Last week saw Data Privacy Day and International Clean Energy Day, giving us plenty to think about through the lens of Scottish technology. The suspension of debate in the Scottish Parliament over the status of the country's technology sector means there is a lot to wrap up in the new week.
To help you get up to speed on these key stories, we've included a summary here.
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Scottish Tech News | W/C January 22nd
International Clean Energy Day: Scotland's story
Scotland’s renewable energy production quadrupled between 2007 and 2020, increasing by 9.8% in 2021 and a whopping 28.1% in 2022, and shows no plans to slow down. .
The latest Scottish Government figures for September 2023 show that energy generation in 2023 was down due to less wind and rain compared to 2022, but renewable energy capacity increased by 10% during 2022.
Scotland's energy consumption increased last year compared to 2020-21, which the government said was mainly due to social changes following the pandemic. Nevertheless, overall consumption is 18.2% lower than the 2005-2007 baseline. Furthermore, Scotland's energy usage is four times cleaner than London's, even in densely populated areas.
According to Scottish Renewables, renewable electricity generation currently accounts for around 97% of Scotland's total electricity consumption. The biggest contributor to this is wind power, which is harnessed by both onshore and offshore wind turbine power plants.
To celebrate the work we're doing in Scotland, we've compiled a list of some of the most innovative and important champions and champions in the renewable energy sector.
Click here to view the list.
Scotland: technology nation (don't mention education)
A near-empty Scottish Parliament held a debate on Scotland as a technology nation, but the parade of Scotland's achievements was lackluster and punctuated by opposition leaders questioning shortcomings in key areas such as education. Ta.
The celebratory opening of the 'Scotland: A Technology Nation' debate held in the chambers of the Scottish Parliament yesterday was met with a fierce challenge from the Opposition Front Bench.
While Small Business Minister Richard Lochhead highlighted Scotland's well-documented successes, Labor and the Conservatives highlighted some of the innovation minister's glaring omissions.
Click here to see the discussion unfold.
Edinburgh Napier University appoints new entrepreneur
Edinburgh Napier University has announced Lyn Cadenhead, serial entrepreneur, experienced technology sector leader and Chair of Women's Enterprise Scotland, as its new Entrepreneur in Residence.
Professor Lynn Cadenhead, a Napier graduate with a background in life sciences, has started and run three successful businesses and has over 25 years of entrepreneurship, equity investment and policy experience.
Lynne is recognized for her work supporting women's entrepreneurship through her roles as Chair of Women's Enterprise Scotland and as Women's Champion and Investor Relations Director at TriCapital Angels Limited.
Scottish biopharmaceutical company raises new funding for innovative technology
Scottish biopharmaceutical company Aurum Biosciences has raised around £730,000 in the first tranche of a new funding round aimed at further developing therapeutic and diagnostic technologies.
This funding round will be split into two tranches and is supported by new and existing investors.
These include co-founder Dr. Celestine Santosh, InnoScot Health, Scottish Enterprise, the TRICAPITAL business angel syndicate, and a number of private investors.
Scottish Water appoints BPD Zenith as part of £5.8bn shake-up
In line with government and regulator expectations, Scottish Water launched a six-year investment program in 2021 to improve Scotland's water and wastewater infrastructure.
With more than 2,500 planned projects underway to improve drinking water quality, protect the environment and support economic growth, the program aims to 'deliver outstanding services, move beyond net-zero emissions and improve society's It aims to support the water supplier's three strategic objectives: Deliver greater value and financial sustainability. ”
As part of the multi-year agreement, BPD Zenith will partner with Scottish Water to “streamline operations, maximize asset performance and efficiency, and continue to deliver high-quality water and wastewater services,” the charity said. “We guarantee that.” To all our customers across Scotland. ”
Scottish technology could help reduce ecological impact of underwater noise
A new system that uses artificial intelligence to accurately model how sound waves travel underwater could help reduce the impact of noise pollution on marine life.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow and the University of British Columbia in Canada are involved in developing the technology.
Loud sounds produced by man-made technologies, such as cargo ship propellers and the construction and operation of offshore wind farms, have been shown to negatively impact a wide range of marine life.
Data Privacy Day: Where are we and how did we get here?
As the UK's new Data Protection Bill approaches its final legislative stages, DIGIT dives into the contentious world of data protection and privacy in a world of crumbling cookies, rising AI, and a reactive regulatory environment.
Click here to read the full article.
That's it for this week. Stay up to date with the latest Scottish technology news by subscribing to the DIGIT newsletter.