News Review by Honey McBee

BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF

SCOTTISH EXPORTS HIT RECORD £27.9 BN

Despite continuing slow growth in the Euro zone, Scottish exports rose 7.2 per cent in 2013 to hit a record £27.9 billion according to the latest Global Connections Survey. Says Anne MacColl, chief executive of Scottish Development International,

 “We’re on track to meet targets to grow Scottish exports by 50% by 2017”.

KEYNOTE CONFERENCE ON REGULATION

Make a date for the next Reform Scotland conference on Monday March 23. This will explore the changing role of regulation and scrutiny in Scotland. Speakers include the Advocate General for Scotland, Lord Wallace, and Professor Lorne Crerar, author of the 2007 Independent Review of Regulation, Audit, Inspection and Complaints Handling of Public Services in Scotland. The conference will examine new devolved powers and responsibilities and the implications for regulators and the regulated. Reform Scotland Members will receive a 10% discount when booking - just quote Reform10 – when booking online on the website

  http://www.mackayhannah.com/conferences/the-changing-role-of-regulation-and-scrutiny-in-scotland. More details: contact Jane on [email protected].

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TELL US MORE!

Do you have a new product/service about to launch? An event to promote? A conference or meeting date for the diary?

Send details to [email protected] marked ‘attention notice board’. Key details required are what/when/where/why/how - and don’t forget contact details and links. 

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FREE BRIEFING FOR FIRMS ON CHANGES AHEAD  

The legal landscape for companies is changing rapidly, and with it the responsibilities of being a company secretary, director or professional advisor. In particular, the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, when it becomes law, will bring major changes - from annual returns through to the appointment of directors. A highly practical free seminar from Jordans in Scotland on Wednesday March 4 at the Double Tree Hilton, Edinburgh City Centre, 8.30am to 11.30am is designed to give you the facts and context you need to ensure you will be equipped for the changes ahead. There will be ample opportunity for discussion and questions on all topics. To reserve your FREE place, simply complete the booking form or to find out more contact[email protected]and athttp://www.oswalds.co.uk/about/training-and-events

SCOTT LOGIC PLANS STAFF BOOST

Scott Logic, based in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Bristol and London, has launched into the New Year with a 30% growth in revenue to £9.1 million in 2014. The strong performance delivers a solid platform to grow its workforce by 50 per cent this year. It has won several large profile clients in the finance, healthcare and energy trading sectors. The company prides itself on its highly skilled and qualified people and nurtures young talent through graduate and intern pprogrammes now open for applications, with places being filled fast. Further details: www.scottlogic.com

£250,000 BUZZ FOR HONEY BEES

Scottish bees will be in a buzz thanks to a loan from the Social Growth Fund. Kelvin Valley Honey, which sells honey-based products and provides equipment and training to budding bee keepers, will expand and diversify its business through the £250,000 funding boost. The plans include expanding the Beekeeping for Business scheme, which has already seen beehives installed at the Scottish Parliament and Linlithgow Palace, the creation of a new workspace and advice service for social entrepreneurs and the introduction of an interactive tourist centre. Profits from Kelvin Valley Honey will be put towards the £1 million transformation of a 42 acre former coal mine pit into Scotland’s first commercial community-owned market garden near Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire. Further details:  www.socialinvestmentscotland.com and http://www.kelvinvalleyhoney.org.uk.

NEW MEDIA BREAKFAST FEBRUARY 12 

Don’t miss WeDo Scotland’s New Media Breakfast: Utility Marketing – make it useful or don’t make it! Date: Thursday February 12. Time: 7.45am to 9.30am. Where: Tigerlily George Street, Edinburgh. It will look at Utility Marketing - creating genuinely useful or functional content. It could be in the form of an App, White Paper, News Feed, Video, Podcast, website, or blog, but it has to be functional, and fulfil a purpose that does not include a direct sales offering.   We will look at good examples of Utility Marketing and offer ideas where businesses of all sizes can adopt an element of this as part of their digital culture. Co-presenters: Gordon White MD of fatBuzz, and Tim Barlow, MD of Attacat. Ticket booking and details at www.wedoscotland,com.

£1.5M FOR EDINBURGH-BASED CLOUDSOFT

Maven Capital Partners on behalf of the Scottish Loan Fund has committed £1.5 million to Edinburgh-based Cloudsoft Corporation. The firm has developed a valuable software platform for the cloud computing market which it predominately licenses to blue-chip clients. A growing number of companies are moving their software applications to the cloud to reduce costs and improve performance and agility. Cloudsoft’s key product is its Application Management Platform which streamlines the development and operation of cloud applications. Since Cloudsoft was founded in 2008 by Duncan Johnston-Watt, Alex Heneveld and Derek Gray, the business has grown steadily and with the cloud software market expected to be worth over $75 billion by 2017. Further details atwww.mavencp.com

UNIVERSITY Li-Fi SPIN-OUT

Old College Capital (OCC), the venture investment arm of the University of Edinburgh, has invested £250,000 in university spin-out company, pureLiFi. The firm develops wireless communication products based on visible light communication technology developed by Professor Harald Haas, Chair of Mobile Communications at the University of Edinburgh. The investment is part of a £1.5 million co-investment with London & Scottish Investment Partners and the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB) in a deal managed by Edinburgh-based corporate finance firm Quest Corporate. Website: www.research-innovation.ed.ac.uk

COPYRIGHT CONFERENCE DATE FOR THE DIARY

Have copyright laws kept pace with the digital age? How can the creative industries and cultural heritage sector best protect the ownership and management of written and recorded materials when content can be shared globally with the tap of a smartphone? At a Scotsman Conferences event on February 2 speakers from the British Library, UK Intellectual Property Office and leading universities discuss changes and challenges in Copyright and Cultural Heritage 2.0: Protecting creators, sharing content. Speakers from the British Library, UK Intellectual Property Office and leading universities discuss changes and challenges. Further details at www.scotsmanconferences.com.