Scotland is a global powerhouse for biotechnology innovation and entrepreneurship. Our strengths in this area have driven the establishment of a thriving industry with approximately 250 active companies and a sector worth an estimated £750 million.

Glasgow-based communications consultancy Perceptive Communicators has been recognised as Property Team of the Year for the second time at The Herald Property Awards for Scotland 2022 in Glasgow.

Every day it feels like there’s another article about the challenges for both employers and employees as they navigate the sensitivities of hybrid working alongside the risks of quiet quitting in the workplace. The rumblings of disquiet are set against the backdrop of unemployment rates at their lowest since 1974, as well as a record number of workers dropping out of the jobs market altogether.

Homes for Scotland’s annual conference takes place tomorrow. While it will be our organisation’s tenth meeting, it will be my first. As the new chief executive, I realise how privileged I am to be representing a sector which has such an important role to play in Scotland’s social wellbeing, economic success and transition to net zero. Only three months into my tenure, I am already inspired by the passion, determination and resilience of those in the sector.

In just 20 years from now, a quarter of the UK population will be aged 65 or over. That’s a sharp rise from where we are now, at around 20%, and it is a figure that will affect how society organises everything, from holidays and healthcare to transport and technology.

From the sixties all the way through to the noughties, my Dad used his skills as a professional drummer at an annual outing for disabled children to the seaside organised by Glasgow taxi owners. Self employed, it meant a day’s less pay for everyone involved, but every year, come rain or shine, that outing went ahead. 

Perceptive Communicators, the multi-award-winning Glasgow-based communications and PR agency, is launching their charity support campaign, Improving Lives today to help charities to raise awareness of their vital work. Launched on International Day of Charity, the Improving Lives campaign will give Scottish charities the opportunity to access ten days of free expert support from the Perceptive team to overcome various communications challenges in the next 12 months.

Energy prices skyrocketing, rising inflation rates and a potential year-long recession, the immediate economic picture for the UK looks bleak.

With more bad news appearing on our TV screens and front pages every day, consumers and business owners are desperately trying to plan for a difficult few years ahead.

When visitors cross the threshold of Heriot Watt’s new university campus in Dubai, they leave behind the searing heat of the desert for climate-controlled comfort, where diffused lighting offers relief from the harsh glare of the sun.

In such an extreme environment, where summer temperatures can reach 50C, this alone would create a sense of ease, but it is just the first in a series of subtle features and carefully considered themes that run like a green thread through every level of the campus.

Perceptive Communicators has added to its portfolio of innovative biotechnology clients after being appointed by MiAlgae to deliver strategic public relations and social media support.

Many of us are now working on a hybrid basis, partly from home and partly in the office. I am aware of a variety of hybrid working approaches. Regardless of the working model adopted, I am hearing from both my clients that I am coaching and the coaches that I am supervising that the leaders of organisations are struggling. The psychological stamina and emotional resilience needed now is a tall order after the pandemic.

A recent survey by Price Waterhouse about the potential for precision medicine shows that global leaders in the pharmaceuticals industry are aware of its promise; 92% identify precision medicine as an opportunity and 84 percent have it on their corporate agenda.

YouTube, Zoom and Instagram have boosted the popularity of virtual exercise classes and the Couch to 5k mobile app has hit five million downloads since the pandemic started with no signs of slowing down. More people are achieving improvements to their physical and mental health through technology

Alongside every other strand of business, Scotland’s horticultural sector is having to face up to the impact of the cost of living crisis. Gardens, growers, nurseries and garden centres are feeling the squeeze as overheads rise and customers cut spending in order to meet the escalating cost of everyday essentials.

I was interested to read recently that even City workers in London, are not rushing back to the square mile and old ways of working. Instead, the research commissioned by specialist City recruitment firm, The Return Hub, reveals they want more flexibility post-pandemic, with 50% claiming to only apply for a role that offers ‘flex’.

Caledonia Housing Association is supporting the need for new ways of working through its ‘Agile for Everyone’ model.

What three words are on your mind? The location identifier words? The three words that keep popping up in my mind, as they seem to pop up day after day in a variety of situations, are Environmental Social Governance, also known as ESG.

Scotland is particularly proud of its food and drinks industry - it has a larder full of speciality products and global brands. Accounting for one in five manufacturing jobs and contributing to over 13% of exports, the industry is also a major contributor to Scotland’s economy and a key growth sector.

Just last month Cruden Homes was amongst the winners at the annual Homes for Scotland Awards. Awards are always welcome, but they mean even more during times of upheaval and uncertainty, so to receive the top accolade of ‘Home Builder of the Year - Large’ along with ‘Development of the Year - Small’ was an aptly timed honour.

Award-winning Glasgow-based communications consultancy Perceptive Communicators has won four new contracts to deliver communications services. This new business is for three new clients, hub South West Scotland, Forster Group and Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and has secured a re-appointment with existing client, The Scotland 5G Centre.

Glasgow is rightly known as the “dear green place” due to the city boasting more than 90 parks and gardens. Afterall, our oldest park, a stone’s throw from the city centre, is simply known as Glasgow Green.

For many Glaswegians, the renowned Glasgow Garden Festival in 1988 is etched in our memories. It is incredible that a temporary exhibition has weaved itself into the fabric of the city. For me, it also serves as a reminder that we must continue to ensure that people living in or visiting Scotland’s largest city have easy access to green spaces.