Scotland’s Leading Business Podcast: Scottish Entrepreneurs Sir Tom Hunter & Lord Willie Haughey Discuss Business and Chat to Simon Forrest, Co-Founder of Nova Innovation.

Key Highlights

 

Scottish Whisky News:

Big news in the whisky world! The Famous Grouse, a renowned Scottish whisky brand, has been sold to William Grant & Sons.

This is a significant move.

William Grant & Sons, a family-owned business, is now the proud owner. They have a massive operation in Girvan, and the whisky’s value increases with age.

 

Energy Solutions and Social Tariff:

The Scottish government is working on a new social tariff for energy, aiming to support those in need.

It’s a complex issue, requiring collaboration from multiple parties. However, starting with insulation and energy management can save significant costs.

 

Energy Solutions for Existing Houses:

People are looking for solutions to reduce energy costs, and there’s a promising approach focusing on insulation and energy management, which is more economical than expensive solutions like solar panels and batteries.

These solutions can be implemented immediately, with positive feedback from various stakeholders, including visits from senior management teams.

 

Grangemouth Refinery Crisis:

The UK government is addressing the Grangemouth refinery issue, which is a significant test for the Labour government.

Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS and their Chinese partners are planning to cease refining due to losses of £150 million a year. The future of energy solutions and the Grangemouth refinery remains uncertain.

 

Taxation and Economic Balance:

Balancing taxation is always a challenge. It’s crucial to find the right balance. While taxing the rich can be popular, it’s more effective to grow the entire economy so everyone can contribute fairly. Over-taxing high earners won’t solve the problem alone.

 

Infrastructure Investment:

The government plans to invest more in infrastructure and capital projects. Investing in infrastructure is essential for economic growth. Projects like the hydro have shown significant positive impacts. It’s about ensuring a good return on investment to boost GDP.

 

Pensioner Support and Communication Issues:

There have been communication issues regarding pensioner support. The government’s communication has been poor. While they promised to maintain the triple lock, ensuring pensioners are better off, the messaging has been confusing. Clear communication is vital to avoid misunderstandings.

 

Bill Gates’ Netflix Series:

The new Netflix series featuring Bill Gates is fascinating. The series covers major issues like global warming, disease eradication, and misinformation. Gates’ work through his foundation, especially in eradicating polio and tackling malaria, is commendable.

 

Debate on Wealth:

The series also explores whether one can be too rich. Gates discusses this with Bernie Sanders, highlighting different perspectives on wealth and its impact on society. It’s a thought-provoking discussion on the responsibilities that come with great wealth.

 

Main Guest: Simon Forrest Co Founder, Nova Innovations

Simon Forrest is the co-founder of Nova Innovation, a global leader in marine energy, delivering clean and predictable electricity to clients worldwide. Founded in 2010, Nova has offices in Leith, Dublin, Brussels, and Halifax, employs 50 staff, and has a turnover of £5 million.

Raised in Larkhall, Simon didn't have an obvious entrepreneurial role model but showed an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. At 15, he started his own chicken farm, selling free- range eggs to local schools and businesses.

After leaving school, Simon began an apprenticeship as an engineer at IBM Greenock, where he also completed his degree. He then pursued a career as an investment banker in London and New York. While he found parts of that career enjoyable, he missed engineering and returned to IBM in a global role.

His passion for renewable energy led him to pursue a PhD at Edinburgh University in Engineering Power Systems, where he met his future co-founder, who was one of his lecturers. Their vision for Nova was ambitious— to make tidal energy as prominent as wind energy is in Denmark.

 

 

Board You Can't Afford

 

Kayla Megan Burns, Podplistic

Kayla is a Biomedical Scientist, the Convenor of Disability Equality Scotland, and a past member of the New York Times’ Generation Climate where they curated and presented content appealing to youth across the areas of technology and climate change during COP26.

They have previously co- founded a podcast and audio production company which generated 5-figure revenues, and are now primarily focusing on building Podplistic - an AI-enabled podcast production software for global news and media companies, who are currently in early discussions with the New York Times.

 

Keywords: Sir Tom Hunter, Lord Willie Haughey, Simon Forrest, Nova Innovation, Marine energy, Tidal energy, Renewable energy, Scottish Business, AI, Alex Ferguson, Podcasting, Scottish Business, Scottish Politics, UK Business, Uk Politics