Only three weeks until the launch of Highland Business Week 2025 from Inverness Chamber of Commerce and the programme is shaping up with events looking to inspire, inform and upskill.

Taking place from Monday 22 to Friday 26 September, the week features an exciting series of events including networking opportunities and seminars along with the well established Highland Spotlight business exhibition and Highland Business Awards lunch.

It’s a brilliant opportunity for the Highland business community to get together and be inspired and informed.

A fantastic programme is lined up, so check out the details below and book your place today!

Scotland is celebrating it’s proud legacy of innovation and global leadership in pioneering the transformative technologies and industries of the future during Scotland’s National Innovation Week.

Running from 22 to 26 September, Scotland’s National Innovation Week will look to strengthen Scotland’s reputation, create connections, attract investment and inspire businesses to innovate.

There will be opportunities for policy makers, businesses, entrepreneurs, students and researchers to network and share ideas throughout the week with events listed on the new Scotland’s National Innovation Week website.

While ministerial events will take place across the week, each of the days will also have a theme:

• Monday 22 September – advanced manufacturing
• Tuesday 23 September – data and digital technologies
• Wednesday 24 September – health and life sciences
• Thursday 25 September – National Innovation Summit
• Friday 26 September – energy transition

The Minister for Business Richard Lochhead announced National Innovation Week including a commitment to hosting a National Innovation Summit, as part of Scotland’s first National Innovation Week.

• The National Innovation Summit will support collaboration across the innovation community, advancing shared goals and strengthening Scotland’s standing as a globally recognised leader in innovation.
• Innovation is essential to drive progress, transform industries, improve lives and tackle the global challenges of our time.
• With our world-class universities and research, focus on attracting investment and support for entrepreneurs, Scotland is becoming one of Europe’s leading destinations to start and grow your business.
• Whether you’re an entrepreneur, researcher, policymaker or simply passionate about innovation find out more about the events and networking opportunities during Scotland’s National Innovation Week.
• The events will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs, innovators and leading experts to showcase their ideas, solutions and successes, and inspire others.

A one-day event where you’ll hear inspiring impact success stories, meet potential collaborators from other Scottish universities, and explore funding and training opportunities to kick-start your own impact-focused projects.

The IAA Impact Festival is organised by the five Scottish universities with EPSRC Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs): Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt and St Andrews.

Speakers

This year’s keynote speaker is Fran Scott. Listed in The Progress 1000 London’s most influential people, Fran is the Science Content Developer at the Royal Institution as well as being the only female science presenter on CBBC. A scientist by training and an engineer at heart, Fran uses her knowledge to entertain and excite audiences of stage and screen. She is best known for her playful (and often fiery) demonstrations on the CBBC show Absolute Genius with Dick and Dom. With her own production company, Great Scott! Productions, she writes and produces high-octane shows for clients such as Google for Education, Mishkat Science Centre, Siemens and National Grid. Balancing entertainment with education, Fran manages to inject her demonstrations with narrative and humour to make them as enjoyable as they are informative.

You’ll also hear lightning talks from impact leaders at the five organising universities, sharing insights into their projects and the value of partnering with industry, government, and the third sector.

Networking sessions

Meet other researchers from across Scotland and creatively explore opportunities to collaborate through facilitated, structured networking sessions.

Exhibitors

In the exhibition space, you will meet funders and innovation hubs that can provide support for your impact activities. Interface are exhibiting at this event.

As part of Net Zero Week (5–11 July), West Highland Chamber of Commerce are hosting an informative session on Wednesday 9 July at 11am, designed specifically for Scottish SMEs looking to take their first steps towards Net Zero.

In this free 30-minute webinar, Izi Robe from the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) will break down what Net Zero means for your business and what you need to be doing now to meet upcoming requirements. You’ll also be introduced to the Climate Springboard, a fully funded support programme that gives SMEs the tools and tailored support to start reducing emissions, cutting costs and building climate resilience.

You’ll leave the session with:
• A clearer understanding of Net Zero requirements for Scottish businesses
• Practical tools and resources to help you take action
• Details of the next Climate Springboard training cohort starting 21st August 2025

About Climate Springboard:

Climate Springboard is a free, fully online programme that includes:
• Three interactive workshops
• 1-to-1 calls for bespoke advice
• A follow-up group session

By the end, you’ll walk away with a company carbon footprint, Net Zero action plan and a cost-saving to-do list.

TecTonic Night Summit is an immersive, collaborative celebration of innovation and community, bringing people together through evening gatherings alongside business conferences and fringe events across Scotland.

Blending the energy of a live community gathering with the insight and business showcase elements of a conference, TecTonic events are an inclusive, dynamic showcase of connectivity and creativity within Scotland’s digital business landscape and startup ecosystem.

The name reflects the movement, intersection, and constant evolution of ideas, innovation, relationships, and collaboration across sectors, industries, and enterprise.

For each event, we draw together a new team of established and emerging Community Leaders to ensure fresh ideas and opportunities each year.

Key to the vision of the project is promoting a positive, united front of business support organisations and community groups, not just to showcase the incredible ecosystem we have, but also to create real opportunities for collaboration and cross-pollination between networks.

Jackie Sanderson and Elaine Sneddon of Interface will be attending this event.

‘Scotland: Creating the Jobs of Tomorrow’ aims to help shape Scotland’s economic future by showcasing how innovation can drive growth and create high-quality jobs.

The conference will feature distinguished speakers, including:

• The Rt Hon Gordon Brown
• David Sainsbury, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Former Science and Innovation Minister
• The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security
• Anas Sarwar MSP, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
• Professor Michael Spence, Nobel prize-winning economist
• Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of University of Glasgow
• Jim Rowan, Former CEO Volvo Cars
• Chris van der Kuyl, Tech entrepreneur
• Dame Kate Bingham, Former Chair of the UK’s Vaccines Task Force
• Kasim Kutay, CEO of Novo Holdings
• Saul Klein, Leading venture capital investor
• Dan Turner, Political scientist
• Dr Poonam Malik, Convener of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Economy and Enterprise Committee and Scottish Enterprise board member
• Dr Susie Mitchell, Programme Manager of Glasgow Riverside Innovation District, University of Glasgow
• Professor Andrew Morris, Vice-Principal of Data Science at the University of Edinburgh, Director of Health Data Research UK and President of the Academy of Medical Sciences
• Professor Mairi Spowage, Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde
• These leaders will share their insights on leveraging Scotland’s industrial and research strengths to build a more prosperous and productive future.

Discussions will focus on how local, Scottish, and UK governments can support these efforts, drawing on a wide range of insights from Scotland and around the world.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to network with business, professional, political, and academic leaders who are committed to driving economic growth and reducing poverty.

This event is organised by Our Scottish Future, in association with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and the University of Glasgow, and is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone interested in the future of Scotland’s economy.

Taking place at the Technology and Innovation Centre, this event will bring together experts from academia, industry and government to address scientific and technical opportunities and challenges in Scotland.

The day will feature workshops and roundtable discussions on diverse topics including policy, innovation and education. This event will also feature a lunchtime address and a networking break which will bring together delegates from across the conference.

These sessions are aimed at SMEs who wish to hear more about what resources are available to them locally. It will feature presentations from organisations that have been set up to provide specialist knowledge and capabilities, funding providers and regional support networks.

Amelia Whitelaw, Director, Interface will be part of panel session on funding.

This Royal Society event is part of a wider event, Creating Connections in Scotland 2025, which is part of a meeting series organised by the Society and aims to address the scientific and technical opportunities and challenges faced by different regions across the UK.

This event is free to attend by invitation. To request an invitation, please contact industry@royalsociety.org.

For more information on the day visit https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2025/06/creating-connections-scotland/

Glasgow Tech Week is back 26–31 May.

Glasgow City Innovation District (GCID) is bringing together founders, tech leaders, ecosystem builders, and the wider community to celebrate the innovative work taking place within Glasgow’s tech, digital and creative ecosystem. Glasgow City Innovation District has partnered with global businesses and SMEs across the city for a week of breakfast seminars, educational workshops, networking evenings and more.

Join GCID for a week of fun, unique events covering everything from investment and business support to pitching, health tech and AI.

Glasgow City Innovation District (GCID) is excited to bring you Fusion Fest, formerly known as Glasgow Tech Fest.

During this award-winning event you have the opportunity to connect with your peers, learn from others and network to make valuable connections

Attendees of Fusion Fest will have the opportunity to network with colleagues and peers in a conference designed for actionable learnings at the same time showcasing talent and expertise in Glasgow.

Fusion Fest will be the headline event of Glasgow Tech Week, Scotland’s only tech week, which will take place between the 26th and 31st of May and brings together founders, tech leaders, ecosystem builders, and the community, to celebrate the innovative work taking place within Glasgow’s tech, digital, creative and innovation ecosystem.

If you are a student, use code STUDENT to get a free ticket.