Soilutions is a specialist in contaminated land remediation based in Scotland. In simple terms; it helps clean up polluted soil and water. The company started out in 2003 and now undertakes remediation projects, mostly as a contractor or consultant.
How Soilutions started exporting
As a micro SME within a niche market, Soilutions were conscious that in order to stay competitive they needed to consider exporting their services overseas. The company firstly approached their local support agency in Scotland – Scottish Development International (SDI). Through working with SDI, Soilutions developed an overseas business strategy that highlighted India as a growth market for its services. With drinking water quickly becoming a scarce resource in India, coupled with a vast amount of ground pollution from their present and historical industries, it was clear that the Indian market had a lot to offer Soilutions.
It was vital for Soilutions to ensure they take the right approach to the Indian market. Its strategy identified that it should export the knowledge of contaminated soil and water remediation through a consultancy and project management approach rather than a standard UK contracting model.
Challenges faced by Soilutions
As an SME with a niche specialism, Soilutions have a constant challenge to promote their services to large blue chip companies who would normally employ large global consultancies for assistance on contamination issues. However, it has been able to overcome this challenge through gaining access to key decision-makers of these large organisations by way of introductions from SDI and the British Chambers of Commerce networks.
Support from Edinburgh Chamber
Edinburgh Chamber are constantly available to Soilutions for advice and guidance. Most importantly, the Chamber is able to make introductions to fellow members from a variety of different sectors that may be able to assist Soilutions in expanding overseas.
Imagine walking down a street where the paint helps fight air pollution, cars are powered by whiskey and you can stop along the way to charge your mobile in a solar powered phone box.
This future may not be far away thanks to innovative technology concepts from British companies shortlisted for Cleantech Innovate 2015, the UK’s largest commercial showcase of early stage green innovation organised by Glasgow-based ecoConnect.
The 2015 programme of innovation showcases kicks off with its third outing in London on 12th February and then comes to Scotland for the first time in Glasgow on 4 June.
The one day Scottish conference will see 25 Scottish companies present their ideas to an audience of investors, buyers and sector specialists and the first 4 have been chosen!
Celtic Renewables, Route Monkey, Sustainable Environment Ltd and Silver Hydro are all doing the double and have won places at both the London and Scotland finals with a double chance of winning the €20,000 cash prize which will be presented at both showcases.
Headline addresses will be delivered on the day by Fergus Ewing, Minister of Energy, Enterprise and Tourism; Shaun Kingsbury, CEO of the Green Investment Bank and Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland who are ecoConnect’s partners for the event.
“This year’s finalists are an example of the breadth and potential of the UK’s innovation in the cleantech sector. It’s great to see novel solutions for clean energy generation and water treatment alongside new and exciting ideas for introducing clean technology in our homes and cities,” commented Nick Smailes, Lead Technologist, Energy Systems, Innovate UK (who are sponsoring the 2015 programme) on the London finalists.
“The first four finalists for Scotland are all outstanding examples of the commercial and scaleable innovation taking place in this country. From the look of the applications coming in for the remaining 21 places, it seems like we will really be able to select the cream of the crop!” commented Catherine Hokin, Co-Founder and Director of ecoConnect
Technology companies can apply directly to the showcase until 23 February at http://www.cleantechinnovate.com/for-presenters/ and nominations can be sent to Catherine.hokin@ecocennect.org.uk
Delegate registration, with an early-bird discount, is open at http://www.cleantechinnovate.com/for-delegates/
For further information, please contact lakvinder.dhillon@ecoconnect.org.uk
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has announced that it will launch a new service between Edinburgh and Copenhagen in March 2015.
The new link will also be joined on the 29th March by the return of services to Oslo and Stockholm, strengthening the link between Edinburgh and three Scandinavian capitals.
Services between Edinburgh and Copenhagen will fly five times per week (not Friday or Tuesday) and will then increase to daily between 29th June and 9th August, before switching to six times per week until the end of October. Flights to Stockholm will be on a daily basis and those to Oslo will operate twice a week on Thursday and Sunday.
Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “We’re committed to growing through choice and this is at the heart of everything we do at Edinburgh Airport. We want to make sure our passengers are able to choose from the very best range of flights and services.
”Scandinavia is an important destination for us to serve and is a popular choice for passengers travelling for both for leisure and business.
“We’re delighted SAS will be joining us again with these new services which will link us into the impressive connectivity options available from the hub in Copenhagen.”
Denise Hill, Head of International Marketing said: “Scandinavia is a lucrative market for Scotland and we are delighted to welcome yet more visitors with the introduction of these exciting new direct routes into Edinburgh Airport.
“However as we work to extend Scotland’s international network, adding major international hubs and attracting airlines which are part of the world’s great airline alliances is key. SAS is a key partner of the important Star Alliance, the leading global airline network.
“Creating as many links as we can with Star Alliance partners increases Scotland’s connectivity with the world, enabling visitors to reach our stunning country from every single corner of the planet. This really is excellent news for Scotland.”
Following the success of their five weekly service which launched earlier this year, Qatar Airways will increase to daily between Edinburgh and Doha from 1st May 2015.
Coming just six months after the airline joined Edinburgh Airport as the city’s first Middle Eastern link, this announcement of a new daily service reinforces the airline’s commitment to its Scottish passengers with over 145 worldwide destinations available to choose from through the recently opened Hamad International Airport in Doha.
Currently operating five times per week, Qatar Airways will continue flying its Boeing 787 Dreamliner which offers the airline’s award-winning five-star service. The Dreamliner is the first scheduled aircraft of its type in Scotland.
Welcoming the announcement, Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “This announcement is great news for Scottish passengers and reflects the fantastic relationship we‘ve built with Qatar Airways since they joined us in May.
“Our passengers will soon be able to access over 145 worldwide destinations every day through a single transfer in Doha.
“As an airport we’re committed to growing through providing choice and Qatar has proven a very popular choice for customers. “We share a commitment of providing the very best service and experience for our passengers and we’re looking forward to continuing this into 2015 and beyond.”
Qatar Airways can offer passengers some of the fastest journey times to Australia with flight times to Melbourne reduced from approximately 26 hours with two transfers, to just 20 hours with a single transfer at Hamad International Airport in Doha.
The new daily service will operate as follows:
QR 027 departs Doha (DOH) at 07:45; arrives Edinburgh (EDI) at 13:00
QR 028 departs Edinburgh (EDI) at 14:30; arrives Doha (DOH) at 23:30
American Airlines will start a new daily service between Edinburgh and New York’s JFK airport for the summer season next year.
Running from May until September, the new daily service will offer Scottish passengers more choice of how they can travel to New York and onward destinations throughout North America. Offering convenient journey times, the flight will depart Edinburgh at 9:15am and arrive in JFK at approximately 11:45am (EST).
This will be the first time an American Airlines aircraft will touch down at Edinburgh following their merger with US Airways. Not only will Scottish passengers be able to take full advantage of the service, US visitors will also be able to benefit from increased connectivity into Scotland during the summer tourist season.
Officially starting on 7th May 2015, the new link between Edinburgh and JFK will join Air Canada Rouge and United Airlines which, after a hugely successful summer season in 2014, are both returning to the Scottish capital with links to Toronto and Chicago. It will also add to United’s existing twice-daily service to Newark.
American Airlines will be operating their Boeing 757-200 which comes equipped with 16 lie-flat premium cabin seats.
Welcoming the news, Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “New York is one of the most famous cities in the world and one of our most popular international destinations. We’re confident that this new service will be a hit with Scottish passengers, both for visitors to the Big Apple and those travelling to onward destinations across America.
“As Scotland’s busiest airport we’re committed to providing our passengers with the best choice of destinations and airport experience. We’re delighted to be working with American Airlines and look forward to the launch of this new service next year.”
Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “I warmly welcome this new direct route between Edinburgh and New York, which will no doubt be popular with tourists and business travellers alike.
“Scotland and the USA share close cultural and historic bonds and this service will only serve to strengthen them, giving Scottish companies a direct link to America’s biggest city and making it even easier for American visitors to experience our wonderful tourist offering.
“We could attract more direct flights like this one to Scotland by cutting rates of Air Passenger Duty, something that we don’t currently have the power to do but which has wide support in the aviation industry.
“I congratulate Edinburgh Airport and American Airlines on this new route and look forward to seeing it take off next summer.”
Hundreds of revellers will be toasting all things Scottish as part of the St Andrew’s Party with Phil and Aly, sponsored by Capital Document Solutions.
The popular folk music duo – Phil Cunningham (accordion/keyboard) and Aly Bain (fiddle) – will help guests raise a dram to Scotland’s patron saint with a night filled with jigs and reels.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) event takes place from 7:30pm on Saturday, November 29 at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The concert will also feature conductor John Logan, singer Barbara Dickson and the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.
Limited tickets for the concert are available to buy via the RSNO’s website: http://www.rsno.org.uk/whatson/?c_id=223&action=Read+More&month=11&year=2014
Tom Flockhart, founder and managing director of Capital Document Solutions, said: “It promises to be a fantastic occasion and I can think of no better way to celebrate St Andrew’s than with Phil and Aly – two supremely talented musicians and entertainers.
“We are delighted for our company to continue its long-standing association with the RSNO concert, which has brought benefits to both parties over the years.”
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is one of Europe’s leading symphony orchestras. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company became the Scottish National Orchestra in 1950, and was awarded Royal Patronage in 1991.
Throughout its proud history, the Orchestra has played an important part in Scotland’s musical life, including performing at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. For further information visit www.rsno.org.uk
Established in 1979, Capital is Scotland’s largest independent supplier of office equipment and document solutions. It provides copiers, printers, scanners and software with comprehensive national maintenance and training support to businesses and organisations in the private and public sectors.
The company employs 205 people across Scotland, including operations in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Shetland. For further information visit www.capital-solutions.co.uk
We would be delighted if you could join us at our next ecoConnect forum on Cleantech: The Key Ingredient for a Sustainable Food & Drink Industry
Key issues will be debated by our Expert Panel, including:
Julie Hesketh-Laird, Director of Operational & Technical Affairs, The Scotch Whisky Association
Willie Fergusson, Key Account Manager – Retail Food & Drink, Resource Efficient Scotland
Andrew Lyle, Managing Director, Locogen
Robert Ramsay, Chairman, Kinblethmont Farm & Director, SoilEssentials Ltd
Topics to be discussed include:
- Where are the key opportunities for resource efficiency & how can the Cleantech & Food/Drink sectors (including agricultural landowners) partner to create an integrated approach to sustainability across the supply chain?
- What is the role of renewables in the sector, where are the technology success stories and challenges coming from? What lessons need to be learnt?
- Where will the drivers for innovation come from? Are regulations & initiatives (eg. the Circular Economy & waste directives) key? What role can & should SMEs play?
- Where are the carbon emission reduction success stories coming from & where are the challenges?
- How integrated is the approach to sustainability across the supply chain from the producer at the start of the process to the consumer at the end?
- How equal is the relationship between the retailers and the producers – where are the costs of improving sustainability being borne? Who holds the balance of power?
For more information about the forum please click here
- Explore leadership challenges and opportunities faced across sectors
- Gain valuable insight from social enterprise and family business practitioners
- Create shared strategies for local growth and community resilience
Cost
With support from the Scottish Government this programme is fully-funded – meaning there is no cost to participants.
6 Days | Glasgow | Starting 15 & 16 January 2015
In a glittering ceremony celebrating Women Entrepreneurs across the United Kingdom, Scotland’s Business Mentoring Partnership swept up the top awards at the “Excellence in Women’s Enterprise and Mentoring” The Partnership is led by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network and supported and part funded by Highland and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and European funding.
Liz Cameron, Director and Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:
“We are so proud of this exceptional business led peer-to-peer mentoring support. We have developed our approach over the last 10 years, adapting it to suit the needs of Scottish business. These awards are testament to the 8,500 businesses who have grown as a direct result of the army of voluntary business men and women across Scotland who have given up their time freely and are willing to pass on their experience, expertise and connections. We must learn that sometimes the best is not always outside of Scotland, but home grown here and start looking in our own back yard for greatness for others to follow. We are pleased that this unique connection programme is recognised and supported by the Scottish Government and their economic development agencies who have continued to support us. Scotland’s entrepreneurial flair remains strong and business to business mentoring is in a league of its own.”
Jeanette Forbes, Founder and CEO of PCL Group, based in Aberdeen picked up the coveted Best Mentor Award beating off more than 100 other applicants picked up her award in London. Jeanette commented:
“Business Mentoring is about putting something back. In 2002, I obtained my own business mentor. Without him, I would not be in business today. He makes me think outside the box and in a world which is rapidly changing economically we sometimes need someone with a different perspective to put us back on track and continue on our journey”
Claire Murray, Founder and Owner of Dunnet Bay Distillers, Caithness, was awarded the UK’s “Excellence in Export & Innovation” award for their most recent product innovation “Rock Rose Gin”.
In picking up this prestigious award she credited both her family and her mentor James Knowles.
“I cannot express in words how great having James as a mentor was for me and for the business. James has been full of ideas which he shared with us, he asked fundamental questions on issues which would and could have seemed obvious but we did not think on at the time as we are all so close to running the day to day operations. Business Mentoring Scotland has been truly and absolutely invaluable, the best thing I’ve done! I would encourage as many businesses as possible who want to expand to get a mentor through the Scottish Chambers of Commerce”
James Knowles, Claire Murray’s Mentor also picked up an award for his support to the company.
James Knowles has more than 40 years business experience driving economic development for Aberdeenshire Council. His input directly affected areas such as marketing, social media in particular, leading to over 6,000 views and terrific sales contacts.
James said:
“What an honour to be part of this exciting new business and we are not finished yet …this is just the beginning! I did not volunteer to help businesses for the accolade, but it was a great feeling to watch Claire pick up the award in London”.
Laura Gunn from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said:
“The business mentoring service aims to match ambitious business leaders with a suitable mentor to help their business develop and grow. Claire and Martin have already enjoyed huge success in their first year running Dunnet Bay Distillery, the most northerly distillery on mainland Britain. The business mentoring service has added an extra level of support to ensure any issues they have are brought up and discussed in a supportive and secure environment. We wish Claire and Martin every success for the future and congratulate Claire on winning this excellent award.”
Edinburgh College, one of the country’s largest colleges, is currently seeking members to join its Board of Management.
We are looking for individuals with a strong commitment to changing lives and an understanding of the value of education. You will be part of a new, dynamic and influential Board following a period of considerable change and unparalleled opportunity for Edinburgh and its students.
Time commitment: 1.5 days per month
For more information please visit www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/welcome/vacancies/
Or contact;
Marcus Walker (Marcus.Walker@edinburghcollege.ac.uk /0131 344 7048)
Closing date: 12 noon on Wednesday, 26 November
