This year marks 25 years since I joined Will Rudd. It will also be my first time attending UKREiiF - the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, which brings together investors, developers, policymakers, local authorities and the wider built environment sector to discuss where capital, policy and opportunity are heading across the UK.

Construction has always been fundamental to Scotland’s economic and social progress. It delivers the homes we live in, the schools we learn in and the infrastructure that connects our communities. Today, however, our industry stands at a pivotal moment.

Launching into its 20th year in business, specialist communications consultancy Perceptive Communicators has grown its team with two new appointments, alongside being shortlisted for two prestigious industry awards.

Small and medium-sized enterprises are often described as the backbone of Scotland’s economy and in housebuilding, that statement rings true. SMEs like ours build homes but we also sustain local supply chains, create skilled jobs, and invest directly into the communities in which we work.

Scotland has no shortage of ambition when it comes to housing. Over the past year in particular, the state of our housing system and falling levels of housebuilding have rightly come under intense scrutiny.

After several years of uncertainty, Scotland’s residential investment and development market is entering a more stable and potentially transformative new phase with huge opportunities for developers and investors, specifically for build-to-rent (BTR).

The Highlands can boast an environment for digital infrastructure in​​vestment that’s unparalleled in the UK and beyond

In life sciences, innovation rarely fails because of a lack of ideas or great research, more often, it stalls because companies operate in silos and the costs of turning ideas into reality or applying research rises faster than the company itself.

We talk a lot in Scotland about second chances. But the truth is, for many people, there was never a first chance to begin with.

Do your leaders lead or just "do"? Explore why Scottish SMEs struggle with engagement and how shifting from problem-solver to people-builder drives real growth.

As we enter 2026, the construction sector stands at the centre of the UK’s most urgent social and economic challenges. Whether it is resolving the housing crisis, accelerating the energy transition, or retrofitting homes and buildings for net‑zero, the message from policymakers, industry bodies and clients is the same: we need to scale up.

As we enter 2026, the construction sector stands at the centre of the UK’s most urgent social and economic challenges. Whether it is resolving the housing crisis, accelerating the energy transition, or retrofitting homes and buildings for net‑zero, the message from policymakers, industry bodies and clients is the same: we need to scale up.

Having worked in hospitality for almost three decades, eight of which at the helm of The Glasgow Marriott, we have weathered many storms. The economic backdrop continues to present business challenges across the board but Glasgow’s hospitality offering, in my view, is exceptionally well positioned to thrive.

Having worked in hospitality for almost three decades, eight of which at the helm of The Glasgow Marriott, we have weathered many storms. The economic backdrop continues to present business challenges across the board but Glasgow’s hospitality offering, in my view, is exceptionally well positioned to thrive.

Scotland stands at a pivotal moment in its housing journey. The need for high-quality, energy-efficient homes has never been more acute, and yet the industry continues to face the headwinds of planning delays, skills shortages, rising costs and a chronic shortfall of supply. As we look ahead to 2026, it is clear that delivering the homes our communities deserve will require not just resilience, but bold ambition and collaborative leadership across the sector.

In the past year alone, AI has gone from being the stuff of Silicon Valley slide decks to the thing that can influence so many business touchpoints. It quietly powers your customer service chat, writes your junior staff’s first drafts, analyses data your managers can’t be bothered with and even gives your solicitors and accountants a run for their money.

As communications professionals, we must continue to think digital-first and deliver engaging content that carries the right message to the right audience on the right platform at the right time. At Perceptive that’s what we pride ourselves on delivering for clients.

As communications professionals, we must continue to think digital-first and deliver engaging content that carries the right message to the right audience on the right platform at the right time. At Perceptive that’s what we pride ourselves on delivering for clients.

That collaborative spirit is what drives my involvement with Female Leaders in Construction (FLIC), a networking group dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering women in construction and working across the built environment.

Over the last decade, Scotland’s life science ecosystem has matured into a force to be reckoned with. But today, there’s a new energy, a belief that our place at the global innovation table is secure and we’re ready to reach to the next level.