News
Tech top of agenda for deputy first minister on Canada trade visit
The tech sector will be top of the agenda for a forthcoming trade visit by deputy first minister Kate Forbes to Canada – which she hopes will encourage investment into Scotland. Forbes jets to Toronto and Nova Scotia today where she will meet banks and assets managers – with a focus on getting more investment into Scotland through key sectors such as digital technology, fintech, renewables and clean energy.
Source: FUTURESCOT
Leading lights of life sciences sector to meet in Glasgow
The Scotsman, in partnership with headline sponsor IQVIA, will hold its flagship Life Science Conference 2025 at The Social Hub in Glasgow’s Merchant City on Thursday 27th November. It is described as essential for anyone interested in the future of personalised medicine, biotech entrepreneurship, data-driven healthcare, and green innovation.
Source: The Scotsman
Push to strengthen Scotland-India business ties
As Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer holds high-level talks in India to strengthen UK-India bilateral ties, Neil Lal, chairman and president of The Indian Council of Scotland and United Kingdom, is simultaneously leading a critical trade and diplomacy mission to promote Scotland and the UK as premier destinations for Indian investment, entrepreneurship, and skilled migration.
Source: Scottish Financial News
New boss lined up for UK's farming and aquaculture innovation centre
Farming and aquaculture innovation body the UK Agri-Tech Centre has announced that Marks and Spencer’s head of agriculture and fisheries sourcing, Steve McLean, is to become its new chief executive.
UK Agri-Tech works alongside food producers, SMEs, industry, government and world-class research institutions to accelerate impactful agri-tech innovation, including innovation in aquaculture.
New innovation framework launched to drive Scotland’s bold vision
The Innovation Collaboration Framework, published by Innovate UK, in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, aims to help Scotland realise its bold vision to become one of the most innovative small nations in the world.
Ministers welcome new loans that will ‘kickstart’ business innovation
Ministers have welcomed plans by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for a new type of loan for high-growth businesses, saying it will help “kickstart” business innovation in Scotland.
From next year, Scottish firms will be able to secure borrowing against the value of their intellectual property (IP), instead of traditional assets such as buildings and machinery.
Source: STV
Senior UK government figures get behind Scotland’s Global Investment Summit
Four senior UK government minister will be attending Scotland’s Global Investment Summit in Edinburgh this week, hosted by Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) and the Lord Mayor of London.
Source: Scottish Financial News
How mushroom-powered trees are growing Scotland's future forests
How mushroom-powered trees are growing Scotland's future forests
Pellets developed by Midlothian-based start-up Rhizocore Technologies, contain native ectomycorrhizal fungi that form underground networks to support tree growth.
Source: The Herald
Converge 2025: Awards, Record Funding and New Partnership
Converge has announced the recipients of its 2025 awards, from life-saving food safety technology to breakthrough medical devices, with 22 prizes sharing a total prize pot in excess of £400,000.
This year’s cohort celebrates another exceptional year of university-led innovation, demonstrating Scotland’s position at the forefront of global entrepreneurship and research commercialisation.
Scottish company data platform launched to drive investment
An open access platform of information on start-ups, scale-ups and established private companies in Scotland has been launched.
Developed through a partnership between the University of Edinburgh, Scottish Government and Techscaler, the Scottish Ecosystem Platform provides includes funding round tracking, investor profiles and market trends.
Source: Business Insider