Today and tomorrow, on 15th and 16th March, biotechnologists will gather in Glasgow for this year’s Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) Conference. Now in its ninth year, the conference is the largest industrial biotechnology event in the UK. The theme of this year’s event, ‘Resilience and the Bioeconomy', will explore what resilience means to companies working within the bioeconomy and how the bioeconomy itself can contribute to resilience in industry and society in general.

Pulling on an extra sweater, half filling the kettle to make a cup of tea and religiously turning off the lights are just some of the adjustments we find ourselves making in the face of spiralling energy costs and global warming. With the government’s Energy Price Guarantee Scheme becoming less generous, an ending to the energy bills support scheme for households, and the introduction of the new Energy Discount Schemes for Business (EDSB), we may well collectively take a sharp intake of breath at the thought of even higher energy pricing to come.

Business is about people, and business success relies on staying ahead of the competition. New technology like 5G gives businesses the opportunity to seek new possibilities, however it requires the effort and collaboration of people, organisations and industries to make it happen.

Scotland has a rich history of academic excellence and has been the leading light in countless fields of research over the centuries. Once again, Scotland has an opportunity to lead. But this time it is far from the laboratories of Fleming or Black.

Instead, it will be on the waves of Scotland’s first, and Europe’s largest, inland surfing lagoon.

There are few things more synonymous with Scotland than whisky. It literally puts us Scots on the map. You can be in a bar in the furthermost corner of the earth, and you will see towns and villages from Speyside to Islay represented upon their shelves. It is an unashamed success story which continues to grow.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Muir Homes building quality homes across Scotland. This landmark comes amidst rising energy prices and an industry bouncing back from the covid pandemic. 

COVID-19 pushed businesses and charities across the country to re-evaluate their business and service delivery models. It was a difficult time for many, with businesses struggling to survive restrictions while others were able to adapt and flourish. At Jewish Care Scotland (JCS), a Glasgow-based social care charity offering support to community members across Scotland, we embraced the opportunity to reassess the way we supported people as their needs continued to evolve.

Unfortunately over 32,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in Scotland. Hearing such a diagnosis is devastating. A one stop shop for information, Cancer Card’s aim is to ensure each and every one of those people who hears the words ‘you have cancer’ quickly and easily find the support that they need.

I find this time of year a great opportunity to reflect on how the year has gone in my business and for me personally, noting achievements, successes and proud moments. It is also a good time to reflect on what could have been done differently as learning and “tweaking” is how we change things for the better.

On a recent car journey, I heard a news item about farmers choosing not to sow seeds as they can’t guarantee workers will be available to harvest crops. You reap what you sow and the consequences of this possible inaction in Scotland, when over 70% of its land area is under agricultural management, is a concern.

Last night at Holyrood, a Ministerial Statement was delivered by Patrick Harvie MSP, Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights, giving further details on the Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill and how it will be delivered.

Recent ONS reports for Scotland’s construction sector show there was a slight increase in construction output for new work. Despite this resilience in the sector, there are still issues which lie in the significant lack of skills within the industry and the difficulty that young people face in accessing jobs.

Last Christmas, when we went into the final pandemic lockdown, feels like a very distant memory. As we wondered then what the new year might bring, many conversations in the engineering sector were around what the so-called ‘new norm’ would look like.

Scotland needs more homes. With a shortfall now approaching 100,000 houses since 2007, this is beyond doubt and we require a robust and ambitious plan to put this right. The Scottish Parliament will shortly vote on such a plan, the fourth iteration of the National Planning Framework (NPF4).

The cost of living crisis is hitting hard and escalating costs are a significant challenge for businesses across Scotland. With inflation recently hitting a 40-year high and energy costs forecast to increase again in spring, business leaders are facing serious decisions on delivering priorities.

For Clyde Gateway, Scotland’s most ambitious regeneration project, there has been an increased focus on creating new green spaces. Aside from the many environmental reasons brought into focus throughout COP26 in Glasgow, our investment in new parks is due to the plethora of benefits they provide to both families and businesses.

The only thing I love more than being on a surfboard is taking the opportunity to be an ambassador for the sport’s development in Scotland. My recent ambassadorial trip to California to speak at the International Surf Therapy Organisation’s conference on mental health was one of my best experiences of being able to showcase Scotland to the world.

The eyes of the world watched as the combination of centuries of tradition and ceremony combined to celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth and lay her to rest. 

It’s impressive that the world-first for live TV news using shared radio spectrum was made possible by an innovative private network, designed and deployed by experts from the software-defined radio (StrathSDR) team, one of The Scotland 5G Centre’s funded projects, and part of the University of Strathclyde. 

Glendoick Garden Centre near Perth, which opened in 1973, was one of the first garden centres in Scotland, but in 50 years of trading, conditions have never been as tough as they are now.

This week marks world homelessness and world mental health day. These two issues are inextricably linked. People experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness suffer from incredible stress and have very often experienced significant trauma in their lives. As Chief Executive of Simon Community Scotland, our country’s largest provider of homelessness support services, I am very aware of this; in fact we see very few people accessing our services who do not also have significant and long term mental health problems.