Scotland to strengthen Japan trade links

The Scottish government’s external affairs secretary Fiona Hyslop will visit Japan next month to strengthen economic and cultural ties between the two countries. Hyslop will meet business…


New measures to protect crab and lobster

Crab and lobster, landings of which were worth £26.8 million to the Scottish economy in 2015, are to be given additional protection through new conservation…


Holyrood pledges 66% cut in greenhouse gas

The Scottish Government has published detailed proposals of a plan to achieve a 66% reduction in Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2032. Cabinet Secretary for…



Man Utd regains top spot in Deloitte League

Manchester United regained first place in the Deloitte Football Money League, ending the 11-year run of Real Madrid. Deloitte said record revenue of €689 million (about £515 million)…






Faroe Petroleum wins new licence prospects

Aberdeen-based Faroe Petroleum said it has been awarded four new prospective exploration licences, including two operatorships, on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Faroe Petroleum CEO Graham Stewart…


Scots unemployment 5.1%; UK rate 4.8%

Unemployment in Scotland in the September to November quarter was down 12,000 on the same quarter last year, but rose by 11,000 during the period to 139,000, according to UK’s…







Former Goals Soccer CEO Rogers leaves board

East Kilbride-based Goals Soccer Centres said former chief executive Keith Rogers, an executive director, has stepped down from the company’s board. Current goals CEO Mark Jones said: “On…



Big changes at Macallan owner Edrington

Glasgow-based drinks company Edrington — owner of The Macallan, Highland Park and Famous Grouse — has announced a number changes in its executive ranks. Edrington said Bill Farrar, managing…




Gilbert new Aberdeen University senior governor

The University of Aberdeen said it appointed Aberdeen Asset Management CEO Martin Gilbert as senior governor to lead its governing body, the University Court. The senior governor…


Paradis joins Weir Group executive

Glasgow-based engineering giant Weir Group said it appointed David Paradis to its group executive as division president of Weir Flow Control, effective January 23. Paradis succeeds John…


Record for Highlands and Islands Airports

Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) said passenger numbers rose 10.6% to a record 1,606,168 travellers at its 11 airports across Scotland in 2016. HIAL is…


FSB targets asset management vulnerabilities

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has published its policy recommendations to address structural vulnerabilities in the global asset management industry. The asset management industry grew to $76.7…



Devro shares up after improved second half

Shares of Glasgow-based sausage skin and collagen products firm Devro rose about 3% after it said its performance had recently improved in China, Russia and South East Asia and…


Record year at Edinburgh, Glasgow airports

Scotland’s two largest airports — Edinburgh and Glasgow — had record numbers of passengers in 2016, handling almost 22 million travellers. Edinburgh Airport said it had 12.37 million…


Tourism employment up 11% to 217,000

The number of people working in Scottish tourism rose 11% to 217,000 between 2014 and 2015 — representing roughly 9% of Scotland’s total employment, according to…


Ex-Saatchi boss Roberts new Beattie chairman

Former Saatchi & Saatchi chairman Kevin Roberts — who resigned from his role last year after he made controversial comments about gender in the advertising industry in an interview…


Wood wins multi-million Saudi Aramco deal

Aberdeen-based oil and gas services giant Wood Group said it secured a five year, multi-million dollar framework agreement to continue to provide engineering and project management services…


Veteran Giadrossi joins Cairn Energy board

Edinburgh-based oil and gas company Cairn Energy said it appointed industry veteran Nicoletta Giadrossi as an independent non-executive director and a member of its remuneration committee. Cairn chairman Ian Tyler…


Aberdeen Council £370m bond oversubscribed

Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing performed the opening ceremony at the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday to mark the local authority’s successful £370 million bond issue….


Ecometrica wins £14m Space Agency deal

Edinburgh-based sustainability software and data company Ecometrica has won a contract worth more than £14 million from the UK Space Agency’s recently launched International Partnership…


Govt. no longer biggest Lloyds shareholder

The UK government said its has now recovered more than £18 billion of the £20.3 billion that taxpayers injected into the Lloyds Banking Group — owner of the Bank…





Future plc buys Team Rock assets

Media group Future plc said it acquired the magazines, domain names, events, radio licence and websites of Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, Blues and the Golden…



Aberdeen weighs Trump emerging market effect

Emerging markets specialist Aberdeen Asset Management believes that any imposition of trade barriers after Donald Trump becomes president of the United States “may force some…


Office-to-residential conversions rise

Demand for Edinburgh townhouse office-to-residential conversions has surged, driven largely by rising residential prices in Edinburgh’s west end and New Town, according to Shepherd Chartered Surveyors. The firm…




Synpromics in GE Healthcare research deal

Edinburgh-based synthetic biology company Synpromics announced a research collaboration with GE Healthcare “to jointly develop customised synthetic promoters optimised for GE Healthcare’s proprietary biopharmaceutical manufacturing…


Aggreko wins $40m Winter Olympic contract

Glasgow-based mobile power company Aggreko said it has been awarded a contract to be the official temporary electricity generation provider for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Aggreko…


Aegon UK completes £140m Cofunds deal

Edinburgh-based Aegon UK said it completed the roughly £140 million purchase of Cofunds — an investment platform for financial advisers — following regulatory approval. Cofunds had about £77 billion…




Duffy to leave Entrepreneurial Spark

Jim Duffy, co-founder of Scottish-based business incubator network Entrepreneurial Spark, announced he will leave the company in the summer of 2017. Duffy said Entrepreneurial Spark…


Russell Group universities seek new boss

The Russell Group of 24 leading UK universities — which includes Edinburgh and Glasgow — is looking for a new director general following Wendy Piatt’s decision to stand down…


RBS shareholders push for special committee

More than 100 individual shareholders of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) — coordinated by shareholder groups ShareSoc and UKSA — have requisitioned a resolution to install a new…



Change Recruitment revenue up to £18m

Glasgow and Edinburgh-based Change Recruitment Group (CRG) said growth in its accountancy-finance, IT-digital and temporary-contract businesses helped it offset continuing challenges in the oil and gas market in 2015-16. CRG…


More scrutiny for £2bn Green Bank sale

Updated — The proposed sale of the UK government’s Edinburgh-based Green Investment Bank (GIB) for up to £2 billion is facing increased political scrutiny following allegations that…


£1bn to be spent on Scots roads in 2017-18

Investment in Scotland’s motorways and trunk roads will rise about 18% to just under £1 billion in 2017-18, taking projects currently under construction to almost £6 billion, according to…


Sports Direct to sell $137m Dunlop brand

Sports Direct International said it agreed sell its rights to the Dunlop brand and related wholesale and licensing businesses to Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) for $137.5 million in…


Advisory group for £3.7bn creative industries

The Scottish Government has set up a Creative Industries Advisory Group to advise ministers on the support the sector needs. Invitations to become members of the group have…


Scotland’s most expensive streets named

New research from Bank of Scotland has identified Scotland’s most expensive streets, with The Scores in St Andrews — just a pitching wedge from the world famous Old…



Deutsche, Credit Suisse in $12bn settlements

Deutsche Bank said it reached a settlement in principle with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding civil claims in connection with the bank’s issuance and underwriting…



Renewables exceed 50% electricity target

The Scottish government said renewable sources delivered the equivalent of 59.4% of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption in 2015 — up from 49.9% in 2014. This…





£440m bid to boost broadband speeds

The UK government announced what it called “a £440 million broadband boost to benefit more than half a million premises” including £18 million of investment…


Highland exporters want single market access

About 65% of exporting companies in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands believe access to the European single market is important for their businesses, according to a survey of more than…