Welcome to the November 2022 edition of the DIGIT Movers and Shakers column.

This month features another bumper crop of Scottish awards, relocation, partnership, and recruitment news.

Here’s all the latest news in one place.

Recruitment

VKY Intelligent Automation

VKY Intelligent Automation, Scotland’s leading independent RPA company and the first independent Scottish automation business to be approved as a UK Government G-Cloud supplier, has appointed David McGowan to join their current senior management team.

McGowan has a strong track record in Business Development and Operations and has held a number of senior and board level positions within Business Process Outsourcing organisations serving both public and private sector clients.

Over the last ten years he’s been a key part of the management team that’s led a business from inception to successful sale and exit.

Stephen Coia, VKY Intelligent Automation commercial Director, commented: “With the addition of David, the VKY management team has years of hands-on industry experience in senior management, call operations and call centre management and growing successful businesses.

“Combined with their pioneering, multi-skilled automation experts, they’re well placed to assess any organisation’s processes and create effective ways to boost efficiency and accelerate innovation with technology all underpinned by VKY’s cost-neutrality service guarantee.”

xDesign

xDesign has announced two new C-suite appointments, hiring Malcolm Seagrave as Chief Growth Officer (CGO), and Neil Lockwood to the Chief Client Officer (CCO) role.

Seagrave and Lockwood, who both join the company from competitor AND Digital, will be key in supporting xDesign’s growth plans – including the expansion of its workforce to 550 people and reaching a revenue run rate in excess of £40 million by mid-2023.

Seagrave, who will be based out of the company’s Leeds office with Lockwood, will support xDesign’s new partners and customers to scale their businesses; evolve their in-house digital capabilities, and deliver impactful digital products that ensure the long-term success of their businesses.

Lockwood’s remit will be to support xDesign in developing more meaningful relationships with clients; futureproofing the company’s talent pipeline, and looking for regional expansion opportunities in the UK and Europe.

xDesign founder and CEO, Euan Andrews commented: “Neil and Malcolm join xDesign at a really important time in its evolution. Not only do we want to make 2023 our fifth consecutive year of growth despite current economic headwinds. We also want to do this in a way that preserves the award-winning culture we’ve built – our latest Great Place to Work ranking provides huge validation for the people-first approach we’ve committed to.

“Both of our new hires have a proven track record of fostering solid client relationships. Neil will be looking to focus his efforts on developing our existing client relationships and regional growth, while Malcolm will be looking to grow a new client base.

“Most importantly, however, each also believes in xDesign’s mission to put people at the very heart of everything it does – whether it be in developing xDesign’s teams; those of the organisations we collaborate with; or by providing clients with the high-quality digital products they need to positively impact the lives of their end users.”

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Pufferfish

Pufferfish has appointed a new interim Chief Sales Officer as the Edinburgh-based firm looks to drive global sales and accelerate market expansion.

Chris Huggett has joined the firm, bringing a wealth of experience from a 34-year career delivering strong growth for global technology and managed service providers.

In his new role at Pufferfish, Chris will be responsible for expediting the company’s future sales plans and maximising commercial opportunities.

Commenting on the appointment, Huggett said: “Pufferfish has an impressive commitment to innovation and quality and I’m keen to be part of its journey.

“My goal is to build on its global reputation and client satisfaction to secure a wider customer portfolio across new sectors and into new markets.”

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The Scotland 5G Centre

The Scotland 5G Centre announced appointment of Derek Waddell as interim CEO to replace the outgoing Paul Coffey.

Waddell has extensive expertise in carrying out interim roles and helping innovation centres make a step change in their growth journey.

He commented on his role: “It’s a privilege to take on the role as Interim CEO and lead the Centre in this next stage of the journey, supporting organisations to realise the huge economic and societal potential that the deployment and adoption of 5G brings.

“Sectors like agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, or logistics are now seeing what a game changer 5G is and the Centre will be there to make sure there is no-one left behind in this digital transformation era.”

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FarrPoint

Edinburgh-based technology consultancy FarrPoint has expanded its team with five new hires to support the organisation’s continued growth.

The new appointments include Alex Innes, who joins the company’s Board. With over a decade’s experience in finance, corporate law, risk management and governance, Innes joins the FarrPoint Board to provide additional support as the consultancy aims to continue its expansion in new markets and geographies.

Former BT Openreach Programme Director, James Carsley has been hired as Senior Consultant. Carsley brings over ten years’ experience in senior connectivity project management to his new role and will focus on FarrPoint’s major connectivity intervention projects.

Other new hires include GIS Analyst Will Carter, a data consultant who has previously worked on major projects in the transport, utilities, and central government sectors for Esri.

Anna Fearon brings her campaign management expertise to join as the new Marketing Executive, and Marianna Birzniece joins FarrPoint’s accounts team as the new Finance Manager.

Andrew Muir, CEO, FarrPoint, said: “FarrPoint is committed to demonstrating the social and economic benefits of connectivity by providing our clients with trusted advice. To do that, we need good people, so it has been a privilege to welcome Alex, James, Will, Anna and Marianna to the business.”

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GoFibre

Neil Conaghan has joined GoFibre as CEO, following eleven years with XLN Business Services, latterly as CEO and previously as CFO.

He has a background in telecommunications, corporate finance, and private equity, with GoFibre stating he has a ‘proven track record in building high performing teams and successful businesses.’

Incoming CEO Conaghan commented: “I’m looking forward to joining and leading the GoFibre team as we deliver world-class connectivity to communities across Scotland and Northern England.

“The business is well placed to continue on recent Project Gigabit successes with a clear vision and the capability to deliver. On a personal note, I’m passionate about the opportunities that delivering broadband to under-served communities brings, opening opportunities for economic growth, education, and employment.”

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Trickle

Edinburgh-based employee engagement and wellbeing firm Trickle has appointed Amanda Kerley as Chief Operating Officer.

Kerley has been with Trickle since 2020, most recently as Customer Wellbeing Lead, and experience lies within the retail, property, and legal sectors. She will oversee the execution of Trickle’s strategies to help meet the company’s future growth plans.

Trickle’s CEO, Paul Reid said: “Amanda has proved a brilliant addition to the business since her arrival.

“Her appointment will put Trickle in a strong position as we continue to drive growth across the public and private sectors,” Reid said.

Commenting on her new appointment, Kerley said: “Trickle continues to go from strength to strength, as more organisations recognise the importance of employee experience and wellbeing when it comes to recruiting and retaining talent.

“I am excited to join Paul in the leadership team to support the company through its next stage of growth, as we venture into new markets by highlighting Trickle’s benefits across all sectors.”

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Muckle Media

Muckle Media turned 10 years old in November and announced recruitment of four new staff members to its team following sustained growth.

Kirsty Anderson has joined the Edinburgh team as an Account Director. She specialises in consumer and corporate relations, having previously led on the Scottish PR for national retailer, M&S, for six years.

Vicky Tibbitt has joined the Glasgow team as an Account Manager, working across the agency’s B2B accounts. Tibbitt has experience across the public and third sectors, including social enterprise.

Olivia Messina, from New York, has joined the team as a Senior Account Executive. She will be taking over the agency’s food and drink clients. Claire Blair also joins the Muckle Media team as PA and Event Manager, her years of experience working in London and Glasgow as a top agency PA and internationally as an event manager have given her the integral skills to assist with any project.

Furthermore, Muckle Media is welcoming three new trainees. Amy Anthoney, Ellen Carter and Kirsten McKenna have all joined as trainee PR account executives.

Several of the existing agency team have also been promoted into new positions. Toni Dowling becomes Account Manager, Bobby Thomson is promoted to Senior Account Executive and Maddie Cairnduff moves up to Account Executive.

Nathalie Agnew, Managing Director at Muckle Media commented: “This month has been particularly exciting for Muckle, as we celebrate a decade full of award-winning work, we are now welcoming seven new staff members to join our growing team.

“It’s been an amazing journey and as the agency continues to grow we are looking forward to seeing what the next decade has in store for us, as we deliver the best work possible for our clients.”

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Cyacomb

Mark Wheelhouse has joined the Cyacomb senior leadership team.

He has supported many of these companies through fund raising, M&A activities and strategic planning which has delivered high growth successful exits, and this work will continue with Cyacomb as Mark helps the company prepare for its Series B investment round and beyond.

Wheelhouse commented: “I’m pleased to be able to bring my experience to Cyacomb, to support the company in achieving their goal to make the online world a safer place for all.”

Ian Stevenson, CEO of Cyacomb, welcomes Mark joining the company at such a fundamental time. We’re delighted to welcome Mark Wheelhouse as our new Chief Financial Officer.

“Mark brings a wealth of experience in strategic finance and international expansion, and as we continue to grow his input will be invaluable in delivering our mission of making the online world a safer place.”

Accenture

A new team has been appointed to lead Accenture in Scotland and drive forward the organisation’s plans to grow its presence in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

David Caskie and Stuart Chalmers will become joint managing directors for Accenture in Scotland, replacing Michelle Hawkins, who is moving to a new global role with the company. Both have been with Accenture for more than 20 years.

Chalmers has held various roles focused on financial services (FS) and led several of Accenture’s key FS accounts over the past few years. Caskie is the global lead for Accenture’s technology Ecosystem Supplier Management group, bringing the firm’s partners to the most complex client solutions.

Caskie said: “As Scotland builds its economy through data-driven innovation, the role of digital technology and marketing, and data intelligence will grow exponentially. Alongside, the demand for cybersecurity expertise increases and the need for responsible and ethical AI becomes critical.

“We want to play a leading part in that success story for Scotland. Building on our existing resources in Edinburgh and Glasgow and attracting new recruits is an essential part of our plan.”

Chalmers added: “We want to grow the business in Scotland and believe we can do that through a powerful mix of local knowledge and talent combined with Accenture’s global experience and reach. We have been gradually building our capabilities out of the Edinburgh office through strategic acquisitions and we’ve now invested in a new Glasgow base to build on the skills we already have in place.

“With both breadth and depth of expertise, we aim to support the growth of Scottish companies and – just as importantly – to bring new work to Scotland.”

transACT

Global IT firm transACT Technology Solutions has appointed tech entrepreneur Duncan Girvan as its Director for Scotland.

Girvan takes on the newly created role as the firm embarks on a strategic UK-wide expansion to incorporate Scotland and the north of England.

transACT, a digital transformation specialist, also has offices in St Albans, Dublin and Gibraltar, and Mr Girvan is looking forward to spearheading the Scottish operation.

“I’m delighted to take on this role at an exciting time for this rapidly expanding IT and tech leader,” Girvan said.

“With a number of major projects in the pipeline, I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in the role and helping make a difference to how businesses in Scotland operate. Business leaders are regularly reviewing ways in which to operate a leaner and more efficient way to deliver services to their customers.

“Our key focus is to help address some of those challenges by working closely to understand the technology driving the business and help run more efficient operations.”

Hindles

Hindles has increased revenue by 25% to £2.1 million in the year to 31st March 2022, while appointing a further director, Chris Cottingham, and growing headcount by 50%.

Founding director Dr Alistair Hindle notes a Brexit effect, with growth including work from patent and trade market attorneys in other European countries who now need UK partners for the first time in decades.

Hindle commented: “Our growth has also been driven by various Scottish technology companies raising money, innovating, protecting their IP, and succeeding. During the pandemic there was a bit of a boom, with a lot of people who had been talking about filing a patent application for years finally getting around to it.”

He added: “Overall, there is a growing understanding that intellectual property is critical to the long-term success of start-up and scale-up businesses but requires substantial investment in the early days. This now seems to be well understood by investors in early-stage companies, and we have seen an increase in young companies who have IP and have managed to raise the funding to protect it.”

Cottingham will work with the firm’s SME clients on IP strategy, specialising in patents for industrial products and processes, packaging, renewables, computer software, consumer products, and software interfaces.

He commented: “We have excellent people, including some particularly strong recent hires, and that ensures that our clients will continue to receive the best intellectual property advice in the industry, backed up by safe, robust systems and a plain-speaking approach. I am excited to continue to drive the expansion of our practice.”

Awards

Heriot-Watt University

An engineering team from Heriot-Watt University has won a cash prize and a national 2022 James Dyson prize for inventing a new automated system for tackling bushfires.

Five students hailing from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt designed the “FireOut” system after being horrified by devastating wildfires in countries like Australia.

“The 2019-2020 bushfires caused tremendous damage,” the Heriot-Watt students said in a joint statement. “This motivated us to develop a system capable of detecting and controlling fires at early stages.”

All the judges credited how the students identified a pressing current day problem and designed a potential solution.

Dr. Suaad Al Shamsi, the UAE’s first female Emirati aircraft engineer and one of the local James Dyson Award judges, said: “The team noted that regions that suffer from bushfires in the dry season tend to receive heavy rainfall in the wet season, so they designed a rainwater storage system.

“Using sensor cameras and a communications system, their invention can automatically start bringing fires under control before the first responders arrive – saving time, life and land. Once the fire is brought under control, the pumps can be closed, ready for the storage towers to collect rainwater again.”

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AND Digital

Digital tech consultancy AND Digital has scooped several awards as Best Companies revealed its regional, sector and national rankings of the best companies to work for.

AND Digital took the coveted title of Best Tech Company to Work For, as well as ranking in the top five in all its UK locations, including second place in Scotland for overall best company.

Dave Livesey, Club Executive at Club Somerville in Edinburgh, commented: “We have built a people-first culture around purpose, enjoyment and continuous learning opportunities. We offer our ANDis a variety of customer projects but also provide 13 upskilling days per year so everyone can continue to grow professionally and personally.

“We are committed to ensuring that our workplace culture, which encourages our ANDis to bring their whole selves to work, is diverse and inclusive. We believe that it is AND Digital’s responsibility to provide a workplace fit to welcome any employee and offer them a healthy, open-minded and supportive environment to thrive in.

“We have found that, by putting our employees first, we are able to transfer this positive workplace culture to the work we do with our customers, in the way we evolve their ways of working and provide upskilling opportunities.”

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Microplate dx

Microplate Dx scooped two awards at prestigious OBN Life Sciences Awards for its’ rapid antibiotic susceptibility test.

The University of Strathclyde spin-out won Best Start-up Medtech Company and the BioSeed ‘One to Watch’ awards.

Dr Stuart Hannah, CEO and co-founder of Microplate Dx, said: “It is truly humbling to have won not just one, but two awards at this year’s OBN Awards.

“We were up against some very strong competition, and the fact we came away as winners in two categories is testament to the hard work of the Microplate Dx team, and all our supporters.

“It really helps validate our mission, and what we’re doing every day to help tackle antimicrobial resistance.”

Eureka Solutions

Cloud software firm Eureka Solutions has grown 250% in a decade thanks to its decision to become a partner for the sale of Oracle NetSuite.

Now the firm is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the tie-up and revealed how its confidence in the future of cloud computing has reaped rewards, fuelled growth, and created jobs.

Adding NetSuite to the portfolio escalated the firm’s growth over the last decade to the point where it is now a £5m+ a year business with more than 70 staff, making it the biggest NetSuite partner in Scotland and among the top performing in Europe.

David Lindores, CEO of Eureka Solutions, said: “This is a huge milestone for everyone at Eureka Solutions – including many of the team who delivered the original partnership and are still with us.

“We took a clear decision at a time when many business leaders were unsure about the cloud. Most were very nervous about the possibility of putting finance and accountancy systems on it.

“However, our team was absolutely convinced this was the future, and thanks to that foresight we got an incredible head start which has benefitted our business in many ways. It is a very important anniversary for us.”

Core-Asset Consulting

Finance sector recruitment firm Core-Asset Consulting has been named as one of 14 business trailblazers in Scotland by WIRED Magazine and HSBC UK.

The Edinburgh firm has joined a community which features the likes of Intelligent Growth Solutions, Skyrora, and Numan.

Core-Asset founder Betsy Williamson said: “The trailblazing event brought together the very best of innovative business leaders across a number of different sectors.

“Everyone was conscious about how to make Scottish business more sustainable as well as socially and economically progressive. It was great to hear about a number of companies which were not just surviving through this economic uncertainty but thriving.

“Being named as a WIRED Trailblazer and identified as one of the UK’s most innovative and inspiring businesses is a tremendous honour. We will continue to do all we can to raise awareness of socio-economic issues in the Scottish workplace.”

BetDEX

BetDEX has been licensed and regulated by the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC), effective immediately.

Under the Online Gambling Regulation Act (OGRA), BetDEX has received licensed approval for all forms of online gambling and gaming, including online sports betting.

Varun Sudhakar, CEO and Co-Founder of BetDEX, commented: “Today’s news is an exciting step forward for the BetDEX Exchange.

“With the licensing and regulatory approval, BetDEX now boasts the first fully-regulated sports betting platform in the web3 space, and we’re excited to welcome bettors from approved regions. We’re certain this is the start of growing our exchange and continuing the expansion of sports betting into the Web3 landscape.”

Abby Kimber, Head of eGaming, Digital Isle of Man confirmed: “It is a pleasure to welcome BetDEX to the Island. We are excited to be at the forefront of technologies like blockchain while maintaining our reputation as a highly regulated jurisdiction that prides itself on player protection.

“I wish BetDEX every success with their future ventures and look forward to partnering with them for many years to come.”

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DirectID

Edinburgh-based DirectID has been announced as the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) new Scottish Fintech Champion.

Confirmed at a Board of Trade meeting in Wales on Monday 28^th November, DirectID was named alongside the Welsh Fintech Champion, Yoello.

DirectID CEO & Founder James Varga commented: “I was incredibly humbled and excited when I was invited to help champion exporting in the Fintech sector.

“DirectID now powers some of the world’s biggest brands in North America, Europe and Asia to scale, drive efficiencies, manage risk, and create fairer outcomes for their customers.

“Whether it’s working with other industry figures to promote the UK as a place to do business or sharing knowledge of our experience exporting to multi-national organisations, I’m proud to be supporting the growth of the £11 billion UK fintech economy.”

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Scottish Tech Army

The Scottish Tech Army (STA) has celebrated gaining the Scotland Loves Local Digital Town Award at this year’s Scotland’s Towns Conference.

STA’s SOLE project (Supporting Our Local Economy) is a focal community platform created by the organisation. The deployment of SOLE in East Lothian has been supported by the UK Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund and East Lothian Council and will inject further impetus to help East Lothian’s post-pandemic business recovery.

Alistair Forbes, Founding Director and CEO, Scottish Tech Army commented: “This is a wonderful recognition of the contribution of our volunteer community, our technology partner OCS and the hard work and dedication of our local engagement and customer success teams and we are extremely grateful to the communities in East Lothian for their support for this project.”

Scotland’s Towns Partnership Chief Officer Phil Prentice added: “Congratulations to the Scottish Tech Army and its partners. This is a thoroughly well-deserved award.

“The work of the SOLE project in East Lothian has embraced digital innovation to provide a tremendous platform for local businesses while also encouraging residents to think, choose and spend locally – helping to build a stronger future for the region.”

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AnswerConnect

Virtual receptionist provider AnswerConnect has been recognised as one of the premier virtual receptionist companies in the UK by UpCity.

This recognition as one of the top virtual receptionist companies in the United Kingdom was influenced by several factors, including flexibility, reliability, the ability for staff to work from anyweher and versatility.

On AnswerConnect’s recognition, Dan Olson, CEO of UpCity, said: “The AnswerConnect team are trustworthy, reliable, and communicative. We’re proud to welcome them into the UpCity community!”

Director of Mattering (marketing) and Impact at AnswerConnect Fraser Wilson said: “We’re extremely proud to receive this recognition. As a Premier UK Virtual Receptionist provider, AnswerConnect has worked hard to establish lasting relationships with hundreds of businesses across the UK.

“This recognition by UpCity is a reflection of AnswerConnect’s commitment to the values of human-centred, reliable customer service.”

Deloitte

Deloitte has announced the winners of the 2022 UK Technology Fast 50 awards, with three Scottish companies among the ranking.

The awards recognise and rank the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in the UK, based on average revenue growth over a four-year period, and are sponsored by Multiverse, Oracle NetSuite, and BGF.

Edinburgh-based fintech company Amiqus Resolution placed 20th in the ranking, making it the fastest-growing technology company in Scotland this year.

Tranent-based environmental technology company Sunamp claimed 40th place, while Glasgow-based software company The Original Fit Factory ranked 50th place.

Garry Tetley, tax partner and Deloitte Private leader in Scotland, commented: “The exceptional growth of this year’s Fast 50 is a marker of the ongoing strength and resilience of the UK’s technology industry, which continues to thrive despite considerable headwinds.

This year’s cohort represents the very best of the technology industry and I’d like to extend my personal congratulations to all winners.”

Partnerships

Trickle and CGI

Edinburgh–based Trickle features twice in the November edition, after announcing a partnership with IT and business consulting services firm CGI.

CGI plans to work closely with Trickle, hoping the partnership will gain them insight into their team, and attract and retain new employees.

Initially, the two companies will collaborate to support UK healthcare organisations that want to improve their workplace through better employee engagement.

The companies plan to further extend their relationship into other areas, including business development and the wider public sector.

Lindsay McGranaghan, Scotland Business Unit Leader and Senior Vice President Consulting Services at CGI said: “We have seen the strain those in healthcare particularly have been under over the last two years. Platforms such as Trickle ensure employees can provide regular feedback from the ground up to create positive change.”

Paul Reid, CEO of Trickle, reiterated, saying: “Platforms like ours have become vital in helping employers better understand employee needs. They also allow for a better appreciation of employee wellbeing which has undoubtedly been tested in recent times.

“Working with CGI is a great step for Trickle, and will further enhance our reach and credibility in the UK healthcare sector initially, and then beyond.”

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South Lanarkshire Council and DataVita

South Lanarkshire Council is working with DataVita to upgrade its IT systems, resulting in significant carbon savings, and helped to streamline the delivery of services.

The council will save over 2,000 MWh of energy annually – down from 2,222 MWh to 140 MWh, a 94% reduction.

Brian Teaz, head of information technology at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “We have set ambitious targets including a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Over the last six years we have already reduced that by more than 25%.

“There is still scope to do more, however, and this new IT approach is a good example of how modernisation can come with real environmental benefits.

“In recent years, as services have been digitised and moved online, our IT footprint has expanded quickly to give residents smarter and more flexible ways to access critical functions. The time was right to upgrade our digital infrastructure in line with new requirements and working with DataVita has enabled us to address sustainability at the same time, making significant carbon savings.”

Danny Quinn, managing director at DataVita, said: “Sustainability is high on the agenda for most organisations but there is a common misconception that making changes either comes with a downgrade in terms of performance or substantial financial investment.

“Our recent experience with South Lanarkshire Council proves otherwise, and we have simultaneously upgraded the IT systems and reduced its carbon footprint.

“With the capability to deliver some of the most advanced technology currently available, our team has designed a flexible future-proofed system to cater for the council’s needs in the years to come.”

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Brightsolid and Druva

Managed hybrid cloud services provider, Brightsolid, has announced the launch of its new Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) offering with Druva.

The BaaS service equips organisations with a unified and secure platform for protecting data regardless of where it’s stored, on physical or virtual workloads, or SaaS applications and requires no additional hardware or software to manage.

Elaine Maddison, CEO of Brightsolid commented: “From launching our cyber security service, Managed Detection and Response, earlier this year, we know that there is an ever-evolving threat landscape targeting business-critical infrastructure, particularly backups, to ensure that their ransomware demands are paid.

“Collaborating with Druva on our new Backup as a Service offering, safeguards that data through air-gapped immutable backups, which ensures that critical backups are physically separated from affected networks and assets.

“This gives our customers the peace of mind that they can quickly resume operations in the event of a malicious attack or incident, with limited downtime and costs.”

Barclays Eagle Lab and Edinburgh Uni

Barclays Eagle Labs has formed a new partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s Venture Builder Incubator (VBI).

The news comes as 24 new cohort companies – all operating in sectors addressing key societal challenges including green technology, animal welfare, and agri-tech – have been announced for this year’s VBI.

The new association with Barclays Eagle Labs will offer further mentoring to the University-supported entrepreneurs as well as access to its Eagle Labs premises situated across the UK.

Barclays Eagle Labs will support founders behind oncology-related startups and other health-related cohort companies, providing content and support via its network of more than 600 healthtech start ups, and also offer access to other specialst areas outside health as required.

Charlotte Waugh, Enterprise and Innovation Programme Lead at Edinburgh Innovations, said: “We are delighted to announce the new relationship between our Venture Builder Incubator and Barclays Eagle Labs.

“This will bring additional value to all of this year’s 24 participant companies and will build on our existing partnership with Cancer Research Horizons in supporting oncology-oriented ventures.

“With the support of our partners, we look forward to supporting a range of innovative start up ventures which aim to address key societal issues around health and wellbeing, food production, financial accessibility, and the environment.”

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The Digital Office and Microsoft

The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government has announced a new strategic partnership with Microsoft.

As part of the agreement, Microsoft will now grant members of the Local Government Digital Partnership access to its Enterprise Skilling Initiative (ESI).

It is hoped that this will support the Digital Office in its work to build digital capability, skills and talent across Scottish local government.

Steven Grier, Director of Devolved Government at Microsoft said, “Given the current challenges Scottish Local Government are currently facing with financial, service and digital skills pressures, Microsoft are delighted to be working in partnership with the Digital Office and able to offer this initiative to the members of the Scottish Local Government Digital Partnership.”

Martyn Wallace, Chief Digital Officer for the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government said: “This amazing offer from Microsoft, to access the ESI platform, is very much welcomed.

“It will help us save sector wide on digital training costs and support colleagues with increasing confidence and skills in Microsoft products. This initiative will also enhance wider digital transformation skills due to the variety of courses available to all employees within an organisation.”

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ScotlandIS, Tech She Can and STEM Ambassadors

A new partnership is looking to address the digital skills gap and help get young Scots into digital roles.

ScotlandIS, Tech She Can, and STEM Ambassadors are seeking to boost STEM education for school aged pupils, by improving collaboration between the programmes and accessibility for anyone who wants to get involved.

The ‘Digital Critical Friends’ programme, run by ScotlandIS in partnership with DYW Glasgow and Skills Development Scotland, has been rolled out in several local authority areas to help meet the rapidly growing and changing skills demand within the Scottish digital sector.

Through the new partnership, STEM Ambassadors will provide PVG accreditation, making it much easier to become a Digital Critical Friend.

With Tech She Can’s ‘Tech We Can’ educational resources now being provided to Digital Critical Friends, they can increase the support given to teachers to build knowledge and confidence in delivering tech related lessons, helping to inform students and inspire them to consider a career in STEM and help close Scotland’s digital skills gap.

Karen Meechan, CEO of ScotlandIS, said: “Our aim when we started Digital Critical Friends was to ensure young people had access to practical knowledge, experience within the tech sector and exposure to the career opportunities available to them.

“This partnership with STEM ambassadors and Tech She Can will allow us all to work together to give young minds the opportunity to explore a future in tech.

“We’re calling for passionate individuals to get involved with the programme. It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to get invaluable mentoring experience by training the potential future pioneers of tech.”

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Inbest and NatWest Group

Scottish fintech Inbest announced a partnership with NatWest Group to launch a unique benefits calculator for customers.

The collaboration was enabled by cluster management organisation, FinTech Scotland, which thrives to connect innovating fintech firms with established financial institutions.

A three-month pilot of the calculator has been launched ahead of a wider future roll-out.

Kristen Bennie, Director of Innovation & Partnerships at NatWest Group, commented: “Making Inbest’s innovative benefits calculator available to our customers provides a critical avenue of support against the backdrop of increased cost of living pressures.

“Collaborating with Inbest on this pilot allows us to provide relevant, tailored and personalised insights, so we can provide support where and when our customers need it most.

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BR-DGE and Worldline

BR-DGE has extended its partnership with Worldline, announcing that Worldline’s new global acquiring capabilities have joined BR-DGE’s Partnership Program.

The extended partnership will further leverage both BR-DGE and Worldline’s expertise in the digital, e-retail, gaming & media and travel sectors, with a view to future product development and collaboration between the entities, reinforced by the global outlook of both partners.

Tom Voaden, Strategic Partnerships Lead at BR-DGE said: “The expectations and payment needs of merchants and customers across the globe are changing rapidly with growing demand for frictionless payments.

“We are thrilled to be continuing to work with Worldline and are delighted that they are the latest addition to our 300-strong network of payment providers. As we continue our long-term partnership with Worldline, we look forward to collaborating on future products and initiatives.”

Kelly Harvin, Global Director of Channel Partnerships for Worldline, added: “eCommerce customers can leverage the partnership between Worldline and BR-DGE to quickly enable payments acceptance globally, including key growth corridors like South Korea, India, and many countries in Latin America.”

Relocations

CGI

CGI celebrate the official opening of its Scottish Borders office earlier in November.

Scottish Borders Council Leader Councillor Euan Jardine attended even of the new headquarters. The global IT and business consulting services company has invested significantly in the move to the new office.

Currently it employs more than 70 people in the region, but hopes to increase that number to 125 this year, adding to its overall Scottish workforce of more than 500.

Cllr Jardine commented: “As part of our original contract with CGI, signed in 2016, there was a commitment to develop an IT service centre within the region and I am delighted that this has been delivered in Tweedbank as part of the wider innovation park work.

“This facility will enable CGI to not only support the long-term partnership we have in place, but also other contracts and will provide the opportunity for further growth and new jobs, helping our local economy and creating opportunities for our young people. This includes delivering on their contractual commitment with us of providing 125 jobs.

“We continue to work extremely closely with CGI to deliver our shared ambition of establishing and embedding digital solutions to improve our public services for the benefit of the Council, our partners and our residents.”

Edinburgh Green

Plans have been launched to create one of Edinburgh’s biggest-ever workspace developments featuring the largest electric vehicle charging (EV) hub in Europe.

The proposals for Edinburgh Green will create more than 800,000 square feet of office space with a range of facilities, including a café/events space and a new public park.

As part of the development, around 800 EV charging points will be installed at the site and made available for community use.

Brian Rabinowitz, Director at Shelborn Asset Management, said: “This is one of the most ambitious office developments to be launched in Edinburgh for decades and our plans for Europe’s largest electric vehicle charging hub is key to meeting our ambitious 2030 net zero target.

“Sustainability will be at the heart of this development, which promises to be a game-changer by transforming the common perception of what an office workspace should look like. It will boast modern office accommodation surrounded by spacious landscaped parkland and a range of on-site facilities such as a multi-use pavilion, café/events space, and comprehensive transport links.

“As Edinburgh’s market continues to grow post-pandemic, public and private sector occupiers are demanding a better-quality workspace which give their employees better places to work.

“Edinburgh Green is seeking to respond directly to this, creating a new kind of workspace that optimises a well-connected brownfield site, complete with all the amenities and functionality demanded by both employer and employee alike.”

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