Joe Pacitti, MD:
A little early, but as I was sitting on the train post out traditional CeeD Board & Team meetup and Xmas Curry, it allowed me to reflect on the past 12 months and share a few thoughts for our end-of-year and Christmas celebration blog. I found myself thinking about the themes that stood out this year – sparked by the tradition of that annual meet up.
Photo: L-R: Gareth Marshall, LDC and Chris Fraser, Aspire
Investment to support continued expansion and accelerate M&A strategy
Aspire Technology Solutions, the UK’s leading provider of managed IT, cyber security, and modern workplace solutions, has secured a new round of investment from private equity investor LDC to accelerate the company’s expansion and support an ambitious acquisition strategy.
Virtual Manufacturing: How we improved the layout in Hackefors with Viscando 3D&AI and Gazpacho
We’re thrilled to announce a brand-new category for the upcoming CeeD Annual Industry Awards: the Data for Change Award, sponsored by the Failure Modes of Engineering (FeME) project. This award was inspired by FeME’s vision to recognise individuals and small teams who use data in innovative ways to drive positive change, whether that’s tackling global challenges like climate change, improving biodiversity, or creating social impact through technology.
Kube Networks Limited (“KubeNet”), a leading Glasgow-based ISP and award-winning provider of managed IT & infrastructure services, cloud, Internet, voice, cybersecurity and IoT solutions to the private and public sector, is pleased to announce the acquisition of a client base of telecoms and connectivity provider Fibre1.
The deal is KubeNet’s second of 2025 and strengthens their position in the North of Scotland after the successful acquisition of Aberdeen-based managed service provider ISN Solutions.
The LeadHERship Retreat, held on 17–18 November 2025 at the University of Glasgow, is a transformative two-day executive programme designed to empower women in leadership. Created by the Adam Smith Business School and the School of Law, it supports women to lead with authenticity, confidence, and purpose.
In Scotland's competitive business landscape, the difference between thriving and merely surviving often lies in the quality of professional networks. Scotland's Centre for Engineering Education and Development (CeeD) recognises this fundamental truth: that breakthrough innovations emerge not from isolated brilliance, but from the strategic collision of diverse expertise across academia, industry, and government.
The date is set for the CeeD Industry Awards 2026 which will take place on Thursday 5th March 2026.
The Awards ceremony and dinner will take place at the Glasgow Hilton once again where, at last year's event, we celebrated the finalists and winners of 2025 with 700 guests in attendance from business, academia and support agencies.
As a proud member of CeeD, Virtual Manufacturing UK continues to champion sustainable innovation in manufacturing. In a recent collaborative project with Vericut UK, Seco Tools, and GROB Machine Tools UK Ltd, the team successfully demonstrated a 19% reduction in machine energy consumption during machining trials — a significant step forward in energy-efficient manufacturing.
Agreement unlocks £25m of UK Government funding to support local port infrastructure projects.
Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) will today reach a milestone as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed between with the UK and Scottish governments, and the Highland Council.
This is the final stage of a five-year planning process and creates a formal framework for co-operation and responsibilities between the stakeholders.