldwide following, boosting its profile and merchandise sales.

More recently, the bar has opened a daytime café and has expanded into Golspie.

Jo De Sylva, who runs the business with her

husband Bruce MacGregor, said: “It has been an incredibly difficult almost two years, but what we have all learnt is that when we all work together, the Highlands is one of the most amazing places to be in terms of business.”

Near neighbour the Ironworks claimed the digital transformation award, pivoting to help north creative industries support network XpoNorth deliver online content after it was forced to shut as a live venue.

The workforce upskilling award was won by family owned Inverness communications company HighNet/BrawBand, while the employee wellbeing title went to Moray construction firm Springfield Properties.

D&E Coaches apprentice Scott Campbell was named top young employee.

The final trophy, the local hero award, went to Craig Ewan, operations director of the Kingsmills Hotel Group, recognising not only his leadership over the crisis, but his raising thousands of pounds for Maggie’s Highlands by cycling the NC500.

“It is a great honour to receive this,” Mr Ewan said.

“Over the last 18 months it has been really challenging in all of our businesses. One thing that has really stood out for me over that period of time is that the people we work with and play with really showed their true colours. Thank you to everyone who has been behind me and packing my parachute.”

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The 2021 Highland Business Awards winners Innovation Award sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise: Dunnet Bay Distillery Resilience Award sponsored by Caithness Chamber of Commerce: MacGregor’s Bar Environmental Sustainability sponsored by SSE Renewables: Dunnet Bay Distillery Digital Transformation sponsored by Business Gateway’s DigitalBoost: Ironworks Venue Employee Wellbeing sponsored by Lochaber Chamber of Commerce: Springfield Properties Workforce Upskilling sponsored by Highland Council: HighNet and BrawBand Employer of the Year sponsored by DYW (Developing the Young Workforce) Inverness & Central Highland and DYW North Highland: Muckle Media Young Employee of the Year sponsored by Virtual Learning Academy: Scott Campbell, D&E Coaches Best Local Hero sponsored by Brodies LLP: Craig Ewan, Kingsmills Hotel Group

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Funding boost for Dunbartonshire’s “Loves Local” campaign A campaign that encourages support for local economies which were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic is to be extended in Dunbartonshire.

Spearheaded locally by Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce, the “Loves Local” campaign will continue in and around seven locations following the success of the initiative and renewed funding from Scottish Towns Partnerships backed by the Scottish Government. Milngavie Business Improvement District, which has been an important partner in Loves Local, has also been awarded additional funding to continue its participation in the campaign.

The promotion of the new Loves Local Gift card will be an integral part of future activity to build on the work undertaken to date. So far this has resulted in creation of six new town/village websites, online business listings and 100,000 Loves Local brochures which has been supported with local advertising, PR and social media. The Loves Local team have also been visiting all the locations to raise to get businesses involved in the campaign and provide information about the gift card.

Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce and Milngavie Business Improvement District (BID) were also recently shortlisted for the inaugural Scotland Loves Local Awards in recognition of their collaborative

efforts to encourage people to “choose local” and back businesses and services in their community.

Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive and Project Manager, Damon Scott, was delighted to be awarded the funding: “The Loves Local campaign has been helping hundreds of Dunbartonshire businesses by encouraging local people to Choose Local to support our local enterprises.

“This new funding will help us continue the promotion of our wonderful town and village centres, spread the word about the fantastic goods and services on offer locally and promote the use of the new Loves Local gift card.

“On the back of feedback from our Loves Local surveys a multi-level marketing campaign will take in social media, PR and local advertising as well as the ongoing creation of more online digital content. We also plan to make improvements to all of the town and village websites, add jobs boards and build the business and events listings.”

“The support and engagement from our local businesses has been amazing and a number of them have been instrumental in providing thousands of pounds of matched funding to support our latest Loves Local application. The Community Advertiser, Dumbarton Football Club, River Radio and East Dunbartonshire Council have all made important contributions via sponsorship or in-kind support.”

Dunbartonshire Chamber instigated and led the Loves Local campaign to promote the ‘Choose Local’ message across a number of locations in East and West Dunbartonshire including: Alexandria & The Vale of Leven, Balloch, Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Clydebank and Dumbarton.

Much of the Chamber’s activity has been supported by grants from an initial Scotland Loves Local Fund last year - the success of which is being built upon with this latest new multi-million pound, multi-year programme from the Scottish Government.

The Chamber has worked with the support of both East and West Dunbartonshire Councils and Business Gateways, as well as in collaboration with Milngavie Business Improvement District.

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Digitisation in the workplace Home to one of the largest waterside manufacturing and repair facilities in the UK, Babcock’s Rosyth facilities has seen significant investment, transforming the historic site into the UK’s most modern maritime support facility with digital transformation at the heart of its growth.

Neil Young

Engineering & Technology Director, Babcock

In September 2021, the symbolic first cut of steel on the first of the 5 UK Royal Navy’s new Type 31 Inspiration class frigates took place at the 106-year-old Fife facility, signalling a transition in the global, naval ship market, as Babcock ushered in a new era of high-value, highly-adaptable, modular naval ships.

The UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS) launched in 2017 by the UK Government, and shortly due to be refreshed, set out the transformation of naval ship procurement in the UK. This included re-energising the maritime industry through increasing competition, a focus on skills development and the growth of exports and prosperity in the UK. Simultaneously, technology has evolved rapidly, especially in the fields of manufacturing automation, personal electronics and data processing techniques. The Type 31 frigate programme is a pathfinder programme for the NSbS and is forging a modern, world-class approach to shipbuilding in the UK.

Investing in the future Babcock, the Aerospace, Defence and Security company, has recently invested more than £60m in its Rosyth facilities to create state-of-the art infrastructure for the Inspiration Class programme with a focus on developing a digitally-enabled facility - including the new Venturer Building assembly hall which was completed in November 2021.

Measuring an impressive 147m x 62m x 42m, the Venturer Building will initially be used for the assembly of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates, providing a facility that can support UK and international shipbuilding activity for decades to come. As the Type 31 programme continues, the fully covered hall will house two frigates for uninterrupted, parallel assembly and will improve access to the platforms and digital connectivity.

Neil Young, Engineering & Technology Director at Babcock said: “Technology

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enhancements including enabling technology such as WIFI, increase the use of handheld devices to underpin the efficient delivery of information such as work instructions and drawings at the point of work, with efficiency applied to all aspects of the build and operations. Infrastructures to support the ‘connected worker’ have been installed in the Venturer Building from the start and have already been retrofitted in other areas for seamless mobile connectivity.

He continued: “Other recent investments include the installation of state-of-the art advanced manufacturing equipment within refurbished manufacturing bays. Six new automated cutting and assembly machines form the cornerstone of Babcock’s digital transformation at Rosyth and will create significant improvements in safety and efficiency in the manufacturing process to support customer programmes.

This new infrastructure, follows an additional £100 million investment over the last decade to optimise Rosyth’s shipbuilding capability and capacity, including infrastructure works to support the build and assembly of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built in the UK. Neil Young said: “Digital transformation and high levels of automation support leaner build practices, lower costs, improve productivity, facilitate faster entry into

service for customers’ assets and make Babcock’s business more sustainable for the future.

“Digitisation also provides the opportunity for emergence of new types of roles in shipbuilding, further encouraging the next generation to follow a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) focussed career. This is an area we are passionate about and opening up these career pathways is a key driver for our business.”

Scottish Enterprise has supported the development of Rosyth’s digital facility, in particular, through support to training and upskilling programmes targeted at both the front line operators and supporting management staff.

At its height the Type 31 programme will employ a workforce of around 1250 highly skilled roles in multiple locations throughout the UK, with an equivalent number in the wider supply chain and 150 new apprenticeship positions being created.

The Digital Thread One area of focus is the creation of Digital Threads. A Digital Thread is a holistic view of an asset’s data throughout its entire lifecycle – its digital DNA. As the designer and manufacturer of the Type 31, Babcock is ensuring a digital thread is established to allow for the seamless

BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Digitisation also provides the opportunity for emergence of new types of roles in shipbuilding, further encouraging the next generation to follow a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) focussed career. This is an area we are passionate about and opening up these career pathways is a key driver for our business.

transition of information from one phase of the naval platform’s lifecycle to another.

The typical lifecycle of an asset, such as a ship, starts in Design and Build, then progresses into the Operational Phase (including maintenance and refits/life extension) and finally Disposal. A powerful open architecture of digital technologies encompassing all elements: concept, design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance, life extension, and retirement is required to ensure an unbroken digital thread. Just as an effective design process considers all these aspects upfront, later lifecycle phases are always dependant on the transfer of accurate information from preceding stages, such as original design intent or operating history.

The ultimate aim of the Digital Thread is to deploy this framework for making efficient and effective measurements of the product lifecycle in support of datadriven methods. The need for a Digital Thread has been driven by several factors such as the increase in automation and robotics in the ship building sector, the cost of iterative detailed design, and customer demands including mass personalisation which require manufacturers to maximise

productivity while ensuring profitability.

Neil Young: “Working at this scale it is essential that there is effective collaboration between business partners, supply chain and industry, and the Digital Thread methodology makes this goal a realisation. In the Type 31 frigate programme, Babcock is responsible for the delivery of these assets, with an ambition to be a key long-term partner supporting the warships through life.

“A consistent Digital Thread will enable the successful transition from the start of the programme through to the operational phase. Whilst delivering value through data during the design phase, Industry 4.0 practices have been employed to help provide a seamless data flow to drive operational efficiencies during the construction phase.”

These new technologies have significant impact across the construction value chain from design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and commissioning, as well as lasting benefits that improve support through the platform’s lifetime. The guiding vision for Babcock’s digital transformation is to empower close collaboration between all disciplines by integrating processes and assuring continuity by sharing data between

teams and systems. A single source of truth that permits effective re-use of digital data wherever it is needed unlocks efficiencies, increases productivity and secures profitability via data-driven processes and decision-making.

The investment made in equipment, including robotics and the automated panel and pulse lines; in people to deliver digital manufacturing techniques and in systems to seamlessly deliver design information to the shop floor enables this. This is the start of the Digital Thread and enables a strong digital foundation that follows the physical asset’s life into operation and support.

Neil Young concluded: “Investing in next generation skills, encouraging innovation in our people and embedding new technology are key enablers to how we work with our customers to manage their assets.

“Increasing use of digital processes at Rosyth to optimise technology and create efficiencies supports a progressive new future for one of Scotland’s most revered engineering and shipbuilding sites and catapults one of the world’s oldest and traditional industries firmly into the 21st century.”

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

COP26 showed us it’s time to take food waste off the menu While world leaders congregated in Glasgow to thrash out climate talks and debate the future of our planet, it was a piece of art out with the SEC campus which held the most poignant message for me: food waste is a bigger contributor to climate change than plastic.

By Adam Hardie

Business Development Partner and Head of Food and Drink at Johnston Carmichael Just one kilogram of food waste produces the same amount of deadly carbon emissions as sending 25,000 500ml plastic bottles to landfill, according to Zero Waste Scotland.

To illustrate the problem, celebrity photographer, Rankin, created a stunning photography trail across Glasgow city centre which featured alluring but alarming, images created from everyday food destined for landfill.

The images and the statistics speak for themselves. While the environmental impact of food packaging has long been debated it seems obvious that the issue around food waste is now more pressing.

So how do we address it? How do we avoid unnecessary waste and reduce emissions?

Perhaps part of the solution is food prices increases, for those who can afford to pay. A reset on food pricing and shopping, with meal planning consumer information to help us better prepare for weekly shops, reducing the chance of excess ingredients and or cooked food being thrown in the bin.

The modest carrot is a fine example of how food price and food waste are connected. A one kilogram (1Kg) bag of carrots in the supermarket costs around 40p. Many consumers regularly will only use just a few then leave the remainder to degrade in their fridge before they are eventually thrown away – contributing to the climate change crisis Rankin sought to demonstrate.

Would an increase in the price of the product encourage consumers to reconsider their choices in the supermarket, even opting for an individual item over buying a bulk bag that’s going to go to waste? Not only would the swap reduce food waste, it would also cut down the number of single use plastic bags used to contain multibuy items.

We’ve already seen consumer patterns change through COVID. Self-reported food waste levels in the UK fell by 34 percent during the first lockdown of 2020- the sharpest decline on record. The research carried out by Zero Waste Scotland, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the University of Leeds suggested more considerate shopping and creative cooking contributed to the initial fall.

We’ve also seen local production and local shopping trends accelerating, with Scottish wholesale business and Spar Scotland operator CJ Lang recently citing the latter as a contributing factor to its 9.4 percent rise in annual sales. So, there is a willingness from consumers to be more responsible with their choices, but we need to ensure they are guided and supported to do so.

In terms of who’s responsible for taking these measures forward, it needs to be an industry wide approach. It certainly can’t all be down to the food producers, many of whom are already under crippling pressure to make ends meet. Famers in particular

Would an increase in the price of the product encourage consumers to reconsider their choices in the supermarket, even opting for an individual item over buying a bulk bag that’s going to go to waste? Not only would the swap reduce food waste, it would also cut down the number of single use plastic bags used to contain multibuy items.

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

are finding it more difficult than ever at the moment following Brexit, in particular the changing landscape of subsidies, and the soaring costs of fertiliser.

Many food producers are already going to extraordinary lengths to ensure their practices are sustainable. Graham’s The Family Dairy has lodged plans for a low carbon heat project to generate and distribute bioenergy for onsite heat and power – a first for Scotland’s dairy industry.

We’re also seeing huge advancements in agricultural technology with vertical farming enabling crops to be nurtured indoors in vertical irrigation systems, meaning farms can be built close to the consumers, helping to reduce food miles for consumers. Agricultural innovator and Johnston Carmichael client, Intelligent Growth Solutions, spent much of COP26 demonstrating this technology in its 5.4 metre vertical farm on the north bank of the River Clyde.

Food producers can’t be held wholly responsible: multiple retailers need to address the issue around cost and enable the changes required of consumer habits while the government helps implement these measures and ensure those who can’t afford food price increases are supported.

We can’t pretend it costs 40p for a farmer to get those carrots to the supermarket any longer.

Agreeably it’s a sensitive issue and one which needs to be treated delicately to ensure we don’t raise levels of food poverty, but we need to seriously consider Rankin’s message and act now to ensure we protect our food industry, our supply chain, and ultimately our planet. COP26 showed us it’s time to take food waste off the menu

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Popular tourism sites receive £2.6m funding to improve visitor experience Popular visitor destinations across the country will share just over £2.6 million in funding for projects to improve facilities as part of Scotland’s drive for sustainable tourism.

Malcolm Roughead

CEO VisitScotland Eleven projects across the country have been recommended for approval - subject to conditions - to receive cash from round four of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF).

It aims to reduce the impact of visitor numbers on local communities and facilities and create a more collaborative and sustainable approach to infrastructure provision and long-term maintenance of local facilities for the benefit of communities.

Sustainable tourism takes account of its impact on the community and natural surroundings, maximising the positives whilst minimising the negative effects.

Round four was open for applications from local authorities and national park authorities, in partnership with their communities, and is aimed at funding

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Managed by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the RTIF was created to improve the quality of the visitor experience in rural parts of Scotland that have faced pressure on their infrastructure due to an increase in visitor numbers.

infrastructure improvements such as parking with EV charging points and e-bike facilities, campervan facilities – including disposal points – viewpoints and toilet provision.

Round four applications recommended for approval include: £375,000 for the Grandtully Visitor Management Project which aims to tackle visitor management pressures on the River Tay. The funding will go towards the creation of an additional 40 car park spaces with 17 toilets, improved interpretation signage, camping facilities and installation of six EV charging points plus e-bike charging points and facilities.

BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

across 13 local authorities and both national park authorities – from the Scottish Borders to Shetland. These have included projects at Glenfinnan and Doune Castle to alleviate parking pressures, due to increased interest from Harry Potter and Outlander fans.

Business and Tourism Minister Ivan McKee said: “Scotland’s breathtaking natural scenery and rich historical sites attract many visitors and help the local economy.

However, this can also put pressure on communities, services, transport and facilities - particularly in rural areas.

“The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund is dedicated to helping deal with increasing demand, driving sustainable tourism, and increasing visitor experience in rural Scotland.

“This funding will help our tourism industry as it recovers by supporting the ongoing creation of much needed infrastructure such as new car parks, charging points for vehicles and e-bike facilities at some of our most iconic rural and natural attractions.

This investment is crucial so that visitors from home and abroad can continue to enjoy our fantastic landscape, culture and hospitality for years to come in a sustainable way.”

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said: “The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund is an important part of creating a sustainable tourism model in Scotland. Not only does it improve the visitor experience but enhances access and facilities for the wider community.

“We all need to play our part in being responsible visitors and these improvement projects will ensure our visitor destinations remain sustainable for years to come.

which will protect the environment and benefit visitors and residents alike.”

Councillor Angus Forbes, Convener of Perth & Kinross Council’s Environment and Infrastructure Committee, said: “We are delighted that the funding has been awarded which will allow significant investment in the facilities at the Scottish Canoe Association’s site at Grandtully.

“The camping and motorhome market is a growing one and we have seen the pressures that this has brought on rural communities, particularly in the last couple of years.

The Council is committed to working with partners to identify visitor management solutions and to providing the infrastructure that our area needs and which our visitors expect.”

Paul Hibberd, Forestry and Land Scotland Visitor Services Manager, said: “Glen Affric is a stunning place to visit, with some of the finest scenery in Scotland. Providing good quality visitor facilities in remote locations can be very expensive – we are delighted to receive this support, to help us improve the visitor experience at this well loved and beautiful destination.”

Fran Cree, Gairloch Area Development Ltd Secretary, said: “The Gairloch Community is delighted to receive RTIF funding to be able to progress on the much needed all year round facilities at Gairloch beach where the high demand for modern, environmentally friendly facilities has been long needed.

“Not only will the new facilities service visitors and local residents using Gairloch beach and the touring camper vans in the area but will also help the community retain the highly valued European Clean Beach designation currently held.”

“VisitScotland is committed to working with the industry and communities to create a long-lasting sustainable tourism destination £147,354 for the creation of toilets and motorhome facilities at the main beach car park in Gairloch to cater for the increasing numbers of visitors to the area using the North Coast 500 route. £228,200 for parking and visitor facilities at Glen Affric. The project will increase the parking capacity at Dog Falls car park for larger vehicles, replace the aging toilet, restore and upgrade the bridge and improve cycle infrastructure including four e-bike charge points.

In what was an extremely competitive round of applications, 25 were received from 11 local authorities, with assessors approving a total of 11 projects for the Highlands, Stirling, Argyll & Bute, Perth & Kinross, Moray Speyside, and West Lothian council areas.

Over the four rounds of RTIF, £14.5 million of grant funding has been awarded to 56 projects

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Scottish Enterprise to turn up the dial on the digital economy that is worth £6.5 billion to economy Scottish Enterprise has seven national programmes, one of which is based around a digital economy, that aims to support the scale-up and growth of digital tech businesses across every region to ensure Scotland is a leading digital nation.

David Hartley

Scottish Enterprise Digital Economy Team Leader Mark Logan’s Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review (STER) made recommendations that are being taken forward in the Scottish Government’s digital policies and Scottish Enterprise has also embraced the findings in its digital programme across economic opportunities, place, and inward investment.

Scottish Enterprise digital economy team leader David Hartley said: “We are aiming to increase the scale, quality and quantity of early-stage digital tech businesses across Scotland through a range of activity and build on our strengths working alongside public sector partners and industry.

“The Scottish Government will support the creation of five tech-scaler hubs across Scotland and highlights how the STER recommendations to support the digital tech sector are taking shape.

“At Scottish Enterprise we have a key role to play in improving the digital

tech ecosystem in line with the STER recommendations, with particular focus on regional growth through digital tech, so we can really help businesses to scale-up right across Scotland to reach a tipping point for further growth.”

There are companies working across Scotland in every industry developing technology solutions both in and out of the workplace and 11,200 tech companies contribute £6.5 billion to the Scottish economy.

From the data tools that analyse marketing trends, to scientific studies, to the software people use to create business reports, produce manufacturing plans, or undertake financial transactions – all the technology can be developed in Scotland.

The use of data and in particular ‘location data’ plays a key part across society and business from tracking health to weather patterns.

Scottish Enterprise supported the set-up of Location Data Scotland in 2020 that now has organisations across many sectors collaborating and gaining insights from location data.

Location data has also been used to help combat climate change and nano satellite manufacturer Spire Global based in Glasgow signed a deal with NASA for Earth Observation to look at climate change and during the pandemic provided its weather data free of charge to the UK MET Office.

Financial tech or Fintech as it is more commonly known is a growth industry and a major digital tech opportunity for Scotland driven by increasing demand for innovative solutions across the financial services industry and broader economy.

A recent report commissioned by Scottish Enterprise looking at Climate Tech shows the enormous potential for innovation in this area and within the workplace environment itself the technology available to monitor the energy of offices and even ensure buildings emissions are net zero have been developed in Scotland.

The Scottish FinTech SME community grew from 26 firms in 2018 to 190 firms today and Scottish Enterprise supported this significant growth and establishment of FinTech Scotland in 2018 and has remained a core strategic partner ever since.

Companies like Integrated Environmental Solutions and Arceptive, both based in Glasgow, had support via Scottish Enterprise’s AI Can Do funding stream in 2020 to develop projects to look at the environmental performance of buildings.

At Scottish Enterprise we have a key role to play in improving the digital tech ecosystem in line with the STER recommendations, with particular focus on regional growth through digital tech, so we can really help businesses to scale-up right across Scotland to reach a tipping point for further growth.

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BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Digital technology is experiencing both domestic and international growth and is Scotland’s fastest-growing sector for inward investment as also highlighted in Scotland’s Inward Investment Plan.

With centres of excellence for collaboration across cyber security, data, fintech, global business services, software, IT and space it is easy to see why companies such as Cherwell, Global, Auticon, Black Arrow, TranSwap and BigTinCan have located in Scotland to do business.

Edinburgh is the data capital of Europe and the UK’s top city for start-ups, with 92% growth potential, while Tech Nation has highlighted Glasgow as one of the UK’s biggest tech investment hubs and Dundee, with an upcoming cyber security hub, shows our strengths here in Scotland.

With the vast amount of tech in operation its security is also vital and Abertay’s new Cyberquarter project is an exciting regional resource that confirms Dundee’s place on the cyber security map that Scottish Enterprise has supported alongside Scottish Government.

Scottish Enterprise digital economy team leader David Hartley concludes: “All of this highlights how Scotland can capitalise on its talent, strengths and infrastructure to encourage companies to invest and grow here.

“The increasing digital nature of our lives from the workplace to healthcare, banking and leisure time provides opportunities for companies to provide tech solutions and grow Scotland’s digital economy into one that is developing in every sense.”

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CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

Scottish SMEs target US for first in-person trade missions since pandemic began Around 25 business leaders are expected to join the trips to Miami and New York.

Scottish business leaders have targeted the US for a first in-person trading mission since the start of the pandemic.

Around 25 leaders of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - across key sectors including technology, food and drink and finance - are expected to join trade missions to Miami and New York.

The International Trade Partnership (ITP) missions, led by Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce and Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce, aim to forge new trade links in key markets, including tech, sport and leisure, food and drink and the creative industries.

The Scottish Government-backed ITP mission links smaller and emerging Scottish businesses with commercial contacts overseas – and already this year more than 20 firms have benefited from successful virtual trade missions to Colombia and Italy.

The virtual Colombia mission, which was the ITP’s first trade mission to South America backed by the Scottish Government, involved 16 businesses who took part in more than 60 meetings with contacts.

The US is known as a land of opportunity, but you need to know where to start, and that’s what we want Scottish businesses to get from this exciting ITP trade mission to Miami and New York City.

Lynn Blaikie, President of Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce

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Some have already forged working relationships with contacts in Colombia, seen as a gateway to the Latin American and the Caribbean market.

The organisers are planning a series of networking events and meetings, as well as involvement in the return of the Tartan Day in New York in April.

Financial services are a key focus for the trade missions, and another business already established in Miami is Edinburghbased financial services firm abrdn. The firm views the region as an important financial market opening up domestic and overseas opportunities in key areas, including Latin America.

The Miami mission, led by Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce, takes place from 29 to 31 March this year. The New York mission, led by Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce, runs from 6 to 8 April.

Menno de Vreeze, head of business development international wealth management Americas at abrdn, said: “South Florida is one of the fastest growing cross border markets for overseas clients given its approximate position near Latin America and a sophistication of the marketplace.

“For Scottish financial businesses, Florida offers access to a vast set of opportunities, which include the US domestic wealth market, with a large increase of wealth and high net-worth individuals, companies moving to Florida and international clients booking their assets in Florida for diversification benefits “We think it is important to have a local presence in Florida in order to be close to the decision makers and to maximise the opportunity set the United States represents.”

Lynn Blaikie, president of Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce, added: “The US is known as a land of opportunity, but you need to know where to start, and that’s what we want Scottish businesses to get from this exciting ITP trade mission to Miami and New York City.”

Mark Spragg, president of Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce, added: “The trade mission to Miami is the perfect evolution of our successful activities in Italy and Colombia, and we hope more of Scotland’s most exciting businesses will join us in person as we seek to make more important connections across the Atlantic.”

CHAMBER NETWORK NEWS

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CHAMBERCONNECTIONS

CHAMBER CONTACTS

Scottish Chambers of Commerce Strathclyde Business School, 199 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0QU T: 0141 444 7500 E: admin@scottishchambers.org.uk www.scottishchambers.org.uk President – Tim Allan CBE Chief Executive - Liz Cameron CBE

Dumfries & Galloway Chamber of Commerce

Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce The Hub, Exploration Drive Aberdeen Energy Park, Bridge of Don Aberdeen, AB23 8GX T: 01224 343900 E: info@agcc.co.uk www.agcc.co.uk Chief Executive - Russell Borthwick President - Bob Keiller Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry The Mezzanine, Glasgow Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick, KA9 2PL T: 01292 678 666 F: 01292 678 667 E: enquiries@ayrshire-chamber.org www.ayrshire-chamber.org Chief Executive - Val Russell President - Frank Gormanley Cairngorms Business Partnership Ltd Inverdruie House, Inverdruie Aviemore, PH22 1QH T: 01479 810200 E: office@visitcairngorms.com www.visitcairngorms.com Chief Executive - Mark Tate Chair of the Partnership - Claire Bruce Caithness Chamber of Commerce Naver Business Centre Naver House, Naver Road Thurso, KW14 7QA T: 01847 890076 E: info@caithnesschamber.com www.caithnesschamber.com Chief Executive - Trudy Morris Chairman - Stephen Sutherland

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Eskdale House, The Crichton, Bankend Road Dumfries, DG1 4UQ T: 01387 270866 E: admin@dgchamber.co.uk www.dgchamber.co.uk President – Kenny Bowie Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce Whitecrook Business Centre 78 Whitecrook Street, Clydebank, G81 1QF T: 0141 280 0272 E: admin@dunbartonshirechamber.co.uk www.dunbartonshirechamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Damon Scott President - Stewart Rennie Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce 37 City Quay, Camperdown Street Dundee, DD1 3JA T: 01382 228545 F: 01382 228441 E: info@dundeeandanguschamber.co.uk www.dundeeandanguschamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Alison Henderson President - Steve Smith East Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce 1 Golf Road, Clarkston, East Renfrewshire G76 7HU T: 0141 887 6181 E: info@eastrenchamber.org.uk www.eastrenchamber.org.uk Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce 40 George Street, 2nd floor Edinburgh, EH2 2LE T: 0131 221 2999 F: 0131 261 5056 E: info@edinburghchamber.co.uk www.edinburghchamber.co.uk Chief Executive – Liz McAreavey President - Jane Clark-Hutchison

Fife Chamber of Commerce Office 7A, Flexspace, Mitchelston Drive Kirkcaldy, Fife KY1 3NB Fife, KY2 6HD T: 01592 647740 E: info@fifechamber.co.uk www.fifechamber.co.uk CEO – Alan Mitchell President – Brian Horisk Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce Group (incorporating Stirling Chamber of Commerce) Suite 2, Scion House Stirling University Innovation Park Stirling, FK9 4NF T: 01786 448 333 E: info@forthvalleychamber.co.uk www.forthvalleychamber.co.uk President Lynn Blaikie Glasgow Chamber of Commerce 30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EQ T: 0141 204 2121 E: chamber@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com Chief Executive Stuart Patrick President - Dr Paul Little Helensburgh Chamber of Commerce M&T Builders Merchants, 22 Charlotte Street, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, G84 7PH T: 07789904687 E: info@helensburghchamber.org www.helensburghchamber.org.uk Chief Executive - John Clark Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce Room 5, Victoria House 5 East Blackhall Street, Greenock, PA15 1HD T: 01475 806824 E: admin@inverclydechamber.co.uk www.inverclydechamber.co.uk President – Mark Spragg

CHAMBER CONTACTS

Inverness Chamber of Commerce Metropolitan House 31-33 High Street, Inverness, IV1 1HT T: 01463 718 131 E: info@inverness-chamber.co.uk www.inverness-chamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Stewart Nicol President - George Moodie Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce Barncluith Business Centre, Townhead St, Hamilton, ML3 7DP T: 0330 0947370 www.lanarkshirechamber.org.uk E: info@lanarkshirechamber.org.uk Director: Tracey Campbell-Hynd Lochaber Chamber of Commerce 15 High Street, Fort William, PH33 6DH T: 01397 705 765 E: membership@lochaberchamber.co.uk www.lochaberchamber.co.uk Chairman - Bruno Berardelli Chief Executive - Frazer Coupland Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Moulsdale House, Edinburgh College 24d Milton Road East, Edinburgh, EH15 2PP T: 0131 603 5040 E: info@melcc.org.uk www.melcc.org.uk Chief Executive - Karen Ritchie Moray Chamber of Commerce Moray Sports Centre, Linkwood Road, Elgin, Moray, Scotland, IV30 8AR T: 01343 543344 E: info@moraychamber.co.uk www.moraychamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Sarah Medcraf President Carol Stewart

Outer Hebrides Chamber of Commerce Stornoway Business Hub, Stornoway, HS1 2XG, Isle of Lewis T: 07939 450 276 E: info@outerhebrideschamber.co.uk www.outerhebrideschamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Lynne Maciver Chair - John Moffat Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Saltire House, 3 Whitefriars Crescent Perth, PH2 0PA T: 01738 448 325 F: 01738 450 402 E: info@perthshirechamber.co.uk www.perthshirechamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Vicki Unite President - Stephen Leckie Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce Bute Court, St Andrews Drive Glasgow Airport, Paisley, PA3 2SW T: 0141 847 5450 F: 0141 847 5499 E: info@renfrewshirechamber.com www.renfrewshirechamber.com Chief Executive – Bob Grant President – Liz Connolly

Scottish Chambers of Commerce Strathclyde Business School 199 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0QU T: 0141 444 7500 www.scottishchambers.org.uk @ScotChambers Like us on Facebook Jonathan McGilp Project Executive m: 07498 949126 e:jmcgilp@scottishchambers.org.uk

Production, Design & Advertising Distinctive Media Group Ltd 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6UF Telephone 0191 5805990 production@distinctivegroup.co.uk distinctivegroup.co.uk This publication is also available as an ebook at: www.issuu.com/distinctivepublishing

Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce 27 North Bridge Street, Hawick, TD9 9BD T: 07771 865 758 E: chairman@borderschamber.com www.borderschamber.com Chief Executive – Emily McGowan Chair – Lee-Anne Gillie West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Systems House, Alba Centre, Alba Business Park, Rosebank, Livingston, EH54 7EG T: 01506 414808 E: chamber@wlchamber.com www.wlchamber.com Chief Executive - Charles Wardman President - Billy MacLeod

Disclaimer

Distinctive Media Group Ltd or Scottish Chambers of Commerce cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

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INTELLIGENCIA

Intelligencia Training announced as finalists in this year’s FE Week & AELP AAC Apprenticeship Awards Specialist apprenticeship training provider, Intelligencia Training have been announced as finalists in the forthcoming FE Week & AELP AAC Apprenticeship Awards with winners being announced at the FE Week Annual Apprenticeship Conference taking place in Birmingham on 21-22nd March.

The awards, now in their fifth year, are a celebration of the very best in apprenticeship delivery and provide welldeserved recognition for the people, teams and organisations that make excellent apprenticeships happen. A record-breaking 370 entries were received from training providers, colleges, universities and employers and we can now reveal the worthy finalists going forward to the national awards ceremony in March.

Shane Mann, Managing Director of FE Week’s publisher Lsect, said: “We have once again been blown away by the quality of nominations and especially of this year’s finalists.

Nick Atkinson, Commercial Director at Intelligencia Training said: “This is a huge accolade for us and testament to the fantastic work that our highly skilled teams have carried out during the last year.

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Intelligencia have been at the forefront of Protective Services apprenticeship provision, actively involved in supporting Trailblazer Groups developing both Intelligence Analysis and Counter Fraud Investigation apprenticeship Standards. Over the last year Intelligencia Training has not only ensured effective continuity of often intensive apprenticeships in Intelligence Analysis and Fraud Investigation, but facilitated a significant increase in the volume of apprentices on programme, adapting programmes to very specific employer needs across both public and private sector organisations. Whilst the pandemic continues to apply operational pressure to many of our investigative and intelligence services, the development of a widely adopted and respected curriculum has supported the growth of analytical and investigative capability within the UK, reducing the burden on existing

systems. Our effective delivery of higher apprenticeships within the Protective Services sector has significantly increased the educational opportunities available for apprentices within a sector more traditionally associated with apprenticeships at a lower level and they continue to be very well received from within the multiple sectors in which we operate. We are very proud of our relationships with our employer clients and the support we receive, this is testament to our continued success.”

You can read more about Intelligencia Training and their engaging apprenticeship standards at www.intelligenciatraining.com

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