Welcome to the second instalment of DIGIT Movers and Shakers this year.

Movers and Shakers gives you the low-down on recent news in the Scottish tech ecosystem, from recruitment and partnerships to expansions and awards.

This month’s column features a mix of cutting-edge organisations and key players doing exciting things — read on to find out what’s been happening!

Recruitment

Trojan Energy Appoints New Board Members

On-street electric vehicle charging firm Trojan Energy has made three new board member appointments in Chris Waples, Terry Hart, and Keith Barclay, it’s been announced.

Launched in 2016, Trojan Energy’s patented charging technology provides convenient on-street EV charging through a unique flat and flush charging system that integrates into pavements, supporting the green transition for nine million households in the UK without access to a driveway.

The chargepoints themselves are manufactured at Trojan Energy’s headquarters in Aberdeen, where the headcount is currently 68.

Speaking on the new appointments, Ian Mackenzie, CEO at Trojan Energy, said: “Together they bring a wealth of strategic and leadership experience to the company and each has a strong track record in helping build high-growth and high-performing companies.”

Read more here.

Loganair Names New CEO

Luke Farajallah has been appointed chief executive officer of Loganair.

He has experience in the UK regional airline sector, holding senior roles at flybe, BA CitiExpress, and Brymon Airways. He also made significant contributions while in roles at easyJet and Wizzair.

Farajallah himself remarked: “I am looking forward to commencing this exciting role on March 4th and to meeting and engaging with the people of Loganair and our key partners.

“I feel a great sense of responsibility to ensure Loganair continues its proud tradition of being present in key regional areas and connecting people from some of the most remote areas of the UK. I am grateful to the board for entrusting me to lead this exceptional airline and its loyal workforce into the future.”

Zumo Announces New Head of Sales

Zumo, the B2B digital assets infrastructure that prioritises sustainability, has announced the appointment of Jason Tucker-Feltham as the company’s new head of sales.

Tucker-Feltham is an experienced crypto sales, business development, and capital introduction professional. Prior to joining Zumo, he worked in business development and European sales at Celsius, covering some of the largest institutional clients in the crypto space.

Nick Jones, founder and CEO of Edinburgh-based Zumo, said: “Jason has a rich background in financial services and deep expertise in EMEA institutional sales in the crypto sphere.”

Tucker-Feltham himself added: “I’m thrilled to be joining an award-winning firm that enables our clients to capitalise on the endless opportunities arising from the fast-growing digital assets sector.”

Alba Bank Undergoes Leadership Change

Alba Bank has announced that Rod Ashley is stepping down from his role after 6 years in post.

Jonathan Thompson will assume the role of acting CEO to lead the business over the next critical phase, bringing with him extensive startup and SME banking experience.

Rod Ashley said: “I have enjoyed every moment of leading Alba from the early days but now is the right time to step aside.

“I will be following Alba’s progress over the coming months and wish the team every success.”

Thompson himself commented: “I am delighted to take the reins at Alba and lead the bank through this next critical phase. It is great to have someone of Dom’s calibre alongside me as we take the business forward.”

Strathclyde Uni Appoints New PNDC CEO

The University of Strathclyde has appointed a new chief executive officer to lead its Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC).

Dr Will Drury, currently the executive director for digital and technologies at Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will take over the running of PNDC on 8th April.

PNDC is a power technology innovation and testing facility established in 2013 by Strathclyde, SP Energy Networks, and SSE Power Distribution, with support from Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Funding Council.

The Centre supports the development and deployment of innovative electricity network technologies to accelerate the decarbonisation of the energy system and create new opportunities for supply chain companies as part of the journey towards a sustainable net zero economy.

“I am honoured to have been appointed to deliver a growth plan with PNDC,” said Dr Drury.

BJSS Makes New Key Hire

Glasgow-based BJSS, the business technology consultancy, has announced the appointment of Brendan Scott as client principal within their energy, commodities, and utilities division.

Scott joins BJSS from a data consulting background, with the last three years being focused on supporting major organisations within the energy sector on their digital transformation journeys.

Scott commented: “I am delighted to have joined BJSS at an exciting time for the firm. I have only been here a couple of weeks but it is already clear to me that BJSS have outstanding pedigree as well as a forward-thinking approach to helping our clients overcome the major challenges within the energy sector.”

BJSS has continued to experience positive growth with an increase in headcount and capability in alignment with a significant number of new client wins.

Learn more here.

Vidatec Announces New CEO Following Buyout

Dundee-based digital transformation specialists Vidatec has announced a management buyout from The Insights Group.

Vidatec’s managing director, Ross Wilson, has now taken the helm as CEO to embark on a journey of growth focusing on health and wellbeing, tourism, and sustainability sectors.

In his leadership role for the last six years at Vidatec, Wilson has applied and developed specialist knowledge of the technology sector and is therefore well placed to continue Vidatec’s growth trajectory.

Discover more here.

NatWest Appoints New CEO

NatWest Group has formally appointed Paul Thwaite as group CEO and executive director after publishing its highest yearly profit since before the financial crash of 2008.

Thwaite will replace previous CEO Alison Rose after she stepped down following last year’s Nigel Farage controversy.

NatWest Group said it undertook a “rigorous and competitive search process” to find the right candidate to fit the bill, landing on Thwaite.

Rick Haythornthwaite, chair designate of NatWest Group said: “Paul has shown an unrivalled understanding of this business, our customers, and the opportunities for growth.”

Learn more here.

Alan Turing Institute Names New Directors

The Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s national institute for artificial intelligence and data science, has appointed four new directors tasked with addressing prominent societal issues. They are: Professor Marc Deisenroth, Professor Aldo Faisal, Professor Tim Watson, and Dr Andrew Duncan.

The organisation said that the announcement represents a key milestone in implementing its new strategy and work which is centred around the three grand challenges of sustainability, health, and national security.

“This is an important year for our AI ecosystem, as we come together to ensure powerful new technologies help us find solutions to society’s greatest challenges and I warmly welcome these exciting new appointments to our scientific and organisational leadership,” said Dr Jean Innes, chief executive of The Alan Turing Institute.

Read more here.

Partnerships

Did Clarus Networks Help With Finding Amelia Earhart’s Plane?

A Scottish tech firm is at the forefront of perhaps unravelling one of aviation’s greatest mysteries: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.

Scottish technology company Clarus Networks Group partnered with South Carolina-based marine robotics experts Deep Sea Vision in providing high-speed satellite internet connectivity for their search vessel, aiding in new sonar imagery to potentially reveal Earhart’s lost plane.

“Our search mission took us to one of the most remote oceans in the world, but working with Clarus we were able to maintain superfast connectivity,” said Tony Romeo, CEO of Deep Sea Vision.

According to Romeo, the discovery only came at the tail end of the expedition, so fast connectivity had a positive impact on the crew, allowing them to communicate with support teams back on the shore.

Learn more here.

Scottish Friendly and FinTech Scotland Link Up

A new strategic partnership between FinTech Scotland, the fintech cluster body, and Scottish Friendly, the mutual life and investments organisation, has been announced.

The partnership will provide Scottish Friendly with insights into new fintech areas such as open finance data and regulatory technology (regtech), which can help with the evolution of savings and investment strategies.

Meanwhile, Scottish Friendly will participate in FinTech Scotland’s research and innovation roadmap, which aims to accelerate the development of fintech in Scotland.

Nicola Anderson, CEO at FinTech Scotland also commented: “We are delighted to welcome Scottish Friendly to the FinTech Scotland cluster to embrace fintech innovation through strategic partnership.”

Discover more here.

Johnston Carmichael Signs Partnership With Foras

Johnston Carmichael, the professional services firm, and Foras have signed a long-term partnership to support Scottish tech startups and scaleups as they venture out internationally and across the UK.

The 12 month agreement will bolster Foras’ plans for a comprehensive set of international trips and UK-wide activities throughout a packed 2024 and early 2025 calendar.

Johnston Carmichael had previously provided funding support for Foras’ excursion to Lisbon, Portugal in November 2023. 34 founders and startup leaders from across Scotland were the key beneficiaries, with a subsidy offered for female entrepreneurs planning to attend with their children and partners, removing barriers around childcare.

“This long term partnership highlights Johnston Carmichael’s commitment to supporting the early stage founder community and we’re very excited to be working with the Foras team again,” said Shaun Millican, partner and head of technology & life sciences at Johnston Carmichael.

Thorntons and Foras Agree New Strategic Partnership

Thorntons Solicitors and Foras have agreed a new strategic partnership which seeks to help Scottish startups to realise “life-changing” opportunities across the globe.

As part of the initiative, Thorntons will be supporting and playing an active role in Foras activities, both in the UK and internationally, throughout 2024.

The year-long partnership follows the success of a previous collaboration when Thorntons provided funding for an excursion of 34 Scottish entrepreneurs to Lisbon last November.

“We are delighted to partner with Foras in the delivery of their programme and to support their cohorts in realising opportunities across the world,” said Alistair Lang, partner and head of ventures and innovation at Thorntons.

BR-DGE and PayPal Announce Integration Partnership

Edinburgh-headquartered payment orchestration provider, BR-DGE, has announced its integration with PayPal, the global payments platform, in an effort to offer merchants greater choice and flexibility at online checkout.

Through this collaboration, BR-DGE’s merchants will have access to the latest PayPal technology, enabling them to offer payment innovations to consumers via BR-DGE Connect, its payment ecosystem connectivity tool.

Merchants will be able to access PayPal’s full stack of payment methods and features, including PayPal Pay Later and Venmo in the US coming later this year, and offer consumers greater flexibility at checkout.

“By partnering with PayPal, we are able to meet merchant and consumer needs with an easy-to-use and frictionless payment solution,” said Tom Voaden, head of partnerships at BR-DGE.

Learn more here.

Glasgow Uni Enters Quantum Tech Partnership

University of Glasgow researchers have partnered with Sung Kyung Kwan University (SKKU) in the Republic of Korea for a major new international partnership in quantum technologies.

The five-year Joint research centre in Superconducting Electro-Optic technology for Near-infrared single photon counting project, or JOSEON, aims to develop cutting-edge quantum devices.

The researchers plan on working together to create next-generation superconducting photon detectors for demanding applications such as secure quantum communication networks in optical fibre and space.

JOSEON is one of just four Korea-Europe Quantum Science and Technology Collaboration Centres selected for funding by the National Research Council of Korea.

Read more here.

Scots Unis Join Forces For Healthtech Programme

Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh Napier University are bringing together engineering and nursing students to develop innovative health technologies that address prescient clinical needs.

The Edinburgh-based universities have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint programme which will see Heriot-Watt engineering students visit Napier’s specialised clinical simulation facilities to gain first-hand understanding of current healthcare scenarios and challenges.

The learnings, alongside insights from Napier’s nursing students into patient needs and care, will lead to projects focused on co-designing health solutions that target clinical issues.

Discover more here.

Scots Uni and Canadian Firm Link For Nuclear Tech Research

The University of Strathclyde has joined forces with Kinectrics, a global provider of nuclear lifecycle services based in Canada, to help bolster academic, governmental, and industrial collaborations in the nuclear tech sphere.

The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), an essential aspect of which is the development of highly skilled personnel through student training and internships, ensuring the next generation of professionals is equipped to tackle challenges in the nuclear sector.

It will also seek opportunities to support advanced nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors, robotics and autonomous systems, reactor fuel, fusion technologies, medical isotopes, as well as decommissioning and waste management.

“We’re delighted to sign this MoU and formalise our working partnership with Kinectrics through the expertise of Strathclyde’s Advanced Nuclear Research Centre,” said Daryl Landeg, executive director of the Advanced Nuclear Research Centre (ANRC) at the University of Strathclyde.

Learn more here.

GCU and HAELO Partner For Anomaly Detection App

Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) have teamed up with HAELO – a regulatory tech company based in Glasgow – to develop an app that aims to offer cutting-edge solutions in anomaly detection and regulatory compliance.

Anomalies, defined as patterns or behaviours in data that deviate from the norm, can pose significant risks to businesses, especially in meeting regulatory requirements.

The primary objective of the collaboration is to create a user-friendly application that empowers companies, particularly those operating in highly-regulated industries such as finance, to effectively detect and mitigate anomalies.

The project’s Dr Yan Zhang said: “Through this collaboration, Glasgow Caledonian University reaffirms its commitment to fostering impactful research that translates into tangible benefits for industry and society.”

Read more here.

CyberScotland Week Partners With Scots Comedian

A social media campaign for CyberScotland Week has launched to bring attention to the common pitfalls of cyber safety.

With only 26% of adults following advice to use three random words in their passwords, the campaign, created by the CyberScotland Partnership, aims to raise awareness of common mistakes people make in relation to their passwords, backing up data, and using a password manager.

Local comedian Fred MacAulay has lent his support to the awareness campaign, through his DIGI Ken? gameshow host character, Chip. Bringing his own brand of humour to cyber awareness, Fred provides a series of top tips including why you shouldn’t use your pet’s name as your password, as well as other DIGI Ken? facts.

Discover more here.

Scottish Enterprise Partners With Adarma For Neurodiversity Strategy

Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s national economic development agency, has entered a partnership with the Edinburgh-based company Adarma to unveil a neurodiversity strategy to make the cybersecurity industry more accessible.

Data from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) revealed that 19% of respondents in the UK cybersecurity industry identified as neurodivergent, significantly higher than the estimated 10% prevalence in the broader population.

Through the collaboration with Scottish Enterprise, Adarma intends to embark on a neuro-inclusion journey aimed at effecting lasting organisational change, starting from the early stages of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, hiring, and onboarding.

“It’s been great to work with Adarma on developing its inclusive recruitment and retention practices. The company clearly recognises the value of embracing neurodiversity to boost the inclusivity and productivity of its workforce,” added Clare Alexander, head of workplace innovation at Scottish Enterprise.

Learn more here.

Tata Consultancy Expands Partnership With Co-op

Edinburgh-based Tata Consultancy (TCS) is expanding its partnership with the Co-operative Group Limited (Co-op) to usher in a cloud-first strategy.

As one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, in a diversified portfolio spanning food, funerals, insurance, and legal services, Co-op is looking to make a shift towards a more agile and sustainable business model.

This new partnership will witness TCS aiding Co-op in transitioning from conventional data centre frameworks to a fully managed, scalable cloud ecosystem powered by the TCS Enterprise Cloud.

“We are delighted to extend our strategic partnership with TCS in enabling us to meet Co-op’s business objectives and serving and supporting our member-owners who are at the very heart of our business,” said Rob Elsey, CDIO at the Co-operative Group.

Read more here.

Snappy Shopper and MSP Systems Announce Integration Partnership

Snappy Shopper, the home delivery app serving convenience stores, has partnered up with EPOS solution MSP Systems.

MSP Systems, part of the MSP group, is an EPOS solution for retailers founded by Romesh Perera. The EPOS system is designed to provide retailers with an easy way to control stock and identify and allow price changes.

Romesh Perera, MD of MSP Systems, comments: “It is with great pleasure that we announce our integration with Snappy Shopper. We see the potential for our clients to further compete in retailing. MSP has been in the forefront of software innovation and new integrations like Snappy Shopper that has credibility in the digital marketplace.”

Mike Callachan, co-founder and chief executive officer of the Snappy Group, said: “We’re really proud to be selected by another EPOS firm, cementing our eighth retailer partner.”

Expansions

J.P. Morgan Private Bank Expands Scottish Team

J.P. Morgan Private Bank has announced it will expand its presence in Scotland with a new team of advisors added to its Edinburgh offices.

Advisors will provide wealth management services to individuals, charities, family offices, and foundations in Scotland.

“Our journey in Scotland began over a century ago. Fast forward to today and the country has become a strategic hub for the firm with several lines of business represented including J.P. Morgan Private Bank,” said Oliver Gregson, region head of J.P. Morgan Private Bank in the UK, Ireland & Channel Islands.

“As we continue to deepen our roots across the country, our vision is clear: we are here to grow, to partner and to invest in the people and the communities that make Scotland so unique.”

Learn more here.

Watt Laser Expands Glasgow Operations

Watt Laser, which specialises in the development, design, and manufacture of laser processes, systems, and software has completed a £433,000 project aimed at expanding its business operations within the Clyde Gateway Tradepark in Glasgow.

The expansion, which started in September 2023, landed a substantial boost of £128,000 in the form of a grant from Scottish Enterprise.

With the expansion, Watt Laser says it will be capable of enhanced productivity, operational efficiency, and increased innovation capacity. The expansion also led to the creation of three new full-time positions, while safeguarding eight existing jobs.

“This is an extremely exciting time for Watt Laser,” Declan Brannagan, lead engineer at the Glasgow company, commented.

Discover more here.

FOR:EV Opens Glasgow Office

Edinburgh-headquartered provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, FOR:EV, has opened a Glasgow office amid growing team numbers.

Around half of the 22 team members will be based at the St Vincent Street premises, sharing an office with GFiveThree Architecture—a company FOR:EV regularly collaborates with for the design and 3D visualisations of their larger EV charging hubs.

FOR:EV’s CEO, Steve Dunlop said: “As we expand geographically, it made perfect sense for us to open an office in Glasgow, where we can be closer to our clients in the west of Scotland.”

Awards

Zudu Achieves ISO 9001 and 27001 Certifications

Full-service software development agency, Zudu, celebrates its recent attainment of the ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications, coinciding with the company’s 10th anniversary.

ISO 9001 is an international standard that focuses on enhancing customer satisfaction through the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) and the formation of clear processes that uphold high quality standards.

ISO 27001 is an international benchmark for information security management systems (ISMS) and outlines the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an organisation’s data management processes.

James Buchan, CEO of Dundee-headquartered Zudu, said: “These newly acquired certifications for quality and security management not only demonstrate our commitment to developing outstanding digital products but also serve as tangible proof of our adherence to internationally recognised standards, laws, and guidelines.”