AI is eating the world - can Scotland lead? Guest blog by Richard Lennox, a scaleup adviser who previously held leadership roles at Skyscanner and Current Health

In 2011, Marc Andreessen suggested that “Software Is Eating the World”. And mostly, it has – with software affecting every aspect of our lives. As we begin 2025, we are at the start of a new epoch, with Artificial Intelligence reaching critical mass. The rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, et al. are pushing AI into being a fundamental part of how we all work and innovate.

Contrary to some, I do not think we will see Artificial General Intelligence in 2025. What we will see is increasingly mature and sophisticated AI models capable of tackling significantly more complex tasks, faster. Every significant breakthrough going forward — in medicine, climate solutions, and realistically every other field — will leverage AI to a greater or lesser extent.

Scotland is well-placed to be on the front foot in this new epoch. AI has been a focus in our universities for decades, and with many emerging AI startups, like Malted.AI and Wordsmith AI, there is already momentum.

However, a fundamental opportunity is going under-addressed amidst the hype. AI progress will continue to depend on two critical factors: data and computational power.

AI is energy-intensive; data centres require enormous power supplies to fulfil its computational demands. Globally, data centre innovators are exploring nuclear power to provide the clean energy necessary. The national experience and regulatory landscape mean that this is unlikely to gain traction in the UK quickly enough to be significant. This is where Scotland has a distinct advantage. With the growing renewable energy sector, we can position ourselves as a leader in sustainable AI infrastructure. We already have increasing renewable energy capacity, often with surplus power the National Grid cannot handle, and the necessary capability to create sustainable data centres.

Data is one of our most valuable resources, beyond the AI need for it. Control and ownership will be essential over the next few years. We cannot rely on external nations or organisations to manage this critical resource. By building locally operated data centres, we can secure our data, safeguarding individual and national interests.

The idea is not new. In 2021, the Scottish Government highlighted the potential for green data centres. Yet, while 20 potential strategic data centre sites have been identified, none have progressed to the point of operation and overall progress is glacial. By contrast, since 2021, several new data centres in south west England are becoming operational.

As we start the new year, I suggest a bold yet achievable vision: Scotland should build at least five new AI data centres by the end of 2026 and a further twenty over the next 5 years. These data centres should be powered with renewable energy, directly partnering with power producers for a sustainable energy supply. I am not suggesting that this would be easy. It would require significant public-private commitments to overcome challenges. Yet I see nothing intractable.

AI is already reshaping the world. Investing in AI computational capacity alongside renewable energy infrastructure is an economic necessity. Such infrastructure has the potential to position Scotland as the UK leader in AI development, data management, and green technology, with much broader economic benefits. We have the resources, expertise, and opportunity. However, leadership in this area requires the will to act.

Building stronger startup communities with AI, guest blog by Barry McDonald, VP of Community, CodeBase

Remember the early days of startup communities? They were all about coffee meetups, business card exchanges, and hoping you'd bump into the right mentor, peer, or investor. While that human touch remains irreplaceable, artificial intelligence is revolutionising how startup communities connect, learn, and grow together.

Perhaps we should start to think of AI as your community's silent partner, working behind the scenes to make magic happen. Here’s how I think these smart tools are transforming startup ecosystems and making entrepreneurship more accessible than ever.

Almost gone are the days of random networking, although I still fly the flag for serendipitous encounters. AI-powered platforms like LinkedIn's advanced algorithms and Wellfound are now like skilled matchmakers, analysing profiles and interests to connect founders with exactly the right mentors, investors, or partners.  Imagine walking into a startup event where an AI has already identified the three people you absolutely need to meet – that's the future we're living in.

Every founder's journey is unique, and AI understands that. Platforms like Feedly AI and Udacity's personalised learning paths can curate content specific to each startup's needs. Tools like Maven and Coursera's AI-powered recommendation systems serve up relevant articles, courses, and webinars tailored to specific challenges, whether that's a fundraising strategy or product development.

Remember when market research meant endless hours of Google searches? AI tools like CB Insights and Crunchbase now act like your personal research assistant, analysing market trends, tracking competitors, and identifying opportunities in real-time. For customer insights, tools like Google Analytics with AI insights and Mixpanel can help predict which features your customers will love next.

Running a startup community is like juggling while riding a unicycle – there's always too much to do. AI helps by taking care of the routine stuff: Zapier's AI automations handle workflows, while Notion AI streamlines documentation and planning. Community management platforms like Commsor use AI to track engagement and identify members who might need extra attention.

Some of the most exciting AI applications are in collaborative innovation. Platforms like IdeaScale use AI to enhance brainstorming and problem-solving sessions. For product development, tools like ProductBoard's AI features help teams make data-driven decisions about feature prioritisation.

Understanding community sentiment is crucial. Tools like MonkeyLearn and Brandwatch help monitor what people are saying about your startup or community across social media and forums. For gathering direct feedback, platforms like Typeform's AI analysis features can help make sense of survey responses and identify trends.

When it's time to scale, AI tools like HubSpot's AI features and GrowthBot can optimise marketing campaigns and identify new growth opportunities. For financial planning, platforms like QuickBooks AI and Xero's analytics help startups make smarter decisions about their resources.

Here's the beautiful thing about AI in startup communities: it's not about replacing human connections – it's about enhancing them.

The key is finding the right balance – using AI to handle the mechanical aspects of community building while preserving the warmth and authenticity that make startup communities special. When we get this balance right, we create spaces where innovation thrives and entrepreneurs can focus on what they do best: building amazing things.

Edinburgh hotel boom collides with rural gloom, by Jeremy Grant

Last week, Edinburgh Airport notched up another milestone when Emirates operated the inaugural flight of the airline’s new Airbus A350 aircraft to the Scottish capital from Dubai.

Economy class passengers dined on Scottish smoked salmon, cheddar with Nairn's oatcakes and Walker’s shortbread, while business class was offered the more upscale delights of Lanark blue cheese soup, Angus beef fillet and cranachan cheesecake with raspberry coulis. 

 If airline menus offer an allegory for economic bifurcation, the hotels business provides another. 

 Last week Knight Frank, the property agents, revealed that investment in Scotland’s commercial property sector last year was up 30 per cent by deal value on the previous year. 

Hotels dominated, with investment more than doubling on 2023’s level to £488 million. Notably, Edinburgh accounted for more than half of hotel deals by value at £247m. That was more than was ploughed into hotels in the whole of Scotland in 2023.

The reason is clear: booming tourism, especially from abroad. Emirates’ Dubai-Edinburgh flight is one of 18 long-haul routes handled at Edinburgh Airport, which had only two such routes as recently as 2012. 

Almost one third of the 16m visitors to Scotland in 2023 came to Edinburgh, according to Visit Scotland. Of that third, the proportion from abroad was 29 per cent higher than in 2022. Domestic tourist arrivals fell by two per cent. 

Small wonder that foreign investors are following the money and snapping up hotels. Dubai-based Dutco Group last month bought Bruntsfield Hotel in Edinburgh, its second acquisition since buying the five-star Mar Hall hotel and golf resort near Glasgow a year earlier. Recent restrictions on Airbnb lets have further boosted the sector, which may well shrug off the imposition in 2026 of a five per cent visitor levy, confirmed last week. 

Yet the flip side was on display last week too. In the latest edition of the popular Holyrood Sources podcast, First Minister John Swinney and his deputy, Kate Forbes, were quizzed about the impact of business rates and associated relief on hotels and hospitality businesses located away from big cities – in places like Dumfries and Galloway. 

Geoff Aberdein, one of the podcast hosts and a former chief of staff to the late Alex Salmond, wanted to know if the Scottish government was prepared to revisit, post-budget, how business rates are assessed after highlighting the plight of Duncan McConchie, a farmer and hotelier near Gatehouse of Fleet. He had just taken to social media to explain that business rates and other factors had forced the imminent closure to the public of Gather, his restaurant, and its conversion to a wedding venue. 

Forbes pointed out that England assesses business rates relief in a way that results in bigger businesses effectively funding tax breaks for their smaller counterparts – unlike in Scotland. “We have said we are open to changing the methodology. The key is getting something that everyone can get behind,” she said. 

Whether anything comes of this will be too late for businesses like McConchie’s, which must also deal with increased employer national insurance, seasonality and rurality. “Lurking in the background is also the lack of housing. Our youngsters are leaving in droves,” McConchie tells me. “It’s a perfect storm.”

Listen to Honest Abe and tend to the tree not the shadow, by Nick Freer

After another year orbiting the Sun while advising some of Scotland’s most exciting companies around all things corporate PR, I guess the aim is to do more of the same in 2025.  As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

I’ve never subscribed to the notion that PR is an overly difficult discipline, although maybe that comes from having now worked in the industry for over three decades. If anything, common sense is the guiding force.  When PR is done well, the press get what they want from a story, and the client is satisfied with the result.  In this sense, the formula is pretty simple.

Of course, like most things in life and work, there are nuances.  Appreciating the nuances - around language, positioning, messaging, timing etc - can make the difference between mediocre and higher quality PR.

As a business leader, there has to be a realisation that PR as a transaction will require give and take. The resulting news story may not be exactly how you wanted it to turn out, but if you can land the majority of your messaging then that is usually a great result.  You can lead the horse to water, but editors will also determine how the water is drunk, and it shouldn’t be any other way.

Sophisticated companies realise that PR is a business fundamental - reputation and brand are just too important for it to be anything else.  And while it’s important when your corporate garden is smelling of roses, it’s arguably more so when the chips are down and CEOs are under pressure.

I’ve heard PR described as a ‘dark art’, conjuring up some kind of J.K. Rowling inspired craft.  Certainly, the rule of thumb is to be as straightforward as possible with the Fourth Estate, as engaging in smoke and mirrors doesn’t usually come off to anyone’s advantage.

Abraham Lincoln said, “character is the tree, reputation is the shadow”, and good PR should translate to tending to the tree, not trying to manipulate the shadow.  If PR is treated as an afterthought, don’t be surprised when you achieve poor press  coverage that doesn’t stack up with the corporate reality.

If you invest in PR, it should pay dividends, effectively communicating your business strategy outside the boardroom and keeping a range of key stakeholders informed.

As a small but highly rated agency, we buy into the maxim that leadership is not about size, it’s about knowledge and wisdom.  We work with small leadership teams, usually comprising CEOs, CFOs and CMOs from client companies, on big stories.  Experience and wisdom comes from advising corporate brands like Deloitte, the BBC, Westfield, J Sainsbury, Trustpilot, Deliveroo, and Skyscanner through the years.

As the press continues its inexorable march towards digital, the goalposts continue to shift around what makes the grade for a business story.  Across the board, business coverage itself is evolving, and so too is the related editorial standard.  So, a standard that used to be more about the big business stories of the day, can today be more about how many eyeballs individual stories achieve, if they convert to subscriptions and so on.

Accordingly, PR must also keep up with the brave new world that is the ever-changing media landscape.

AI - the machine assisted writing is on the wall, by Nick Freer

I was going to write a piece on tech trends for 2025, but to an extent two words would suffice, namely “artificial intelligence”.  As I wrote for this column in September, “AI boom is driving ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’”, when quizzed about AI by Bloomberg in June, Microsoft founder Bill Gates said he thinks we’re seeing “a fundamental advance as any in the history of digital technology”.

And the machine assisted writing is clearly on the wall when you consider that tech giants like Microsoft are investing billions of dollars into AI, in a year in which we saw AI chipmaker Nvidia become the world’s most valuable company.

Writing for the business section in February, startup founder Loral Quinn put her finger on it: “Fast forward to 2024 and AI is mainstream.  If companies don’t have an AI strategy in the next six months they will start to be left behind”.

Penning a piece for this column in October, “AI is becoming the great enabler for rapid business growth”, Darren Auld, the CEO of software delivery specialist ClearSky Logic, wrote that, “AI is no longer optional, it’s essential for any business looking to thrive in the coming decade.  The question therefore is, are you ready to make AI work for you?”.   Look out for an AI survey of Scottish SMEs by ClearSky early next year.

Another tech founder we advise, Legado CEO Josif Grace, guested on the column in November, a piece headlined “Scottish legal firms must take risks to maximise opportunities offered by AI”.  Legado has developed a technology platform to streamline communications that is used by global financial services brands like FNZ, and increasingly by the legal industry.

As Josif put it: “By prioritising AI and innovation and by embracing a Silicon Valley-inspired appetite for risk, Scotland’s legal community can set new standards in efficiency and client service, building a global reputation as a leader in digital transformation.”  Grace highlighted organisations like Amiqus, CodeBase, Burness Paull, Thorntons, and the Law Society of Scotland as being to the fore.

I would also add Edinburgh-based Wordsmith, a startup developing AI tools for law firms, to the mix here and we supported the company’s investment round in June led by VC heavyweights from London and California.  Founded by Ross McNairn, a guy who has helped build and scale two technology unicorns, Wordsmith is definitely “one to watch” on the Scottish startup scene.

Reflecting on his time in San Francisco at Techscaler’s Silicon Valley hub, education technology startup founder Matt Jenner shared his views in The Scotsman around how “AI is on the streets and in our future”, writing: “In San Francisco, companies test AI in real-world environments with real people, moving from pilot projects to strategic infrastructure.  Scotland can adopt this same mindset in our own businesses and this willingness to experiment lends itself to our historic culture of curiosity and innovation.”

While we are right to get excited about plugging in to AI, it is also natural that we harbour collective concerns about its unchecked progress and environmental impact.  Accordingly, responsible AI, governance, and regulation will continue to be key buzzwords around AI strategy in boardrooms in 2025.

The podcast showcasing Scottish tech to the world, guest blog by Amy Kelly, a B2B marketing consultant to fast-growing companies and the co-creator and host of The Braw Tech Podcast

Earlier this year on a rainy day in Edinburgh, I sat in a coffee shop with Louise Mather, the Glasgow-based filmmaker, and shared my feeling that while there is so much great stuff happening on the Scottish tech scene, not enough people know about it, particularly beyond our own borders. “Let’s make films about it then,” replied Louise and, after brainstorming our favourite Scottish words, The Braw Tech Podcast was born.

Our mission is to build a channel for Scotland’s tech sector that shows the rest of the world what’s happening here. And of course, with it being a podcast it’s not just about the tech, arguably it’s as much, if not more so, about the people.

Janani Prabhkaran of Unbaggaged, Gigged.ai’s Rich Wilson, Beena Sharma of CCU International, Forumm’s Dan Marrable, Euan Cameron from Willo and Jamie Anderson, Silicon Valley C-suite executive at UserTesting, were among our first interviewees, and we’ve got to hear so many amazing stories along the way – and with more in the pipeline!

From going up against Dragons, scaling up their operations, internationalising, going global, raising investment, building teams, culture and values, there are always so many bases to cover. And from my own experience as a marketer working for Meta, Google, and UserTesting, we want our podcast to have global appeal.

Since launching, it’s encouraging that we’re building audience and engagement worldwide – including North America and Asia. People tell us they love to hear our “Made in Scotland” stories – we need to do more of this to promote our tech sector to the rest of the world. As a nation that is so well documented for all our historic innovation and inventions, why shouldn’t we be known as much for our present day tech?

So, what have we learnt so far? We go on too much about being “small and mighty”, we need to have higher levels of ambition. There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to build more tech companies at the scale of Skyscanner or FanDuel.

We know we have tech founders in Scotland who are shifting paradigms and could be set to revolutionise traditional industry sectors – Willo illustrates that the recruitment sector can move away from CVs and focus on people, while CCU is developing carbon capture technology that could help the corporate world achieve net zero.

In terms of building a successful podcast, the main thing we’re learning is that honest storytelling mixed with creative execution really cuts through and that’s what’s driving engagement on a global level.

And don't forget to have a brilliant audio engineer, we've got one in Jamie Stewart.

From a marketing perspective, when the world is turning to artificial intelligence, the one channel that still speaks directly to an audience in an authentic and human way is a podcast. And through leveraging platforms like Apple, Spotify and YouTube, it’s never been easier for your brand to be heard in all corners of the world.

The T-word: tacking Trump's tariffs, guest blog by Novosound CEO and co-founder Dave Hughes

As a Scot, I can’t help but admire our nation’s knack for calling it like we see it. The late Janey Godley’s famous sign about Donald Trump comes to mind - it’s succinct, blunt, and unmistakably Scottish - but the challenges a Trump presidency presents to UK plc is no joke.

With tariffs potentially reaching 25 per cent on goods imported from the UK into the U.S., the cost of doing business in one of our most important markets is set to rise. While U.S. importers technically pay the tariff, the ripple effect impacts exporters like Novosound, as buyers look to offset increased costs. For a company earning 70 per cent of its revenue in North America, this presents a challenge - but it’s also an opportunity to innovate, strengthen partnerships, and adapt our strategies to continue thriving.

A fortnight ago, I had the privilege of speaking at the Scottish North American Business Council’s 'Doing Business in the USA Masterclass' in Edinburgh. This event provided insights into the U.S. market  - Scotland's largest international trading partner - and sparked discussions with senior trade officials and advisers on the implications of tariffs for businesses like ours.

At Novosound, we have built our success on innovation and adaptability. Our thin-film ultrasound sensors are flexible, scalable, and more affordable than existing technology. This gives us a technological and commercial competitive edge, even with tariffs pushing up costs. More importantly, it allows us to adapt quickly to changing markets. When the rules shift, we don’t complain, we innovate.

One of our key strategies is fostering strong partnerships with U.S. organisations. For example, collaborating with key players at the Texas Medical Centre, medical device companies such as Nasdaq-listed PAVmed, and major industrial players means our technology is becoming a core component integrated into products worldwide. This does not just help us mitigate the risks of increased tariffs, it makes us indispensable to the supply chain. With the Buy America Act favouring U.S. goods, these partnerships are more critical than ever to our growth.

But let’s be clear: we’re not just reacting to challenges, we’re building on opportunities. The U.S. market remains an incredible space for us. Whether it’s enabling high-resolution medical imaging or wide-area industrial monitoring, our technology solves critical problems for sectors from healthcare to energy. That demand doesn’t disappear because of tariffs; if anything, it grows.

What keeps me optimistic is the blend of Scottish resilience and pragmatism that’s at the core of the company we spun out of the University of the West of Scotland in 2018.  From day one, we’ve been committed to being a global company. That means navigating tough trade environments, building trust with partners, and staying laser-focused on delivering value.

Trump’s tariffs are a challenge, sure, but they’re also a chance to prove what we’re made of. By doubling down on innovation, strengthening our U.S. relationships, and staying adaptable, we’re not just surviving this storm - we’re coming out stronger. Scottish ingenuity got us here, and it’ll see us through.

AI in the legal sector: Scotland's opportunity to lead transformation, guest blog by Legado CEO and founder Josif Grace

The legal profession is experiencing a profound transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) adoption accelerates worldwide. AI is reshaping back-office functions like document processing, research automation, and data management, allowing firms to streamline routine tasks and enhance accuracy. According to McKinsey’s latest findings, nearly 72% of global organisations have adopted AI in some capacity, with professional services firms seeing significant efficiency gains as AI becomes essential for maintaining competitiveness.

Leading firms such as Allen & Overy and Wilson Sonsini are setting the pace, using AI not just to drive efficiency but to rethink their entire operational models. Although much of AI’s impact remains in back-office functions, its potential for transforming client interactions is increasingly clear. As clients demand faster, seamless digital services, law firms are realising that AI isn’t merely a cost-saving measure - it’s a strategic tool to improve service quality, responsiveness, and the overall client experience.

Scotland is well-positioned to lead this AI-driven change within the legal sector. Initiatives like the Law Society of Scotland’s LawscotTech platform are actively fostering partnerships between law firms and tech innovators to develop solutions that are both smart and compliant. Scotland’s legal tech ecosystem is further bolstered by communities like CodeBase and FinTech Scotland, which encourage collaboration, and programs like Addleshaw Goddard’s AG Elevate accelerator, which equips ambitious tech firms with the legal support and mentorship they need to scale effectively.

However, for Scotland to fully capitalise on these strengths, it must adopt a more ambitious approach to AI and technology adoption. During my time in Silicon Valley, I saw first-hand how a high appetite for risk and experimentation can fuel rapid growth and innovation. This willingness to take calculated risks, though not always easy, allowed companies to test, refine, and deploy solutions at a speed that led to substantial gains. For Scotland’s legal sector to achieve similar results, firms need to foster a similar mindset. Embracing a proactive approach to experimentation and collaboration with tech companies is crucial for staying competitive and realising the full potential of technologies.

Scotland’s tech ecosystem is already home to companies pushing the legal sector forward. Amiqus, for example, works with firms like Thorntons and Burness Paull to simplify regulatory compliance and streamline identity verification, and know-your-customer processes. Legado, meanwhile, partners with Co-op Legal Services - the largest provider of probate and estate administration in England and Wales - enabling firms to manage sensitive client information more effectively and enhance the overall client experience.

The potential for Scotland’s legal sector to lead in AI-driven professional services is substantial. The tools, talent, and foundational infrastructure are in place, but achieving true transformation requires a shift in perspective. By prioritising AI and innovation and by embracing a Silicon Valley-inspired appetite for risk, Scotland’s legal community can set new standards in efficiency and client service, building a global reputation as a leader in digital transformation.

The future of legal services belongs to those willing to innovate and push boundaries. Scotland’s law firms and tech partners are in a unique position to lead this charge - but they must be prepared to take bold steps if they are to fully realise this opportunity.

Scottish exporters circumspect on Trump tariffs, by Nick Freer

There is that saying that when America sneezes, the world catches a cold.  These words came back to me this week as I had to miss a US presidential election results briefing run by the Scottish North American Business Council (SNABC) due to being under the weather.  

Hosted by Burness Paull, supported by Delta Airlines and international tax specialists USTAXFS, I was keen to hear about takeaways from the event as I sat at home in front of the box watching CNN with a Lemsip, so was pleased to hear from SNABC’s executive director Allan Hogarth later in the day. 

Hogarth says that while SNABC looks forward to working with the incoming president, in so small part because of Trump's not insignificant investments in the country,”there is also a collective hope that the campaign threat of an imposition of tariffs on Scottish imports will not come to pass, as this will damage the prospects of exports to our biggest export market, while adding costs to our valued US customers".

Scottish Government statistics indicate the value of exports to the US totalled around £4 billion in 2023, representing approximately 11 per cent of Scotland’s total exports and up by 6.8 per cent on the previous year.

Catching up with William Dobbie, Managing Director of R&B Distillers, owners of Isle of Raasay Distillery, William remarked: “The risk of any tariff being imposed on the industry is huge for a small distiller like ourselves.  In Trump’s previous term, the 25 per cent tariff was enacted at a time when the Scotch whisky market was more buoyant than it is today, so a new tariff from the largest value single malt market would be a massive challenge for growth.” 

Another popularised phrase comes to mind this week, “It’s the economy stupid”, coined by Bill Clinton adviser James Carville in 1992 as Clinton made a successful run for the White House.  Commentators agree that the perceived failings of the US economy by the electorate was the biggest knockout blow to the Harris ticket, particularly across the blue collar demographic in key swing states.  

In spite of his personality failings, a large proportion of US business leaders believe Trump to be the more pro business candidate, with a plan to cut taxes, remove red tape, translating to increased corporate earnings.  For Big Tech and Wall Street, there is an expectation that regulation will be significantly eased.  Many of the so-called ‘tech and finance bros’ will be raising a glass to the Chief MAGA Officer in upmarket bars this weekend.

Helpfully for Trump, he actually inherits a relatively strong economy - on Wednesday the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that gross domestic product grew at a seasonally adjusted annualised rate of 2.8 per cent.

In the immediate term, the US dollar and stocks are viewed as winners, while market commentators are more circumspect about how a Republican presidency will impact bonds, emerging markets, trade policy, clean energy, and sustainable investing.  Snakes and ladders, anyone?

Having grown up in a university campus town in the US Midwest, I still feel a close affinity to the States and, as an agency, we’ve advised corporations from New York to Silicon Valley.  Irrespective of our connections to Uncle Sam, undoubtedly the United States of America will continue to have an outsized impact on all of our lives.

Founders' journey: From Bollywood to Silicon Valley, by Nick Freer

While out to get an airing earlier this week, I made it along to a Shepherd + Wedderburn ‘fireside chat’ themed as “Transatlantic M&A: Sold in the USA!”, supported by RBC Brewin Dolphin and Turing Fest.  Led by the legal firm’s Stephen Trombola, a highly rated corporate partner on the Scottish tech scene, the line-up of founders was impressive.

Calum Smeaton’s TVSquared was acquired by advertising platform Innovid for approximately $160 million in 2022, Chris Wright’s DeltaDNA was bought by San Francisco-based gaming giant Unity for an undisclosed sum in 2019, and Varun Nair’s Two Big Ears was snapped up by a certain Facebook back in 2016.

The founding stories of each company were fascinating, not least Varun’s Bollywood to Silicon Valley journey, starting his career in post-production in Mumbai, relocating to Scotland where he completed a masters at Edinburgh College of Art, before developing immersive audio technology that became coveted by tech giants like Google and the company’s eventual acquirer.

If there were commonalities around each founder’s thoughts on the night, then product development and pivots, investment and investors, the makeup of the co-founding team, US and international strategy, and that most important factor, a good helping of luck and good fortune, were to the fore.

For Two Big Ears, Icelandic songstress Björk utilised the startup’s tech for an immersive virtual reality video in 2015, using a headset that turned a smartphone into a virtual reality device.  The publicity around this helped get Varun and his co-founder Abesh Thakur globally recognised, and it wasn’t long after that US tech giants started circling.  Drop me a DM if you’ve got a founder’s story any better than this one!

At FutureScot’s “DigitalGlasgow” conference at University of Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre on Thursday, talks, panel sessions, and chats around the drink stations centred on subjects ranging from startups to scaleups, and healthcare to space tech, with many of Scotland’s main players in these areas in situ.

Loud clapping accompanied Mark Logan to the stage during his final stretch as chief entrepreneurial adviser to the Scottish Government, proving that while some quarters of the media took potshots at his role, Logan has near unanimous support from the individuals out on the coalface that is Scotland’s technology ecosystem.

At the heart of Logan’s approach to Scotland’s technology ecosystem is what he describes as the “widening of the funnel”, equating to the creation of more tech startups and scaleups, some who will go on to achieve unicorn status like one of his former employers, Skyscanner.

So it was fitting that one such Scottish scaleup, a University of Strathclyde spinout no less, joined Logan for a Q&A panel session.  Producing vast quantities of healthy and sustainable protein is one of the world’s most urgent priorities, and ENOUGH’s CFO Elaine Ferguson shared the company’s bold vision is to help address this.

In the face of a climate emergency, the world needs 100 million tonnes of sustainable, non-animal protein, and ENOUGH has built a plant in the Netherlands to help achieve this target.  Ferguson’s advice for ambitious startups in the room?  Be bold, culture is key, live by your values, and establish and follow processes as you grow.   

AI is on the streets, and in our future, guest blog by Matt Jenner, Founder of Coursensu

Picture San Francisco; hilly, like Scotland - but no match for the history. A wee bit warmer perhaps but comparable ambition and also a magnet for global citizens. I recently visited and noticed something striking: AI isn’t confined to labs and offices - it’s everywhere. From self-driving cars weaving through traffic to billboards promoting automation, AI is integrated into the city's fabric. This visual, tangible presence of AI on the streets is a powerful reminder of how technology influences every corner of our lives.

For startups, educators, and innovators in the Scottish tech sector, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. AI is not a distant trend - it’s already here. To keep pace, we need to adopt a tactical approach that evolves into strategic implementation. We can all start with serious learning experiments, pick something and use it to learn AI with purpose. Ultimately, we must aim for deeper, systemic integration.

AI still carries many unknowns, the beauty within this is the inherent flexibility and potential to experiment. In San Francisco, companies test AI in real-world environments with real people, moving from pilot projects to strategic infrastructure over time. Scotland can adopt this same mindset in our own businesses and this willingness to experiment lends itself to our historic culture of curiosity and innovation.

But experimentation without a clear goal won’t get us far. That’s why it’s crucial to have a vision of how these experiments could scale into fully-fledged, strategic technical implementation. AI is a tool, but the way we use it can define whether we’re simply keeping up with trends or becoming pioneers in our own right.

Take Coursensu as an example. I founded my EdTech (Education Technology) company in Edinburgh, incorporated in Scotland and am supported by Techscaler, the Scottish startup accelerator. Coursensu is a learning design platform, it provides a collaborative visual canvas to plan and prepare engaging learning experiences. I started the company because millions of people still learn from courses and training designed in a spreadsheet.

Initially, AI was an optional extra - users could experiment when they wanted. However, I made it a strategic priority from day one. As the platform evolves, so too has the role of AI. Now, Coursensu offers users much more choice with how they want to use the AI co-pilot. This has evolved alongside AI, and as the capabilities have expanded AI has become more embedded.

Our journey with AI illustrates that when we started small with experiments it didn’t curtail thinking big. What began as optional is now integral to the platform’s functionality, and users increasingly rely on AI to assist with tasks, making learning more dynamic and personalised, while operating at scale. This is the trajectory AI will take in many industries - it begins as an add-on, then becomes foundational.

Much like San Francisco’s autonomous cars, AI is part of the infrastructure of modern life. The question isn’t whether AI will become part of your business - it’s whether you’ll be an active participant or just watch as it goes past. Like a taxi, you can either jump in, or you can stand by while others head off. The choice is yours, but make no mistake - AI is here, and it’s not slowing down.

AI: the great enabler for business growth, guest blog by ClearSky Logic CEO and co-founder Darren Auld

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming the great enabler for businesses looking to scale, innovate, and outpace their competition.  No longer reserved for tech giants, AI is now accessible to companies of all sizes.  The question is no longer “if” AI should be part of your strategy, but “how”.  

When we engage with clients and peers, we talk about a four pillar approach that helps to ensure that the AI journey is as effective as possible, while also de-risking the investment to the greatest extent.

 The first step, or pillar, in AI adoption isn’t about jumping into the latest technology, it’s more about identifying a core business challenge that is holding you back.  Whether it’s inefficiencies, bottlenecks, or a lack of scalability, AI should be implemented to solve a specific, measurable problem that’s preventing growth.  This focus ensures that AI is aligned with your business goals from the outset. 

Ask yourself, what is the most critical business problem that, if solved, could unlock exponential growth?  By clearly defining this problem, you can establish measurable metrics and forecast the return on investment (ROI). 

Secondly, the foundation of any successful AI implementation is high-quality data.  Data powers AI’s ability to generate insights, make predictions, and automate processes.  If your data is fragmented, unstructured, or inaccurate, your AI initiatives will struggle to gain traction.  

Businesses in industries like financial services are already using AI to automate underwriting, streamline risk assessment, and improve fraud detection.  But these gains are only possible if the underlying data is accessible, relevant, and reliable.  Investing in data management and governance is not just an operational necessity, it’s a strategic asset that drives the success of AI initiatives. 

The third pillar we espouse is around launching pilot projects once the problem is defined and the data is ready.  At ClearSky Logic, we aim to deliver working AI prototypes within 12 weeks.  The rapid time frame is made possible by the use of cloud computing, which provides the scalability, speed, and flexibility required to deploy AI solutions quickly and cost effectively. 

Throughout the pilot it’s essential to track the metrics you set under pillar one, so is the AI solution meeting your expectations?  If not, evaluate whether the issue lies in the technology, the data, or a larger business challenge.  Pilots allow you to iterate, learn, and refine before scaling AI across the business.

Pillar four is around what we describe as the continuous AI evolution; AI is not a one-time project, it’s an ongoing strategic asset.  The business landscape is always shifting, and so are the ways in which AI can deliver value.

Today, in plain language, investing in AI is a no-brainer, and to not invest may lead to peril.  Consider this: in the next five to ten years, companies with advanced AI capabilities will outpace competitors that have delayed AI adoption.

Investors and acquirers will seek out companies that are ahead on the AI curve, so a business that successfully integrates AI isn’t just more valuable today, it’s positioned for future value. 

AI is no longer optional, it’s essential for any business looking to thrive in the coming decade.  The question therefore is, are you ready to make AI work for you? 

Floating offshore wind awaits big bang to move Scotland into the future, by Jeremy Grant

“Energy is our heritage, but it is also our future,” declared Gillian Owen, Aberdeenshire Council’s leader last week at a reception for an annual floating offshore wind conference in the Granite City.

Fresh from news that GB Energy’s headquarters is to create hundreds of jobs in Aberdeen, there is a sense of guarded optimism about the prospects for offshore wind in the Northeast.

Much is rightly made of offshore wind’s role in enabling the switch from fossil fuels to tackle the climate crisis. But meeting the ambition for floating wind farms – which are tethered to the sea floor by anchors and cables, unlike their fixed-bottom cousins – is a huge challenge.

That’s because it is commercially unproven at scale. The few floating wind farms that exist, off Scotland and Norway, are small and partly designed to test the technology.

The vision for floating wind’s role in the energy mix is Promethean. The UK is the third largest floating wind market after Italy and the US by announced ambition. Scotland accounts for 75% of what’s supposed to be operational in UK waters by 2030. Most of this is to come from the ScotWind project and INTOG, a scheme under which oil rigs are to be decarbonised by switching to wind-generated power from diesel.

Yet rising costs have dogged offshore wind developers globally, casting doubt on the viability of wind farms far out at sea. Some believe that plans may have to be scaled back, or refocused on fixed-bottom where there is a commercial track record and more parts standardisation. At the conference, hosted by Scottish Renewables and RenewableUK, an American-owned company called OSI Renewables demonstrated a scale model of a cheaper crossover between floating and fixed platform for use at the 60-metre depth where floating starts to be viable.

Industry is disappointed that the UK government’s latest subsidy round to incentivise commercialisation last month included only one floating wind project, an INTOG project called Green Volt, Europe's largest floating windfarm, which will be headquartered in Aberdeen. 

Further hurdles are grid upgrades, supply chain gaps, adaptation of port infrastructure and project consent, although John Swinney, Scotland’s First Minister, sought to reassure the conference with repeated mentions of “policy certainty”.

Still, there are signs of incremental progress, if not the big bang needed to de-risk offshore wind and unlock financing and insurance. Work is progressing on adapting the subsea technology used in oil and gas at the Floating Wind Innovation Centre, the world’s first facility for developing floating offshore wind technology and based in the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), an industrial park next to Port of Aberdeen. Mooreast, a Singaporean company, is working with the ETZ on plans for a factory that would produce the huge anchors and foundations needed to tether an offshore wind platform to the seabed.

There is also ambition. A report by a government-industry floating offshore wind taskforce, unveiled at the conference, says floating turbines could be Britain’s biggest industrial success story by providing a third of the UK’s offshore wind capacity by 2050, creating almost 100,000 jobs – “if the right measures are put in place to enable more projects to go ahead faster”.

How Scotland can compete on the global tech stage, guest blog by Josif Grace, CEO and Founder of Legado

When I first set foot in Silicon Valley, it felt like stepping into the engine room of global innovation. Working at RocketSpace - a technology scale-up accelerator and corporate innovation consultancy - put me in the midst of a unique and thriving ecosystem.

It was home to unicorns like Uber and Spotify, companies that grew from ideas into global giants through a combination of access to capital, talent, and a relentless focus on innovation. The experience taught me that a powerful ecosystem is essential to nurture tech companies, allowing them to scale rapidly and create world-class solutions.

Fast-forward to today, and I now lead Legado, a rapidly growing technology company based in Edinburgh. Reflecting on my time in Silicon Valley, I can see how Scotland - particularly Edinburgh - has quietly but significantly transformed into a thriving tech hub. Parallels between the two tech ecosystems are becoming more evident with each passing year.

While Edinburgh might not have the same scale as San Francisco, the evolution of Scotland’s tech ecosystem, championed by organisations such as FinTech Scotland, Scottish Financial Enterprise, and CodeBase, has made Edinburgh a standout destination for innovation and growth. These organisations have created an environment that mirrors some of the most important attributes of Silicon Valley: access to capital, talent, and customers, all in one place.

For early-stage companies, these three elements are critical to success. Silicon Valley’s strength lies in its ability to connect brilliant minds with the financial backing they need to rapidly iterate, pivot, and scale their ideas. The region is a playground of venture capitalists, customers eager to adopt new technology, and a vast pool of talent ready to join the next unicorn. Edinburgh, with its growing tech community and vibrant financial sector, is increasingly offering similar opportunities.

While venture capital investment in Scotland may not yet rival Silicon Valley’s scale, it is undeniably on the rise. Edinburgh has established itself as a hub for innovation, supported by a growing number of investors who recognise the potential here. Companies like the FNZ Group and Souter Investments have not only provided essential financial backing to Legado, but also valuable strategic insights.

Alongside these, investors such as Par Equity, Equity Gap, Maven Capital Partners, ForesightEU, and SEP are playing a vital role in fostering the growth of the broader tech ecosystem. Their support has enabled us, and others, to scale faster and smarter, all while developing products that address real customer needs.

But it’s not just about the capital. The strength of Edinburgh’s ecosystem lies in the collaboration between tech companies and forward-thinking institutions. With a rich talent pool driven by the city’s globally renowned universities and a well-established financial services sector, there’s a perfect blend of expertise and opportunity.

Scotland’s tech landscape is undoubtedly fertile, and we’ve seen this play out in the success of local technology scale-ups such as Amiqus, Aveni, and BR-DGE. These companies are blazing a trail, showing that Scottish innovation can thrive on the global stage.

However, to truly compete we need to foster a culture that embraces greater ambition and the kind of risk-taking that drives monumental success. The future is bright for Scottish tech, but to fully realise that potential, we must adopt the mindset of Silicon Valley - where calculated risks lead to transformative rewards.

AI powering 'Fourth Industrial Revolution', by Nick Freer

In a recent Bloomberg interview with Bill Gates, when quizzed about artificial intelligence (AI) the Microsoft founder said he thinks we’re seeing a “fundamental advance as important as any in the history of digital technology”.

Tech giants like Microsoft are investing tens of billions of dollars into AI, not only backend capacity but also to reengineer their applications so they are more productive.

On the subject of AI chipmaker Nvidia becoming the world’s most valuable company earlier this year, Gates was asked if he worried that we’re seeing bubble valuations around AI stocks.  “Multiples aren’t as high as during the internet bubble and the growth is real”, said Gates, “I mean, AI is not Pets dot com”.

This week, Nvidia’s stock rose by more than 2 per cent after an industry report projected “unprecedented” levels of investment in artificial intelligence and related technology infrastructure to stay on top of the AI boom.

AI has an insatiable need for electricity and it is draining power grids worldwide.  For Gates, this presents an obvious conundrum.  In 2015, he founded Breakthrough Energy, a venture capital firm set up to invest in emerging climate technologies.

Taking a quick look at artificial intelligence stories across the news this week, we can see its phenomenal scope - from detecting new archaeological sites in the desert, to actors John Cena and Judi Dench providing voicing for Meta’s chatbot.  Unquestionably, AI is now all-pervading, and it is no surprise that many commentators describe it as being the main driver of the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

The idea of algorithms pretending to be humans and distorting information systems is one of the concepts considered by author Yuval Noah Harari in ‘Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI’, published earlier this month.

Harari uses the example of going onto Twitter/X, where you see a story with a lot of traffic and traction, and the natural assumption is that a lot of humans are interested in it.  Many of these stories, asserts Harari, are actually generated by bots and algorithms.  As he puts it, “we shouldn’t have a situation where algorithms that pretend to be humans are running our conversations”.

Nexus outlines how the corporate algorithms of Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and others deliberately spread fiction, hate, fear, and greed because this is good for their business interests.  Further still, this is what they should be liable for, namely the decisions and actions of their algorithms, as opposed to what human users are doing on their platforms.

Comparing organic information (human) versus inorganic information (algorithms), Nexus gets to the root of one of our great modern dilemmas: human beings work in cycles, sometimes we work, sometimes we need sleep, but algorithms are tireless.  “What see in the world now”, says Harari, “is that algorithms increasingly make us work at their pace, there is never any time to rest - the news cycle, markets, politics, they are always on”.

Harari frequently returns to paradoxes: for instance, we have named ourselves Homo sapiens, meaning the wise human - but if we are so wise, why are we doing so many self-destructive things?

Right, I’m off to unplug our Alexa, at least for the weekend.

A new dawn awaits the Scottish space sector, guest blog by Dr Andy Campbell, CEO and Founder of Scottish Space Network

“Earth sure looks like a perfect world.” The words of Jared Issacmann, Commander of the privately funded SpaceX mission ‘Polaris Dawn’, as he exited the Crew Dragon capsule on 12th September. Travelling at over 18,000mph at an altitude 450 miles above earth, Issacmann’s EVA (Extra vehicular Activity) or spacewalk in common parlance, marked a new era in commercial space exploration, laying the foundations for a shift towards civilian and commercial led missions.

 These missions, unfairly dismissed as billionaires having fun, are critical for testing new space flight technologies, spacesuits, science and human ability, essential steps towards future commercial operations for low earth orbit, lunar and deeper space activities.

 As space activity becomes more commercially driven, the Polaris Dawn mission opens the door for a new type of space workforce of the future, a workforce who could, in the near future, be responsible for constructing and maintaining habitats and infrastructure in space and on the moon.

 Similar to Scotland’s oil and gas industry sending engineers ‘offshore’, space will soon require a skilled, versatile workforce capable of working ‘off planet’ with all the training, logistics, H&S and infrastructure behind it. This vision will be supported by advancements in robotics to augment human capabilities, enabling construction and maintenance operations safely in the harshest environments.

 As Issacman was experiencing the ‘Overview Effect’ my feet were on terra firma at the inaugural Space-Comm Expo at the SEC, Glasgow. This event underscored the rapid growth and ambition of the Scottish space sector. With Glasgow recognised as the largest small satellite manufacturing hub outside of California, Scotland has become a key player in the global space economy. The sector is expected to generate over 12,000 highly-skilled jobs within the next decade, driven by innovative companies such as AAC Clydespace and Spire who’ve made Glasgow their Scottish base.

 At the expo, Richard Lochhead, Scotland's business minister, pointed out that Scotland is continuing its long tradition of innovation as the space sector increasingly supports crucial industries like telecommunications, agriculture and financial services to name a few. It’s now becoming clear how space technology can transform various sectors and economies here on earth.

 The UK Space Agency has been pivotal in fostering Scotland's space ambitions, supporting the development of launch capabilities at SaxaVord and Sutherland spaceports. These facilities are set to handle up to 42 vertical launches annually, further solidifying Scotland's role in the global space race. Additional investments demonstrate commitment to ensuring Scotland becomes a leading destination for innovation driven space entrepreneurs.

 As Scotland builds its "end-to-end" space sector capability, from launch, satellites and data, a wealth of opportunities for business and employment will be created, driving economic prosperity and growth. This will need to be powered in part by private sector investment and dedicated entrepreneurial and commercial support.

In the coming decades, I am in no doubt we will see a future where workers trained in space operations will leave Earth just as routinely as engineers head offshore today from Scottish soil. The fusion of human ingenuity, robotic innovation and scientific research will accelerate the commercialisation and industrialisation of space, cementing Scotland's place as a gateway to the stars.

To Infinity and Beyond! By Nick Freer

To infinity and beyond!  We all know space from the big screen, but the cosmos can also seem like a place in a galaxy far far away.  However, all things interstellar came into much closer view this week as the UK’s largest industry space event, Space-Comm Expo, landed in Glasgow.

With a focus on the commercial future of space, we were reminded that turnover in the UK sector reached over £17 billion in 2022, the latest recorded year, equating to around 6 per cent of the global space market.

Within the UK context, Scotland’s space sector is projected to achieve revenue of £4 billion within the next six years, more than doubling the current level of jobs, estimated to be in the region of 10,000 today.   

Among our starring domestic players is Scottish rocket manufacturer Orbex, recently raising £16.7 million, including a large cheque from Scottish National Investment Bank, as the company, whose technology is powered by renewable biofuel, gears up for the launch of its satellite transportation vessel Prime .  To date, Orbex has raised over £100 million from domestic and international VCs.

The UK’s only other rocket manufacturer, Skyrora, is also Scotland-headquartered, based in Glasgow with a manufacturing site in Cumbernauld.   On a similar trajectory to Orbex, the company’s three-stage Skyrora XL rocket, powered by 3D printed engines, continues to prepare for its inaugural launch at the Sutherland Spaceport, located on a remote site at the A’Mhoine peninsula, west of Tongue on Scotland’s north coast.

A relatively new entrant to the nation’s space conversation is the Scottish Space Network, which recently set out plans to secure more inward investment for the sector here.  Look out for a more informed piece here from its CEO, Dr Andy Campbell, next week.

Only a giant leap away from Space-Comm Expo, at Skypark in Glasgow’s Finnieston on Thursday evening, Scotland’s Smart Things Accelerator Centre (STAC) marked the opening of its ‘thebeyond’ campus, a facility comprising product development labs and co-working, that CEO and co-founder Paul Wilson says is set to be Europe’s largest “smart things” hub.

As STAC approaches its 3rd anniversary, with a blueprint based on his time in Ontario where a similar accelerator launched over 500 startups and created over 5,000 jobs, former Blackberry executive Wilson has ambition built into his DNA.

Writing for The Scotsman a few weeks’ back, STAC’s CEO puts it like this: “Scotland does not suffer from a lack of ambition. What we need is a robust system that continuously cultivates success, encouraging more Scots to realise their potential. At STAC we are dedicated to building this system and demonstrating that Scotland’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.”

STAC has already helped to create and support over 50 early stage ventures in Scotland, companies who have collectively raised over £15 million, and equating to hundreds of jobs.

In June, STAC announced a strategic partnership with Volvo Cars to provide an innovation pipeline for the Swedish carmaker that is a pioneer in the global electric vehicle (EV) market, and a reminder of sorts that until Elon Musk takes humankind to Mars the majority of technology innovation will take place on terra firma.

Connecting our tech ecosystem around the world, guest blog by CodeBase's chief strategy officer Steven Drost

The main function of Techscaler, the Scottish Government’s startup growth programme run by CodeBase, is to grow the economy by inspiring and helping more people to become startup founders in Scotland. We do this by creating a platform that brings together space, education, community, mentorship, and fundraising pathways.

If you want to build a startup in Scotland, Techscaler will always have a next step, a signpost, or a connection for you. In terms of the numbers, the programme has already onboarded over 1,000 startup members, many of whom have gone on to raise money, make hires, and more. Raising investment is one of the hardest things you can do, and we would never want to claim startup founders’ fundraising successes; with that in mind, it’s worth noting that Techscaler member companies have raised an impressive £50m in 2023.

Techscaler itself makes the effort to embody the startup spirit - always moving fast, iterating, seeking to better understand our market and how we can help best, making small bet experiments, measuring outcomes, pivoting, refining - rinse and repeat.

In this very spirit, Techscaler is itself taking a new step and has added a new feature: cost-effective international Techscaler pop-ups.

In February and now again in September, we have opened light touch Techscaler pop-up hubs in San Francisco, where Scottish founders work from a common location, pitch investors and customers, attend and present at meetups, and get to network and learn from Silicon Valley peers.

The feedback we received from San Francisco was great, founders were excited and investment connections were made. So, we are doubling down and doing more.

In October, Scotland-based startup founders will travel to Singapore, working alongside local peers, pitching to investors, and engaging with potential customers. Scotland’s generous and experienced Global Scot community in Singapore are helping prepare the startups with their local knowledge so they hit the ground running. Founders will also be attending the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH 2024) conference, which is one of Asia’s premier networking conferences.

The pop-ups seek to connect our Scottish tech ecosystem with other ecosystems around the world. Connecting ecosystems is the modern approach to economic development. It exposes local talent to global investors, which leads to inward investment. It helps local businesses open new markets and sell abroad, and plugs them into best practice trends and practitioners who are trying to do the same.

More concretely, the international hubs enable our startups and founders to learn about and establish new markets. Think about online travel site Skyscanner, founded in Scotland before opening its first international office in Singapore. From this base, a gateway into APAC, Skyscanner could access regional customers and build its business in Asia.

Of course, Skyscanner also went onto secure investment from Asia-based venture capital firms. And there are other examples of Scottish startups securing investment from APAC VCs, including pureLiFi (the world leader in the innovation and development of mobile communications tech that uses light to transmit data) being backed by Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek.

By exposing our startups to best practice startup techniques from across the world, we can fulfil an important function, because if you want to compete internationally you have to be at least as good as the best startups in your sector, no matter where they are based worldwide.

Steven Drost, Chief Strategy Officer, CodeBase

Sustainable growth and the importance of business tourism, guest blog by EICC CEO Marshall Dallas

At the EICC, we are focused on promoting a more responsible events industry. Last week's launch of our inaugural Impact Report fits directly with this strategy. 

Looking at our performance over the last decade, we disclosed a 60 percent reduction in carbon emissions Scope 1 and 2, a 41 percent reduction in electricity and waste, and a 46 percent reduction in water usage. All whilst doubling the number of events.

Our commitment to making a positive impact on the environment and society is central to our goals as we strive to reach net zero by 2030. Whilst we’re passionate about being one of the most sustainable conference centres worldwide, our raison d’etre is to generate economic impact for Edinburgh. Last year, the economic benefit of events held at EICC totalled £58 million.

To meet global environmental standards, we continuously look at ways to improve.  Last year, we partnered with You.Smart.Thing., an online travel platform that provides personalised low-carbon travel plans. This enabled us to chart that 85 percent of delegates using the tool opted for sustainable travel en route to the venue. 

Locally, our partnership with Olio enables surplus food to be redistributed to community groups, which so far has equated to 750 meals for households around the city.  Nationally, through our Climate Action Contribution initiative with RSPB Scotland, we have secured around £70,000 to date via delegate and dinner guest contributions, with funds going to peatland restoration.  

A series of recent international awards encourage us that we’re on the right track – with the latest this week as the British Chamber of Commerce announced EICC as a finalist in their 2024 awards for Green Innovation.

On the financial front, in February we reported record revenues and profits for 2023.  I am pleased to report that our pipeline of conferences and events remains strong, thanks to the incredible work of our sales and support teams. 

With the support of city partners, including Edinburgh Airport and Edinburgh Hotels Association, we agreed to take Edinburgh Convention Bureau (ECB) out of hibernation and into our guardianship between November 2021 and June 2024. Over that period, 80 new events were confirmed for Edinburgh, generating over £43 million in economic impact. 

While we were disappointed with the decision in May to transfer the ECB into a department of City of Edinburgh Council, we look forward to the evolution of the Convention Bureau.  Edinburgh competing in a global marketplace is essential, and we will support those who do that important work.  

The buoyancy of the hotel sector presents challenges for EICC as bedroom availability decreases while room rates increase. This is primarily due to the popularity of Edinburgh and the vast number of leisure visitors it attracts. Successful cities enjoy a balance of leisure and business visitors. Sustaining this mix over the long-term makes the city less reliant on any single market, protecting it from over-tourism in peak times and maximising occupancy and revenues in trough periods. 

According to VisitScotland statistics, an international business visitor to Scotland spends £447 per day versus £182 spent by a leisure visitor. Therefore, it is vital for Edinburgh’s economy that it has sufficient bed stock to meet the demands of a busy capital city.

Pathways in entrepreneurship, by Nick Freer

Through our longstanding advisory work with St Andrews-based investment firm Eos, we got the opportunity to meet Eos partner Ana Stewart a few years’ back, from memory the first time around was with our go-to contact at the firm, Mark Beaumont, and very possibly at Contini’s in Edinburgh.

I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like Ana Stewart, and I’d worry about anyone who bucks the trend, and then there’s obviously her acumen as an entrepreneur, investor, and non-exec, with those NXD roles including a notable first as the first ever female board member at the Scottish FA.

Arguably, Stewart is now best known for chairing and co-authoring ‘Pathways: a new approach for women in entrepreneurship’, commissioned by Kate Forbes in 2022, at that time the Scottish Government’s finance secretary, subsequently published the following year in February.

During 2023, our agency became a key adviser to Ana, managing PR and comms, with former BBC broadcaster and associate Vanessa Collingridge and I managing a series of events and related media coverage, advising on overall strategy, leading to the creation of Pathways Forward to help guide the recommendations of the Stewart Report towards tangible outcomes and effective change.

Next week, Pathways stages the inaugural Female Founders Growth Summit at RBS Gogarburn, which in Stewart’s own words, “brings our scale-up founders together with the investment community and is focused on energising this often challenging growth stage of the founder journey.”

Our press announcement earlier this week illustrates how far Pathways has come in eighteen months, with Pathways ‘Pledge partners’ - who now include Deloitte, Scottish Enterprise, the University of Strathclyde, the Scottish National Investment Bank, CodeBase, and many others - committing to a number of measures, ranging from the capture and publication of enhanced gender data to evidential increases in female participation rates.

When in Bordeaux

On our summer holiday this year, we travelled to Southwest France, about an hour’s drive west of Toulouse.  Out in the sticks with no WiFi or TV, it was an interesting experiment for the family.  Somewhat ironically, it was difficult to watch the Olympics that were taking place only a few hundred miles north in Paris, but on the night of the men's 1500m final we huddled into the back of a local cafe with locals to watch Josh Kerr’s bittersweet silver medal performance.  Work wise, a couple of urgent matters arose, but by hook or by crook, I was able to jump on a few calls and exchange the necessary emails.

On a trip to Bordeaux, taking a TGV train to the capital of France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, an Airbnb with fully functioning WiFi brought smiles back to young faces.  Alas, those same young faces found it difficult to be torn away from their devices when we ventured out to find a restaurant on the first night in the city often described as ‘Petit Paris’.

To my shock and horror, the majority of our ‘hangry’ bunch decided on an Italian restaurant, and to make matters worse there was not a single Bordeaux on the wine menu… sacre bleu!  Fortunately, we found an authentic local restaurant the following night, the Bordeaux flowed, and I would jump at the chance to return to this charming city.