With just two weeks to go until Scotland’s annual event for innovation in business, the CAN DO Innovation Summit, I’ve been reflecting on how to best support start-ups and small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to implement innovation to boost productivity for economic sustainability and social value.

Family owned construction and property firm, Muir Group has celebrated fifty years in business with its founder, John Muir, still serving as chairman.

Mr Muir, a former joiner, set up the company in 1973 after managing another homebuilding business. Muir Group has since grown into one of the most well-known family run firms in the country, employing around 250 people.

The return of the iconic Bridgeton Umbrella has been marked with a celebration ceremony after significant restoration works on the Category A listed, Victorian era bandstand. The intricate cast iron structure has been a feature and focal point of the local area since it was gifted to the city by a local company in 1875.

Over 100 people are estimated to be rough sleeping each night in Scotland’s two biggest cities. At a recent count, where Simon Community volunteers combed city centres late at night, they located and supported 80 people sleeping rough in Edinburgh, and 35 people in Glasgow, with this single evening snapshot reflecting the scale of the challenge faced by the charity.

Eighty per cent of homes in 2045 will be the homes we live in today and therein lies a dilemma: How do we achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045/50 when most of these homes and some of the of 23,000 new builds typically completed each year still do not feature the essential, integrated, flexible renewable energy technologies which will help us get there affordably?

Today (10 October) is World Homeless Day, providing an important chance for us all to consider the impact of our homes on our health, and how we would feel if we didn’t have this place of physical and emotional security. It’s no coincidence that today is also World Mental Health Day, reflecting how mental health challenges can all too often be a cause or result of homelessness.

With over 358,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland, accounting for over 99 percent of all private sector firms, SMEs are crucial for the economic and social success of this country.

Award-winning developer Cruden Homes and leading social enterprise, Places for People, scooped the top ‘Development of the Year’ title at the Herald Property Awards 2023. The annual awards bring together leading property experts from across Scotland to shine a light on the most impressive projects over the past year.

Many believe that our current society allows women to access all jobs and positions, and that it is inconceivable to pay a man more than a woman to do the same job. The reality is far from that; while there is an increasing number of successful women in the construction and property industries, the percentage of women in construction still only sits at 15.4%; the gender pay gap is 23%, and only 2.7% of apprentices are female, so the industry has far to go to achieve gender parity.

Have you ever thought about starting your own business? Maybe on a Sunday evening when the fear of work on Monday starts to seep into your bones, or after a particularly difficult week and you're offloading with friends down the pub?

On the eve of Scottish Housing Day, it's a chance to reflect on the changing landscape of the country’s house building sector; the challenges it is currently facing and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Undoubtedly the industry has encountered a very turbulent time. In the affordable housing market, delivery is being significantly impacted by soaring inflation on build-costs with many projects deferred.

A briefing on the 2023 Programme for Government.

It's time for businesses to come together to give more young Scots a chance.

Industry awards, no matter your sector, can be a bit like marmite – you either love them or hate them. As specialist communicators in life sciences, built environment and technology, we are firmly in the love camp….

Our oceans are the planet’s largest ecosystem, covering 70 percent of the earth’s surface and providing food, energy and water. However, our underwater worlds are under increasing pressure, with the UN calling an “ocean emergency” last year.

Glasgow has once again played host to a successful sporting event with a global audience. The inaugural UCI World Cycling Championships joins a long list of triumphs in recent years, with the Commonwealth Games, Euro 2020, and the European Indoor Athletics Championships all coming to our city.

Family-owned Muir Group has appointed Martin Smith as their CEO. Martin joins the Fife-based company from ISG where he was Director of Operations for Major Projects.

Unfortunately along with thousands of people every year, I was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. My diagnosis was incurable stage 4 breast cancer. As I began the Everest-like challenge of navigating my own cancer journey, I quickly became overwhelmed not just by the diagnosis, but also in my search for information and support services.

The Barbie movie has just smashed The Dark Knight’s 15-year-old box office record. Barbie’s marketing budget was colossal, but its fundamental strategies can be used by organisations of any size, even those with the smallest of budgets.

Perceptive Communicators has added to its portfolio of innovative clients after being appointed by The Clarus Networks Group to deliver public relations support, and by George Buchanan Architects in a social media capacity.