Welcome to the latest edition of DIGIT Movers and Shakers.

Every month, our Movers and Shakers column gives you the low-down on the recent recruitment, partnerships, expansions, and awards news from across the Scottish tech ecosystem.

To learn about the exciting progress that’s being made by cutting-edge local and national companies, read on.

Recruitment

Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland Onboards Four New Trustees

Scotland’s primary support organisation combatting cyber and fraud crimes, the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland, has bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of four trustees: Bex Smith, Bruce Harrison, Gerry Magee, and Sophie Hodgson.

“We are thrilled to welcome our four new trustees to our board. Everyone at the Cyber and Fraud Centre is looking forward to working with them and our existing board members to support our business community in the fight against cyber and fraud crime,” said the organisation’s CEO, Jude McCorry.

Read more here.

Sword Appoints New UK/US CEO

Sword, the IT services provider for the offshore oil and gas industry, has announced Kevin Moreton as its new UK/US chief executive officer.

Moreton has been with the business for 15 years, with 9 of those years in the chief operations officer role. With his deep understanding and experience in the organisation, the firm said that Moreton is an excellent fit to lead Sword UK Services into the next chapter of its journey.

Moreton’s focus will be on continuing to build on the success with the firm’s current long-standing customers, while looking to open new areas of growth for the business.

“It’s an honour to take on the position of Sword UK/US CEO role,” Moreton said. “I’m really excited about where we are as an organisation and the opportunities that I see ahead.”

Burness Paull Recruits Additional Planning Partner

Burness Paull has strengthened its planning and environment team with the appointment of a new partner as the firm experiences growing demand for specialist planning advice, particularly from the renewable energy and real estate sectors.

Emma Paton brings considerable experience of contentious and non-contentious planning and environmental work, including consenting advisory, contract negotiation, planning aspects of due diligence, public inquiries, and appeals.

“Emma is a true market leader in energy consenting,” said Alasdair Sutherland, partner and head of planning at Burness Paull. “She has enviable technical skills and experience that sets her apart and will greatly increase our ability to help clients deliver these exciting projects.”

Learn more here.

TechForce Cyber Hires New Security Talent

TechForce Cyber, the Aberdeen-based cybersecurity company, has announced its support for and recruitment of members the new wave of cyber talent, demonstrated by students like Victor Obahor.

Obahor, a cybersecurity engineer currently pursuing his Master’s degree in cybersecurity at Robert Gordon University, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the field. With a background in system administration and experience as a technical lead for a Microsoft Partner, TechForce Cyber said his dedication to advancing his skills aligns seamlessly with the firm’s ethos.

Alongside Obahor, TechForce’s new cybersecurity consultant Ben Colgan has built a foundation in cybersecurity through a progression of roles. Beginning as a sales consultant and a service desk engineer, he developed analytical skills and incident response expertise, and transitioned to roles like security analyst and security engineer.

“TechForce Cyber’s dedication to championing innovation and excellence is truly inspiring, and I am proud to be part of a team that is shaping the future of cybersecurity in Scotland and beyond” Colgan said.

Tomoro AI to Invest £4 Million in Creating 20 Jobs in Edinburgh

AI startup Tomoro has announced a recruitment drive to create 20 AI jobs in its Edinburgh office over the next 12 months.

The roles, which the company say will attract a salary of up to £135,000 each, will form part of the company’s strategy to make the three-day working week a reality.

“We see this investment in Scotland as a great opportunity to accelerate our growth and become an active part of one of the most thriving data and AI centres in Europe,” said Ed Broussard, managing director at Tomoro.

Discover more here.

Partnerships

Scottish National Investment Bank Partnership to Accelerate Home-grown Projects

The UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) and the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), cementing a “close working relationship and shared ambition to attract additional private investment into Scotland.”

Both banks are government-owned, yet operate independently to invest public capital on a commercial basis to deliver wider social, environmental, and economic impacts.

Through the MoU, the banks will continue to share sector insights and intelligence, impact analysis, thought leadership, and development opportunities which will be beneficial to both organisations in meeting their policy objectives.

“We’re delighted to strengthen our working relationship with the UK Infrastructure Bank and deliver more for the people of Scotland,” said Scottish National Investment Bank CEO, Al Denholm.

Read more here.

FinTech Scotland Partners with Cisco and Sword Ping

FinTech Scotland has announced its partnership with Cisco alongside partners Sword Ping.

Through the collaboration, Cisco, Sword Ping, and FinTech Scotland will join forces to foster innovation, drive technology adoption, and accelerate growth within the financial technology sector whilst ensuring that cyber-resilience is at the core of fintech innovation.

The partnership connects Sword Ping and Cisco expertise with the growing fintech landscape in Scotland, supporting the continued growth of Scotland’s fintech landscape.

“By collaborating with FinTech Scotland, we aim to leverage our expertise to support the growth of the fintech ecosystem in Scotland beyond,” Terry Neill of Sword Ping said.

Learn more here.

ScotlandIS Partners With Frog Systems for Mental Health Support

In an attempt to tackle the emerging mental health challenges across the tech industry, ScotlandIS has announced a new partnership with software company, Frog Systems.

The deal will see more than 33,000 ScotlandIS members’ staff get full access to its wellbeing streaming platform Ashia, which is designed to help more employers support the health of their staff, at a specially discounted rate.

“A recent combination of skills shortages, job loss and a turbulent economic climate has sent stress levels across the Scottish tech sector soaring in recent months,” said ScotlandIS CEO, Karen Meechan.

“This means it has never been more important for employers to do everything they can to support staff mental health. With Ashia, we hope our members will be better equipped to support their staff in the months ahead.”

Discover more here.

UK and Ukraine Launch Innovation Partnership for Energy Recovery

The UK government is investing £16 million for innovations aiming to support the recovery and future stability of Ukraine’s energy system.

The programme’s goal is to rebuild Ukraine’s energy system, displace fossil fuels, and support post-war recovery.

“I am proud that the UK continues to support the recovery of the Ukrainian energy sector, particularly after recent brutal attacks from Russia. We want to see it greener and more resilient,” British Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, said.

Read more here.

UK Insurance Giants Join With NCSC to Stop Ransomware Payments

The Association of British Insurers (ABI), the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), and the International Underwriting Association (IUA) have jointly released new best practice guidance, in conjunction with the NCSC.

The objective of this guidance is to reduce the frequency of ransom payments made by UK victims of cyber-extortion.

This cross-sector coalition’s initiative is founded on recommendations derived from a research paper sponsored by the NCSC and conducted by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), which was published in 2023.

“It’s really encouraging to see all corners of the insurance industry unite to support victim organisations with guidance that will help them to better understand their options and reduce harm and disruption to their businesses,” said NCSC CEO Felicity Oswald.

Learn more here.

Expansions

Scots Scaleup Novosound Eyes APAC Expansion

Scottish sensor technology scaleup company Novosound is set to expand its footprint in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, capitalising on recent client wins with global energy giants in the Middle East and North America.

Novosound’s Ceilidh system, which is fully patented, seeks to addresses industry challenges such as corrosion under composite wraps, offering what it calls a “significant breakthrough in non-destructive testing.”

Dave Hughes, CEO and founder of Novosound, stated: “The Ceilidh system represents a significant breakthrough in the field of non-destructive testing, addressing complex challenges and specifically tailored for industries where corrosion monitoring is absolutely critical.”

Discover more here.

Shell Expands Entrepreneur Programme Across Scotland

Shell’s enterprise development programme, Shell LiveWIRE, is being expanded across Scotland.

The programme, which aims to help entrepreneurs overcome hurdles to growing their business, had initially been launched in North-East Scotland.

However, LiveWIRE is now being offered across the country, being made available to businesses with a focus on energy transition-related products and services that benefit society.

Read more here.

Awards

FinTech Scotland Announces Winners of AI Compliance Challenge

FinTech Scotland’s Financial Regulation Innovation Lab (FRIL)—a collaboration in partnership with the universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde—has announced the winners of its first innovation call, “Simplifying Compliance through the Application of AI and Emerging Technologies.”

A total of five winners were selected as grant recipients, each awarded up to £50,000 to further develop and implement their solutions.

“I am proud to see the extraordinary level of collaboration demonstrated across our fintech cluster through this first innovation call,” said Nicola Anderson, CEO of FinTech Scotland.

Learn more here.

Winners of the Digital Tech Awards 2024

ScotlandIS’ 14th annual Digital Tech Awards celebrated the year’s best and brightest in the Scottish tech scene.

The Radisson Blu in Glasgow was abuzz with some of Scotland’s most prestigious awards for technology pioneers, unsung heroes, innovations, and business acumen.

The awards honoured individuals and companies for their efforts over the past year, as well as highlighting some of the major themes arising in the tech sector.

Discover more here.

Scottish EDGE Awards: The Winners

35 businesses with high-growth potential were celebrated on 25th May after winning shares of a £1.5 million prize pot at the Scottish EDGE award ceremony.

For its 23rd round, the awards returned to the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Gogarburn, Edinburgh, with winners hailing from across the country, from Orkney to the Borders.

Judith Cruickshank, MD commercial mid-market at the Royal Bank of Scotland and One Bank Scotland chair, said: “The Scottish EDGE awards offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent and ingenuity within Scotland’s entrepreneurial community, and the addition of two new categories for this year illustrates how that depth of skill and creativity continues to grow.”

Read more here.

Scottish Businesses Sweep FSB Awards

Three Scottish companies came out on top in categories in the Federation of Small Businesses annual awards, including Small Business of the Year.

FSB’s event saw representatives from more than 140 small businesses, plus self-employed professionals, gather from across the UK, with each previously named a regional winner in their respective area.

Learn more here.

59 Innovative Firms Receive King’s Awards for Enterprise

59 UK firms won in the King’s Awards for Enterprise Innovation category, with five of these being Scots firms.

Previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the awards have celebrated the achievements of UK businesses since the mid-1960s.

The awards have four categories: International Trade, Sustainable Development, Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility), and most pertinent to the tech sector, Innovation.

“I congratulate the recipients of this year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise, who exemplify the talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of British business,” said Kevin Hollinrake, UK government minister for enterprise.

Discover more here.