Hello and welcome to our daily digest of business, financial and economic news from around Scotland.
1. Peatland restoration could bring £400 million into the Highlands economy, according to a new report.
Research undertaken by 4c Engineering, supported by NatureScot and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, suggested that could happen over the next 18 years.
It looked at the potential for the Flow Country, the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe, covering 400,000 hectares and constituting a key site for carbon storage.
It is estimated about 180,000 hectares there required some form of restoration and that work could provide employment for more than 240 people across Caithness and Sutherland.
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The research suggested the economic impact could rise further if small crofters and farmers were given the opportunity to sell carbon credits on their land.
2. Weir Group is adding an English accountant to its board while another director intends to leave.
Andy Agg joins the mining equipment manufacturer and supplier as a non-executive director.
Agg, 54, is the chief financial officer at National Grid, having started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Weir also announced Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan, 59, is stepping down as a non-executive director from the end of next month to pursue other opportunities.
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Venkatakrishnan is the chairman of Endeavour Mining and a former chief executive of Vedanta Resources.
3. A development site in the west of Edinburgh could provide up to 1,000 new homes.
The 15.5-acre former industrial site has just been purchased by Summix, a regeneration specialist.
Savills, the property firm , working on behalf of the seller, Saica, a maker of paper and cardboard, said the Maybury lands had been identified for housing in the 2030 city plan.
Ben Brough, head of development at Savills, said Summix had an “outstanding track record” of delivering sustainable projects.
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Saica has moved its operations to a purpose-built facility in Livingston, West Lothian.
4. A Scottish firm which makes robotic lawn mowers has secured £1.4 million of new funding.
Kingdom Technologies has received cash from Scottish Enterprise and a mix of private equity firms.
The Glasgow firm, founded in 2018, hopes to develop a new version of its mower and deliver 100 products this year.
It has seen strong demand from Florida, particularly from customers operating sports fields.
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The new mower will be equipped to deal with tougher terrain, meaning it could be deployed in parks and other large grassy areas.
5. The Vietnamese street food restaurant Pho is opening its first Glasgow location next month.
It has selected the former Moss Bros premises on Renfield Street in the city.
The move follows on from its first Scottish outlet at the St James Quarter in Edinburgh.
Libby Andrews, marketing director of Pho, said: “Glasgow has been on our radar for some time and we are so excited to finally become a part of the city’s vibrant and diverse community.”
