Innovators

Dr Ross Donaldson checks the telescope at Heriot-Watt University’s new HOGS facility in Edinburgh. Picture by Chris Watt Photograph

Scottish uni takes ‘quantum leap’ forward in fight against cyber attacks
“With cyber threats evolving daily, we urgently need to create networks that are secured by the laws of physics” – Dr Ross Donaldson

Energy Mutual's Kyle Smith and Sam Gray.

Scottish energy transition pioneer wins big in Shell LiveWire global competition

Orbex has seen it internship applications skyrocket. Picture by Michal Wachucik/Abermedia

Rocket firm leading Scotland’s space race sees internship applications hit 2,000

Audience members at a Converge programme event. Picture: Converge

Converge: Record £400,000 prize pot for Scottish academic enterprise programme

Jimmy Williamson, executive director, net zero, Scottish National Investment Bank; Laura Fidao, investment director, net zero, Scottish National Investment Bank; Jon Machin, executive director, Subsea Micropiles; Derek Robertson, CEO and founder, Subsea Micropiles. Picture: Nick Mailer

Offshore wind specialist nets £9.2m to build Scottish plant and support 100 jobs

Work has already begun on the optical benches at UK ATC. The assembly process utilises robotically assisted bonding (RAB), developed by UK ATC and the University of Glasgow.

£10m investment will see Scottish tech at heart of ‘staggering’ space mission

Infix founder and CEO Dr Matthew Freer and David Bowerman. Picture by Stewart Attwood

Hospital waiting times in Scotland could be cut thanks to Glasgow firm’s AI tech

James Braid, the Melrose-based entrepreneur and founder of Sky-Pin Drones.

Giant 110kg super drones set to spray Scottish crops thanks to funding deal

David Lilly is a serial entrepreneur who founded Edinburgh-based For Spills in 2017.

Scots firm behind revolutionary ‘dry cleaning’ tech supplying NHS and Tesco

Since 2014, the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) has played a key role in the growth of Scotland’s industrial biotechnology sector.

Scottish biotechnology centre achieves 300 member milestone ahead of major event

Praveen Ashok, Dave Hughes, and Melissa Hartley at Novosound's new HQ at BioCity in Glasgow. Picture by Stewart Attwood

Scots firm behind blood pressure monitoring tech outlines 2025 growth plans

Voxblock, the screen-free Scottish audiobook business looks set to quadruple sales this Christmas as it reports record growth throughout 2024

Kid's screen-free audiobook pioneer Voxblock prepares for festive boom

Novosound CEO and co-founder Dave Hughes (pictured centre) with the firm's ultrasound blood pressure monitor. Picture by Stewart Attwood

Wearable blood pressure monitors could be revolutionised by Scots tech firm

The HUID start-up is creating compostable packaging, using onion waste – nature’s own form of packaging.

How a Scottish onion eco start-up aims to tackle the plastic waste crisis

Meet the ‘living pillow’ robot that Scots tech firm says can help end loneliness

Andrew Wood and Euan Cameron, co-founders, Willo. Picture by Elaine Livingstone

Scots video interview platform gets ‘statement of faith’ global backing

Viplove Bhargava (former senior associate, Scottish National Investment Bank), Dominic Weeks (head of external affairs and marketing, ZeroAvia), Gabriele Teofili (managing director UK, ZeroAvia), Mark Munro (chief investment officer, Scottish National Investment Bank), Robin Tayal (director of net zero, Scottish National Investment Bank). Picture: Simon Pizzey

£20m Scottish public funding injection for green air travel pioneer

Dr Ross Donaldson and Professor Gerald Buller with technology that will be used in the optical ground station. Picture: Ben Glasgow/Heriot-Watt University

How a Scottish uni’s £2.5m ‘telescope’ will tackle space debris and cyberattacks

Edinburgh-based start-up Metacarpal was founded by University of Strathclyde product design engineering graduate Fergal Mackie.

Edinburgh start-up’s bionic hand promises ‘life-changing’ benefits for amputees

Heriot-Watt PhD students Arran Sykes and Harmony Li in conversation regarding a quantum sensing system. Picture: Chris Watt Photography/Heriot-Watt University

How a Scottish university is developing the 'near unhackable' quantum internet

Alistair Banham has been chief executive of PureLiFi since 2016. Picture: Malcolm Cochrane

How an Edinburgh firm's revolutionary light-based rival to wi-fi is going global

Amy Burnett, head of KPMG Private Enterprise Access: 'The judges had a tough time selecting a winner.'

Edinburgh-based start-up crowned Scotland’s ‘most exciting tech business’

Sunamp chief executive and co-founder Andrew Bissell. Picture: Malcolm Cochrane

Scottish heat battery pioneer in running for UK’s top engineering award

Kenny Shaw of Screenmedia with Chris Martin of Waracle.

Dundee tech firm braced for ‘new wave’ of AI after taking over Glasgow peer

From left: Alastair McMillen of the SNIB, Niki McKenzie of Archangels, and Jean Christophe-Granier of iGii with a sheet of Gii-Sens. Picture: Phil Wilkinson.

Firm delivering ‘life-changing benefits for our planet’ secures seven-figure sum

Filichkina says there are many inspiring women in the UK space sector, 'but we need more female leaders'. Picture: contributed.

How this Scottish firm is looking to change our perceptions of space

From left: Ross Hamilton of Sustainable Alpha and Andy Campbell of Scottish Space Network. Picture: Stewart Attwood.

This new tie-up aims to land investment boost for rocketing Scots space sector

The RBS headquarters and conference complex at Gogarburn, Edinburgh, which forms part of NatWest Group. Picture: Ian Georgeson

NatWest makes plea to entrepreneurs as it gears up for record accelerator intake

The grand front entrance of the new Edinburgh Futures Institute, the result of a major 'recycling' project which has transformed the historical Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh building into a state-of-the-art innovation hub and public space

Inside story: Look what happened to Edinburgh’s grand old Royal Infirmary

From left: Rowland Fraser and Oren Smith-Carpenter, co-founders of Aurora Avionics that is based at The Higgs Centre for Innovation, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. Picture: Jason Cowan.

Jobs boost as 'exciting' Scottish space company nets six-figure funding

A surveyor looks out over geological formations as part of research work.

Heriot-Watt using AI to slash carbon capture and storage design time to 24 hours

Clockwise from top left - Prof David Flynn, Prof Hadi Heidari, Dr Mahmoud Wagih and Prof Jeff Kettle of the James Watt School of Engineering.

£3m grant will help set up 'milestone' chip research facility at Glasgow Uni

Researchers have been conducting virtual-reality and real-life tests to assess the best way of communicating to cyclists the intentions of self-driving vehicles

How can cyclists avoid crashes with driverless cars?

Sarah Newbould (British Business Bank), Anne Muir (Eos), Arran Dewar (SIS Ventures), Dr Rebecca Cleary (Nami Surgical), Nico Fenu (Nami Surgical) and Victoria McLaren (Maven). Picture by Stewart Attwood

Glasgow ultrasound pioneer targets multi-billion robotic surgery market

Enterprise Hub member Dr Sam Chapman, the co-founder of sustainable brick-maker Kenoteq. Picture: contributed.

Initiative to accelerate engineering entrepreneurship makes Scottish debut

From left: John Raine (Shell), Nassima Brown (Shell LiveWire participant), Anthony Harte (Shell), Sireen Adwan (Elevator), Professor Gary McEwan (Elevator) and Karen Clark (Elevator). Picture: Michal Wachucik/Abermedia.

Energy giant Shell expands flagship entrepreneur programme across Scotland

An underground network of mycorrhizal fungi – known as the wood-wide web – connects the roots of trees and other plants in a forest in a mutually beneficial arrangement that allows nutrients and water to be exchanged, benefiting growth, development and resilience

Mushroom cloud: How fungi bombs can help reforest the earth

The research programme is experimenting with different targets - such as crosses, dots and icons - as well as the use of different visual backgrounds on the screen.

Glasgow sight testing firm on a mission to bring high-tech eyecare to the masses

Oban-based marine scientist Jessica Giannotti, who runs the local Crùbag textile studio, set up SeaDyes on the back of a research project she worked on with the Scottish Association for Marine Science which involved extracting pigments from seaweed

Eco dyes made from seaweed – available in every colour but always green

Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer with colleagues in the lab.

Heriot-Watt backs new £18m centre to drive UK's green industrial revolution

The investment will be seen as a significant vote of confidence in Glasgow-based Clyde Hydrogen and its ground-breaking technology.

Pioneering start-up secures £1m funding to revolutionise hydrogen energy sector

James McIlroy (CEO of EnteroBiotix) and Simon Comer (director of innovation, Scottish National Investment Bank). Picture: Nick Mailer

Glasgow life sciences pioneer gets £27 million to fight conditions including IBS

Interview: Kylie Reid of female-fostering network Egg that aims to crack the UK

Mark Sterritt (British Business Bank), Adam Christie (Calcivis), Paul Callaghan (Scottish National Investment Bank) and David Milroy (Maven Capital Partners).

Edinburgh biotech behind tooth decay detector secures £5 million investment

MiAlgae bosses have big plans for expansion of the biotech firm's operations, turning whisky waste into a sustainable source of omega-5 fats that can be fed to farmed fish and pets. Picture: Peter Devlin

Dram good plan: Scottish biotech business turns whisky waste into omega-3

The Hawick base of Emtelle, which provides blown fibre, cabling, and ducted products. Picture: contributed.

Hawick-based cabling firm boosts bandwidth with latest acquisition

Coaches parked at the venture's Dundee hub.

Electric coach pioneer Ember charges up with £11 million funding boost

Professor Travers says the award is 'fantastic because it provides long-term funding to underpin our research'. Picture: contributed.

Scientist nets £2.5m to speed up ultrafast laser tech with many industrial uses

Explainer Disco inferno - how Glasgow clubbers are fuelling trendy gig venue

IBioIC has supported more than 260 start-ups, small businesses and established companies to bring bio-based processes and products to market.

Decade of innovation support injects £35 million into Scotland’s bio-economy

Idric director Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer says now is the time to leverage its convening power 'to realise the full benefits of the work done so far towards decarbonising Britain’s industrial heartlands'. Picture: contributed.

Facility based at Heriot-Watt nets £1m to help industry transition to net zero

Glasgow-based IbisVision's technology allows consumers and staff to operate from anywhere.

Glasgow pioneer behind remote eye testing looks to plug clinician shortages

School pupils from Winchburgh Academy with headteacher Jonny Mitchell and ITZA CEO Anthony Bouchier. Picture by Stewart Attwood

Edinburgh venture secures £2m funding to grow digital learning hub in Scotland

Willie Watt, chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank. Image: Nick Mailer

Ad Feature Building innovative strategies across Scotland

Glasgow Kelvin College is among the six participating colleges. Picture: contributed.

£1.2m business-academia tie-up aiming to drive innovation in Glasgow area

'We essentially work and have capability across the whole of the financial sector - that's the plan,' says Schutzer-Weissmann. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

Interview: Peter Schutzer-Weissmann, head of Valentia Partners' Scottish office

He said that when he was at school, laser technology 'felt like the future – and I wanted to be involved in something that was future looking'. Picture: contributed.

Interview: Dr Graeme Malcolm, founder and CEO of Glasgow-based M Squared Lasers

A CGI of ScrubMarine's prototype robot.

Start-up behind ship-cleaning robotic tech gets on board at Heriot-Watt Uni

A hand on a radiator.

Are Scots in home hydrogen test project being kept in the dark over risks?

Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater, minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity, cut the ribbon to officially open the Net Zero Home at the pioneering Energy Training Academy in Dalkeith

Look inside Scotland's net zero home

Once complete, Kirk Hill wind farm, near Kirkoswald in Ayrshire, will be the largest consumer-owned wind farm in the UK – with a total generating capacity of 18.8MW, it will supply enough green electricity to power around 20,000 homes and businesses and earn around £2.8m for community projects over its 30-year lifespan. Picture: Ripple Energy

Community-owned turbines to generate green power and cash for local projects

Water that collects in abandoned coal mines could be utilised to provide green heating for homes as part of a pioneering trial in Edinburgh. Picture: Neil Hanna

How supercomputers and abandoned coal mines could be harnessed to heat your home

Gregor Aikman (STAC), Ricky Bell (Glasgow City Council) and Paul Wilson (STAC). Picture by Stewart Attwood

Glasgow aims to be Europe’s largest smart tech innovation hub

The Data Lab academy class of 2022 at Innovation Week in Stirling.

Scotland’s Data Lab marks first decade milestone with £200m revenue boost

Nicola Anderson, chief executive of FinTech Scotland, says the cluster body is 'uniquely positioned' within the Scottish financial technology industry to lead the initiative.

FinTech Scotland launches 'ground-breaking' lab to stimulate collaboration

Dr Calum Ross is a research associate in Heriot-Watt’s school of engineering and physical sciences.

Heriot-Watt researcher nets £1m in bid to scale up next-gen optical fibre tech

Bioliberty has secured a £435,000 boost from the Biomedical Catalyst, national innovation agency Innovate UK’s flagship grant funding mechanism. Picture: Ryan Blackwood.

Pioneer of robotic glove to aid stroke patients grasps funding boost

Steve McMahon, who has joined Ingenious Audio, alongside the Edinburgh firm's chief executive John Crawford.

Key hire and six-figure funding boost for Edinburgh audio tech pioneer

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Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

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Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

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Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries