• Scottish adventurer David Scott expands international expeditions business

David Scott took seven famous names across the Namib Desert in Namibia, southern Africa, for Sport Relief in 2004.  Now, he has hired more staff and is expanding the number of countries he’s taking expeditions to as part of his Sandbaggers business.

Sandbaggers grew from David arranging a stage race across Mongolia’s Gobi Desert in 2004. Since then he has staged multiple events across the Gobi and Namib Deserts, as well as jungle and extreme weather treks, and even an ice marathon race.

Now Sandbaggers is offering adventure trips in other stunning locations across the world, including Patagonia and Kamchatka, Russia.

• Diageo celebrates sustainability and responsibility achievements

Diageo, maker of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness, has today celebrated the conclusion of its highly ambitious 2020 Sustainability and Responsibility Goals.

The 2020 targets were selected to align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and designed to cover Diageo’s three main focus areas: reducing environmental impact, building thriving communities and promoting positive drinking. Key highlights delivered include:

• Cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from direct operations by 509,000 metric tonnes. delivering on its commitment to reduce absolute emissions by 50%.
• Reducing emissions by over a third (33.7%) across its total value chain, going beyond its original 30% target[8].
• In water stressed areas, replenished 100% of the water used in our final product.
• Ensured that over 99.5% of its packaging is recyclable and achieved 45% recycled content in its packaging.
• Achieved zero waste to landfill in all operational sites and offices.
• Supported more than 250,000 people through its projects focused on clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in 2020.
• Empowered 435,000 women to date through its community programmes.
• Championed diversity such that 39% of leadership positions are now held by women, going beyond its original target of 35%.

• Eco launches new contactless system to help pubs, restaurants and cafes safe during COVID-19

Annan-based solutions firm Eco has is launching a new contactless system to help pubs, restaurants and cafes keep staff and customers safe as the coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease across the UK.

The firm’s Econnects technology is a simple-to-use system which enables establishments to adhere to the Scottish Government’s new Test and Protect programme while also remaining GDPR compliant.

Econnects is designed to help businesses remain compliant by maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to venues and by supporting Test and Protect to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus.

• Edinburgh duo launches e-bike tours business

Entrepreneurs Euan Scott Kelly and Carol Harris have launched an e-bike tours business in Edinburgh’s Newhaven.

EZ Bike Tours hopes to take advantage of the new surge in interest in biking which emerged during the coronavirus lockdown period.

The two have bought 12 of the latest e-bikes from Rad Power Bikes, with the first ten bikes delivered last week, the two are now ready to start taking customers on tours.

In the first few months, Euan and Carol expect their customers to be mainly local people and staycationers, but are looking forward to welcoming visitors from further afield as tourist numbers gradually pick up again. As the business expands, the duo plan to add ten new bikes per year and introduce new tours exploring Edinburgh and its surrounding countryside.

• Seas the Catch expands into central Scotland during lockdown

Western Isles shellfish supplier Seas the Catch has successfully expanded its customer base into St Andrews, Glasgow and the Borders during lockdown.

Seas the Catch supplies and promotes sustainable creel caught Hebridean shellfish to established and self-catering accommodation across the Highlands and Islands. With these outlets closed due to the lockdown, the business successfully adapted their offering by selling fish boxes direct to customers by delivery or through a new click and collect service.

The popularity of these boxes enabled the team to move to monthly deliveries instead of weekly, which gave them time to explore new customers and expand into central Scotland.

The firm has praised support from Business Gateway, which ensured the firm was in a strong position to adapt to the pandemic.

• Sublime offers virtual solution for university remote teaching

Glasgow-based Scottish immersive technology company Sublime is offering academics and teachers a virtual solution to the problems of remote teaching created by COVID-19 ahead of the new academic year.

Developed in partnership with the University of Glasgow, Sublime’s Edify helps lecturers create and lead classes in 3D environments from anywhere in the world. Ten prototype virtual learning environments have so far been co-created by academics, providing virtual teaching worlds that allow students to go beyond the lecture theatre.

Open to all disciplines, Sublime is inviting academics to submit their ideas for an engaging and immersive educational experience. Edify will shortlist up to 50 ideas and each entrant will receive a tutorial with University of Glasgow VR & AR academic Dr Neil McDonnell and the Edify development team to further refine the teaching requirements.

The firm will select the most viable briefs to develop as fully-funded virtual lessons, from an app development fund totalling £100,000, to be delivered on the Edify platform. Sublime will then collaborate with each winner to co-create and build the applications, to be delivered within applicants’ institutions.