Scottish Enterprise Economic Development News

Space School creator wins space industry award

2006-04-20T16:31:00.000+01:00

The Scottish creator of one of the world's leading science education programmes is celebrating his success at the 'Arthurs' - the space industry equivalent of the Oscars. Alex Blackwood, the head of enterprise in education at Careers Scotland, has taken home an award from the 2006 Sir Arthur Clarke awards in the category of Achievement in Education. He has been recognised for his contribution to learning and teaching and the promotion of science as a career choice. The 'Arthurs' celebrate the success of scientists, organisations, educators and journalists who work in and promote the UK Space Science industry. The awards were presented at a black-tie dinner on Saturday 8 April, at Charterhouse School in Surrey. This year’s nominees included Richard Branson and the British born astronaut Michael Foale. Alex received the award for his work with the Careers Scotland Space School - a unique initiative supported by the Scottish Executive and the International Space Community. The programme aims to increase the participation and motivation of school students in science, engineering and technology. Every year fifty of its brightest and most enthusiastic students are selected to experience the highlight of the Careers Scotland Space School: a trip of a lifetime to NASA’s Space Center in Houston. Alex, a former physics teacher who lives in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, played a key role in setting up the first Space School in January 2002. Originally developed as a local project for a small number of Glasgow school students, the programme's success has led to its countrywide expansion. Last year, more than 22,500 young people had access to a team of inspirational NASA astronauts and scientists, who visited Scotland as part of the SpaceSchool programme. Alex said: "I am delighted that the Careers Scotland Space School has achieved national recognition. Its success is down to the unique relationship that Careers Scotland has formed with NASA and its astronauts, scientists and engineers. Their continued support and passion for science and learning is truly inspirational. I would also like to thank the Careers Scotland team who have worked so hard to ensure that the Space School programme is a success for everyone who participates." For more information about the 2006 Sir Arthur Clarke Awards visit their website. Notes to editors: Careers Scotland offers a range of career planning and information services to enable people of all ages to maximise their career potential. As a national organisation, Careers Scotland has a clear and simple purpose - to help the people of Scotland secure the jobs of tomorrow. Its aim is to make a difference by equipping people with the skills to make well informed career decisions throughout their lives. Careers Scotland operates centres throughout Scotland and can be contacted through the website www.careers-scotland.org.uk and on 0845 8 502 502. It is part of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Media contact: Lucy Robb Tel: 0141 228 2995 / 07887 628732 Email: maito:lucy.robb@scotent.co.uk

Dynamic Place Awards

2005-07-12T11:00:00.000+01:00

The search is on for entries for the Dynamic Place Awards 2005. The competition, now in its fifth year, celebrates excellence in place making and innovation in Scotland. We want to hear about quality design, strong partnership working and inclusive approaches to regeneration and infrastructure development.

Download information about the awards (PDF, 255kb)
Enter the awards on this website

Clearing the Air

2005-07-11T14:36:00.000+01:00

Author: Scottish Executive/Consolodated Communications

www.clearingtheairscotland.com information website launched

The Scottish Parliament has voted to introduce smoke free enclosed public places. This will have implications for employers and employees in workplaces, clubs, pubs, restaurants, hospitals and schools across Scotland.

The new law is contained in the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act which was passed at Holyrood on 30th June (97 votes to 17 with 1 abstention), and will become law on 26th March 2006.

The legislation will improve the long-term health of the public in Scotland by reducing exposure to passive smoking. Passive smoking currently claims the lives of up to 1,000 non-smokers in Scotland every year and is also linked with lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory conditions and strokes.

In light of the new law, employers are being urged to consider how the legislation might affect their business or organisation. Employers and managers will have responsibility to ensure premises and staff meet all the requirements of the new law, making reasonable efforts to ensure that employees, customers and visitors are aware of the legislation. All business premises will have to display No Smoking signs that are clearly visible. Vehicles including buses, taxis, company cars, ferries and trains will also be covered by the ban.

Tayside games companies celebrate success following E3

2005-07-11T14:19:00.000+01:00

Author: Connie Henderson

Two Tayside games companies are celebrating lucrative new deals following their participation in the world’s leading electronic entertainment trade event in the US.

Dynamo Games and Real Time Worlds were among six Tayside companies which showcased their products and services at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), in Los Angeles in May this year.

E3 is exclusively dedicated to promoting interactive entertainment and educational software and related products. The event attracts tens of thousands of industry professionals keen to see the latest groundbreaking technologies. Altogether, around 400 from 80 countries companies were represented at the event and more than 1,000 new computer and video games and related products were unveiled.

Managing Director of Dundee-based Dynamo Games, Brian McNicoll, stated: “It really is quite a crazy place but we really enjoyed the experience.

“We must have met with around 35 companies with some of the biggest mobile phone games publishers and we just wouldn’t have been able to achieve that anywhere else. It is all about making contacts, and meeting them face to face is so important in being able to discuss possible future projects.”

Dynamo received support from Business Gateway International Tayside through Dundee City Council to travel to the US.

Following the trip, the company announced a deal with Eidos to develop a mobile phone version of Championship Manager, the world’s No.1 selling football management series. Dynamo Games is developing Championship Manager 5 Solo for Java-enabled mobile phones, enabling aspiring managers to experience the highs and lows of football management wherever they are.

Meanwhile, another exhibitor at E3, Real Time Worlds has signed a partnership agreement with Microsoft that will see a number of exclusive titles developed for the new Xbox 360™ system. The Dundee-based company developed milestone games such as Grand Theft Auto, Lemmings and Donkey Kong Country.

A total of 16 Scottish firms took part in E3 and Scottish Development International co-ordinated a Scottish pavilion to enable them to promote their products at the event.

Other Tayside companies to take part in E3 were: Visual Science, Denki, IC Cave and Indoctrimat Ltd.

Ian Ross, International Trade Manager with Business Gateway International – Tayside, commented: “It is heartening to see so many innovative Tayside games companies make such an impact at a major trade event like E3. The region remains at the forefront of this exciting sector, and Business Gateway International – Tayside is working hard to ensure the industry continues to develop on the world stage."

You can find out more about Business Gateway International, and how it can help your business, on this website.

For more information
Call our press office on 0141 228 2019. You can email your enquiries to: press.office@scotent.co.uk

Scotland showcases technology innovation

2005-01-31T10:32:00.000Z

The world's smallest television screen, chemical 'sniffing' lasers and the building block of next generation computing are among the technology innovations Scottish companies are set to showcase to an international audience. Hundreds of potential investors and clients have grasped the opportunity to discuss business opportunities with Scotland's top technology innovators at one of the largest events of its kind to be staged for the Scottish micro and opto electronics industry.

Scotland chips in with world-leading semiconductor technology

2005-01-28T14:58:00.000Z

Scotland chips in with world-leading semiconductor technology

Scotland’s bid to win the global race to develop advanced semiconductor technology has been given a £730,000 funding boost from Scottish Enterprise.

The money will be used to assist in the ground-breaking development work being carried out at the University of Glasgow.

Find out more in this month's edition of Scottish Technology News

Scottish software firm on the crest of a wave

2005-01-25T13:29:00.000Z

Maritime software solutions provider Seamanship International Ltd is riding the crest of the wave after launching ambitious expansion plans with help from Scottish Enterprise’s Business Growth Fund.

The company has moved to new offices in Strathclyde Business Park to develop their range of revolutionary computer based training programs designed for the shipping industry, maritime colleges, deck & engineering officers, and the yachting community.

Full steam ahead for Seamanship International
Find out more about the Business Growth Fund

Avanade opens office in Scotland

2005-01-25T13:18:00.000Z

Leading global technology integrator Avanade - a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture - today (Tuesday 25 January) opens its new Scottish operation in Edinburgh which will create up to 50 new high-skill jobs in the next two years.

Avanade specialises in Microsoft business products and helps companies around the world which use software to make the most of their IT investment.

Speaking ahead of the opening of the new facility in St Andrew’s Square, Edinburgh, Avanade’s chief executive Mitch Hill said: “Avanade is an early-stage, high-growth company. Formed in 2000, the global organisation is focused on achieving 30-40 per cent growth and our business in the UK grew by 181 per cent in our last financial year. Establishing an office in Scotland is key to our continued development given the concentration of large enterprises, particularly in the financial services sector, who can all benefit from the services we provide. We are keen that Microsoft technology is used by more organisations in Scotland, and it will be Avanade’s role to ensure the successful deployment and exploitation of Microsoft technologies to customers.”

Welcoming Avanade to Scotland, Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace MSP, said: “I am pleased that a leading IT solutions company like Avanade views Scotland as a location to grow its rapidly expanding business in what is highly competitive market place. Clearly the availability of a skilled and reliable workforce has played a major role in winning this project and demonstrates Scotland’s excellent qualities in supporting companies whose business is driven by technological development and innovation.”

Heading up the new operation is Simon Fielding-Turton, previously a Business Manager for Microsoft in Scotland. He said: “Microsoft has great products, they are robust, secure and manageable, but we do not believe that Scotland has sufficient system integration companies of the scale and capability to deliver the technology that Scotland’s leading organisations rely on.”

He added: “Even though Avanade’s Scottish office is part of a global organisation our policy is to hire locally. Over the next two years we plan to grow our headcount to 50. We want to employ people with experience of working on large and complex projects who are highly skilled in the delivery of Microsoft technology. By encouraging more businesses to use Microsoft technology we anticipate an overall growth in the size of the Microsoft services sector in Scotland.

Brian Shaw, Director of Field Operations, Scottish Development International, said: "Attracting investment in growth industries is an important strand of the Smart, Successful Scotland strategy and the work of Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian in helping convince the company that Scotland is a place in which they can grow and develop, demonstrates our commitment to ensuring Scotland remains a place where multinational corporations can do great business. We have fostered a close and positive relationship with the company and we are pleased that Scotland is now set to reap the rewards of these efforts."

Notes to editors

Launched in April 2000 with a US$385 million investment from Microsoft, Avanade is a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture. It now has 31 locations worldwide with around 2,800 employees. Its global headquarters are in Seattle, Washington. Further information is available on the Avanade website.

Avanade customers in the UK include BG Group, Mercer, Tesco, Medicines Control Agency, London Stock Exchange, Imprint Plc and EMI.

Anyone interested in working for Avanade in Scotland should visit the Avanade website for more information on the roles available.

Simon Fielding-Turton the head of Avanade's new Scottish office is available for interviews.

In October 2001, "Scotland: A Global Connections Strategy" was launched as part of the Scottish Executive's guiding principles for the Enterprise Networks, "A Smart Successful Scotland." It set out a radical new approach to establish Scotland as a world class business partner in the globally connected economy of the 21st Century, including the creation of a new body, Scottish Development International, which is jointly operated by the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise.

Scottish Enterprise is the main economic development agency for Scotland covering 93 per cent of the population from Grampian to the Borders. The Scottish Enterprise Network consists of Scottish Enterprise and 12 Local Enterprise Companies. Working in partnership with the private and public sectors the Network aims to build more and better businesses, to develop the skills and knowledge of Scottish people, and to encourage innovation to make Scottish business internationally competitive.

For further information contact:

David Cannon
Senior Press & PR Executive
Scottish Enterprise
Tel 0141 228 2702
Mob: 07887 830128

Avanade contacts:

Scotland - Sheila Kennedy
Tel: 07906 178234
Email: sheilake@btinternet.com

UK - Jennifer Gardet or Jane Green
JBA Public Relations
Tel: 01372 734262
Email: jennifer.gardet@jbapr.com or jane.green@jbapr.com

Training Awards Results

2004-11-15T10:06:00.000Z

Organisations from across Scotland were recognised for their success and commitment to training at a prestigious awards ceremony last night (11 November 2004).

The National Training Awards (NTA) celebrated their eighteenth year in style at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow with Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace as guest of honour.

NTA, managed in Scotland by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, are the UK's premier showcase for organisations and people who have been selected for their outstanding achievements in workplace training and personal development. This year’s awards have seen a record number of contenders, with a 26% increase of entries on last year and a significant rise in the standards of training.

There were three levels of awards on the night. Highly Commended rewarded those finalists who have shown great potential and have demonstrated a dedication to excellence through training.

Scottish Training Awards went to those organisations who were judged to be exceptional in Scotland and National Training Awards went to those organisations who were judged to be exceptional in the UK. The winners of the National Training Awards will go on to participate in a UK-wide celebration in London later this year.

The 2004 winners are:

Highly Commended

Interactive Business Partnership (IBP) and Scottish Enterprise
The Edrington Group
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
The Learning Game

Scottish Training Awards

Mackays Stores Limited and IBP
Fife Women's Technology Centre
Anniesland College
AMEC Group Limited & W2 Training Ltd
Family Mediation Borders
West Fife Enterprise Limited
The Lennox Partnership and Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire
Amanda Allan, Kirkcaldy
May-Tag Ltd
South Lanarkshire Council - Youthstart, Careers Scotland - Positive Futures, South Lanarkshire College and One Plus
Reid Kerr College
Imes Ltd
North Lanarkshire Council Social Work Department

National Training Awards

Remploy - Stirling Factory
Yeoman Morvern Ltd
Solas Scotland

Alan Sinclair, senior director of skills and learning, Scottish Enterprise, said: "Why do we train people? Is it to make us feel good, or as an article of faith? The National Training Awards finalists, from a small local charity to one of the world's biggest companies, train because it works. It pays dividends; investing in training, if done well, gives a rate of return. We train because it drives performance."

Alex Paterson, director of developing skills, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said: "In many parts of Scotland, skills gaps and shortages have now taken over from unemployment as the main challenge to economic growth. It's clear, therefore, that workforce development is a hugely important issue, both for individual businesses and for the country as a whole. This year's award winners are typical of a large number of Scottish businesses which are seizing that challenge with the assistance of the enterprise networks. I am pleased that Highlands and Islands Enterprise has again been able to support the awards and congratulate all the winners on their achievement."

Notes to editors

For more information about the National Training Awards please go to www.nationaltrainingawards.com.
Scottish Enterprise is the main economic development agency for Scotland covering 93 per cent of the population from Grampian to the Borders. The Scottish Enterprise Network consists of Scottish Enterprise, 12 Local Enterprise Companies and Careers Scotland. Working in partnership with the private and public sectors the Network aims to build more and better businesses, to develop the skills and knowledge of Scottish people, and to encourage innovation to make Scottish business internationally competitive.
The Highlands and Islands Enterprise network (HIE) is responsible for economic and community development in an area which covers more than half of Scotland, from Shetland to Argyll. HIE’s headquarters are in Inverness and most of its services are delivered through ten local enterprise companies. The network employs around 500 people, including 150 Careers Scotland staff and last year invested more than £100 million to help people living in the Highlands and Islands realise their full potential.

For more information

Please contact Lucy Robb
Senior Press and PR Executive
Scottish Enterprise
T: 0141 228 2995
E: lucy.robb@scotent.co.uk

Award for Cancer Patients Crazy Golf Course

2004-10-28T11:32:00.000+01:00

A team of young Prestwick engineers behind a crazy golf course for cancer patients has scored a glittering community award.

Ten Modern Apprentices from BAE SYSTEMS and four from Goodrich Corporation designed and built a 7-hole crazy golf course in Prestwick for the Malcolm Sargent Cancer Fund for Children.

The wheelchair-friendly golf course provides entertainment for the families of young cancer sufferers who attend the centre, and was officially opened by Scottish golf great Sam Torrance.

For more information, please contact Claire McKee on 01563 545049 / 0141 333 9585 or email claire.mckee@scotent.co.uk

Trad Tunes

2004-10-22T16:06:00.000+01:00

Tradtunes.com - totally tradigital!

Two young Scottish musicians are using the power of the internet to allow the world access to traditional, Celtic and roots music in digital format, most of which will be available for the very first time.

TradTunes.com offers unique access to over 10,000 music tracks online. Recordings from internationally know acts such as Capercaillie, Altan and Lunasa are available alongside new and exciting artists such as the Peatbog Faeries, the Finlay MacDonald Band and Mark Saul.

The idea is the brainchild of Uist Media Group (UMG), run by Alasdair MacCuish and John-Angus Smith. UMG’s Global Headquarters are at the Hillington Park Innovation Centre in Glasgow, a facility supported by Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire, where they are able to access a complete range of business and technical development support.

Read our press release Visit the TradTunes website

Parliamentary Newsletter

2004-10-04T15:11:00.000+01:00

Parliamentary newsletter October 2004

E-Business Survey 2004 National report

2004-10-04T14:30:00.000+01:00

Scottish e-Business Survey 2004 National Report

2004-10-04T11:34:00.000+01:00

economy briefing october 2004.doc

£1,000 towards your first £1 million

2004-10-04T11:21:00.000+01:00

£1000 on offer to get young entrepreneurs started

The new Business Start Up Award is available to anyone aged between 18 - 30 starting up in business in the Scottish Enterprise area. It is delivered through the Business Gateway and the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT).

Read our press release
Find out more on the Business Gateway's website

Scottish Enterprise Annual Public Meetings 2004

2004-10-01T16:47:00.000+01:00

Date: Various
Venue: Throughout Scotland

Description: Our series of Annual Public Meetings will take place this year across the country between 9 September and 16 November 2004. The meetings are open to the general public, and give you a chance to:

Find out more about who we are and what we do.
Discover how we are really making a difference to Scotland's economy, people and infrastructure.
Ask us about topics or issues that concern you.

APM Schedule

Scottish Enteprise Dumfries and Galloway
Monday 4 October 18.00
Cairndale Hotel and Leisure Club, Dumfries
Find out more about the Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway APM
Register to attend the Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway APM

Scottish Enterprise Grampian
Tuesday 5 October 18.00
Marcliffe at Pitfodells, Aberdeen
Find out more about the Scottish Enterprise Grampian APM
Register to attend the Scottish Enterprise Grampian APM

Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh & Lothian
Tuesday 12 October 09.00
Caledonian Hilton, Edinburgh
Register to attend the Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh & Lothian APM

Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire
Wednesday 13 October 08.45
Crutherland House Hotel, East Kilbride
Register to attend the Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire APM

Scottish Enterprise
Tuesday 16 November 09.00
Radisson SAS Hotel, Glasgow
Find out more about the Scottish Enterprise APM
Register to attend the Scottish Enterprise APM

ITI Techmedia unveils games-based learning as first R&D programme

2004-10-01T16:27:00.000+01:00

ITI Techmedia has today announced details of its first R&D programme which will focus on Games-Based Learning. The programme, which is intended to capitalise on the potential growth in this relatively immature market, is the first of a number of R&D programmes that ITI Techmedia will roll out over the coming months.

Games-Based Learning is part of the wider e-learning services market which, in North America alone, is forecast to be worth USD80 billion in 2006. The technology developed as a result of the programme is intended to overcome the main barrier to growth in the Games-Based Learning market – namely, the complexity involved in the development of learning modules. ITI Techmedia plans to develop a differentiated creation and authoring platform that will greatly simplify the development process. It will allow effective and engaging learning to be created and delivered quickly and easily by learning experts.

Fife Economy Predicted To Grow Above Scottish Average

2004-10-01T15:33:00.000+01:00

The chairman of Scottish Enterprise Fife addressed around 60 delegates from the local business community at Rothes Halls in Glenrothes this morning (Thursday, September 30), to outline the positive impact which the agency has made to the economy in the last financial year.

Fred Bowden addressed assembled customers and partners during Scottish Enterprise (SE) Fife’s Annual Public Meeting 2004, during which he also launched the organisation’s Annual Report 2003-04. While acknowledging that the Fife economy continued to suffer from the downturn in the manufacturing sector, he argued that this trend was slowing down and that new growth industries were helping to alleviate the job losses which has been felt in traditional industries. He said:

“We have been working closely with local manufacturing companies to do everything we can to support them so that Fife can continue to be a Scottish centre for manufacturing excellence. However, we are also working to support the economy’s transformation away from manufacturing by focusing our attentions on attracting and supporting firms in the financial services sector and the service industry. I am delighted to say that all our hard work is starting to bear fruit.”

Winning Through Innovation

2004-10-01T14:29:00.000+01:00

Date: Thursday 14 October 2004, 7.30 – 11.15am
Venue: Glasgow Science Centre

If you want to stay ahead of your competitors, you have to be innovative and constantly strive to develop your product or service. Innovation is not only about inventing things - it's also about looking around with an open mind at what the leading companies in other fields are doing, and thinking about how the best of their ideas could be applied in your business. It is also about having a process to turn these ideas into practice, and making them happen.

This event will explore innovative approaches to new product and service development with industry leaders and ‘best in class’ companies sharing their knowledge and experiences of designing and implementing their winning strategies. Details of a follow on series of interactive workshops designed to illustrate specific practical tools and techniques will also be given to delegates at the event.

The event has been organised as a joint initiative between Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire, Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire and offers delegates excellent networking and learning opportunities.

The event is free for up to three delegates from each company. Registration will take place from 7.30am with a buffet breakfast, and the event will close at 11.15.

To reserve a place or places:

call the event information line 0141-333 1392;
send a fax to 0141-332 4982; or
e-mail jdunlop@strategem.co.uk

Places are limited, so reserve yours now.

For more information on this and follow up events, download our brochure.

Winning through innovation (PDF, 134kb)

Magnificent seven form Edinburgh Science Triangle

2004-10-01T14:21:00.000+01:00

Magnificent seven form Edinburgh Science Triangle

Scotland’s Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, the Rt Hon Jim Wallace, QC, MSP, has launched a new alliance of seven of Scotland's leading science and technology parks. Edinburgh Science Triangle, which is supported by Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian, is already home to more than 3,300 world class researchers. It has the potential to create 15,000 new high value research jobs and contribute around £750 million to the Scottish economy.

Find out more about Edinburgh Science Triangle
Read our press release