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.

Having established Perceptive Communicators in 2006, this is our third economic storm following the credit crunch and Covid.  With many long term client partnerships, we have reflected on what is most likely to result in successful growth, even in challenging times. 

Digital fatigue is fast becoming one of the most prevalent workplace challenges, resulting in declining productivity, low morale, and fractured team dynamics. As leaders navigate the shifting demands of hybrid work, talent retention, and culture rebuilding, one clear trend is emerging; the most effective corporate events are no longer about content delivery. They’re about creating space for disconnection, reflection, and reconnection.

Over the past 15 years, the south side of Glasgow has witnessed one of the city’s most ambitious regeneration stories. North Toryglen, once an area struggling with outdated housing and limited investment, is now a thriving community and one of Glasgow’s designated Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRAs).

As the final phase of the award-winning King’s View development gets underway, it’s worth reflecting on what this project has achieved, and just as importantly, what it tells us about the housing challenges facing Glasgow today.

Clackmannanshire’s Transformation Space is addressing the dichotomy that is council held funding. Crucial to addressing issues like homelessness, poverty and mental health, funds are still tied up in silos, meaning money is trapped in systems that fail the people who rely on them.

Returning from the Annual Hospitality Conference in Manchester earlier this month, I was reminded why the sector continues to inspire me. It’s the people, the passion and the shared ambition to create great places for people to experience, in an ever-changing world.

At Clyde Gateway, we are working with the community and partners in Calton, an area facing significant social and economic challenges, to test new approaches to tackling child poverty. Families here face multiple barriers, from language and childcare to health and caring responsibilities that restrict their ability to move into work. Our Demonstration of Change, part of Glasgow City Council’s Child Poverty Programme, is showing that childcare, when treated as economic infrastructure, can unlock opportunity and act as a genuine poverty exit strategy.

Digital chemistry company Chemify is set to embark on the next phase of its business journey with a strategic relocation to Glasgow’s newest purpose-built life science facility, Health Innovation Hub (HiH).

The housing emergency has rightly returned to the heart of Scotland’s political conversation. With the appointment of Màiri McAllan as Cabinet Secretary for Housing, and the publication of a new action plan, there appears to be renewed urgency to address the crisis.

Akela Ground Engineering, part of the Akela Group, has successfully completed groundworks for its first major contract in Ireland using its groundbreaking ABeam system.

The tech and business ecosystem in Scotland has another unique advantage, it is small enough that you can know the people who matter, but large enough to contain real expertise and international experience. That balance makes it an ideal place to start and grow a globally ambitious business.

Scotland’s surf-therapy story is remarkable. As a proud Scot and the world’s first PhD holder in surf therapy (2022), I’ve seen our progress first-hand: established programmes changing lives, a deep research partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, and a wave pool built with wellbeing at its heart. 

Working in life sciences, every day begins with one question: how will today’s work change a patient’s life tomorrow? This focus grew out of my own experience of contracting malaria as a child in rural Yemen and is underpinned by my work with the Scottish Patient Awareness Council (SPAC) which seeks to empower the ultimate end user of life sciences innovations. Patient stories remind us that transparency, predictability and empathy matter just as much as the efficacy, quality and safety of a vaccine or treatment. 

As a mother of two school-aged daughters, I often think about the example I set for them. It’s too early to tell if they will become the next female leaders in construction, but if I can show them that women can succeed in senior roles, that resilience and a strong work ethic open doors, and that they should never doubt their ability to achieve, then I’ll have done my job.

Across the UK, business leaders are navigating a marketplace full of uncertainty. From inflationary pressures and supply chain issues to the knock-on effects of geopolitical disruption, the current economic environment is volatile and for some, confidence is fragile. In my work as a trainer and business coach I speak to leaders across a range of industries, from construction and logistics to professional services and tech.

A common theme has emerged: leaders are carrying almost the entire burden of stress and responsibility while many team members appear more focused on their own rights and rewards than on their role in the collective effort.