Crunch could slow flow of cash into start-ups to a stop
THOSE OF US WHO have been in business for some time have seen economic cycles come and go. When I first raised investment for a start-up...
New generation of digital audio isn't music to my ears
WHEN I WAS YOUNG, hi-fi was all the rage. There were many specialised magazines aimed at the dedicated hi-fi enthusiast, exclusive shops...
Ungrateful airlines shouldn't vent their frustrations at us
I WONDER what it is we have collectively done to the airline industry to deserve the treatment we get back from them? Obviously times are...
Don't moan about rising fuel prices - oil is a bargain
A FEW MONTHS AGO I was speaking to a senior Scottish businessman who had been, for a time, the chairman of a whisky distillery business....
Technology should be user-friendly as well as innovative
NICOLAS NEGROPONTE is a very senior technology innovator indeed - a 'cardinal of geekdom' you might say. As the founder of MIT's Media...
A guilt-free way to make the world wide web go round
FLYING IS SO DEMONISED these days - getting on an EasyJet plane to Nice probably still ranks as a slightly more acceptable pastime than...
Sony wins the second war of home entertainment
WELL, SONY GOT its own back at last. As every technology watcher will know, the last time there was a major 'format war' Sony - with its...
One rule for us, another for everyone else
I WAS SPEAKING RECENTLY to a distinguished ex-pat Scot, a former senior diplomat and foreign affairs expert who has worked at the highest...
Oh Chancellor, where art thou?
OVER THE LAST 20 years or so, the UK Government has built up an enviable reputation for the development of a strong enterprise culture in...
Scotland is hopeless for political sleaze but better at clyping
HERE IN SCOTLAND, we are always very keen to compare ourselves with other political and economic entities around the world - to check how...
Scotland’s Universities deserve their place in the world
FOR A SMALL country, Scotland makes a disproportionate impact on the rest of the world, and one of our key areas of strength is...
Chancellor launches attack on the Entrepreneur
JIM MATHER, the Scottish Government's minister for Enterprise, has declared that he wants to see more entrepreneurship in Scotland. This...
Attention over-thirties: news is now a free for all
NOBODY UNDER THIRTY these days buys a newspaper. It might seem weird to us oldies who still need our daily fix, but they just don't see...
It's time SMG put pressure on BBC
IT LOOKS like being an interesting time for Scottish broadcasting - and we've not been able to say that for quite a while. Earlier this...
Culture and economic success
THE NEW SNP administration is bringing fresh thinking to some of the established 'truths' of this country, but being a minority...
Fix skills shortages with easy access, well-funded Masters degrees
HEY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! The economy is booming, employment is strong. Companies of all sorts are firing on all cylinders, sales are up,...
Why is an engineer's status so low?
ALTHOUGH I regard myself as mostly a businessman these days, by profession I am an engineer. We engineers have a rather high opinion of...
We must keep the Enterprise Fellowship Programme
A FEW years ago, Scottish Enterprise developed a new strategy for Scotland. In agreement with the Scottish Executive it defined the...