St. Andrews and Fife

Latest News for St. Andrews & Fife

St Andrews University researchers led by Manfred Buck focus on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) a 'bottom-up' approach and allows the simple and rapid creation of surface assemblies, readily tuned through the choice of molecular building blocks used and stabilised by hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions pi–pi bonding or metal coordination between the blocks.
For applications in the field of nanotechnology work explores the potential of SAMs to generate electrode structures. Patterned SAMs are used as templates to laterally confine reactions such as electrochemical metal deposition. The team have now used two strategies combining a non-covalent self-assembly of porous networks and SAMs, with the former providing nanometre-scale precision and the latter allowing versatile functionalisation and have now shown these create integrated network–SAM hybrid systems, sufficiently robust for further processing.

Fife Council has implemented a new VoIP system serving over 12,000 users under budget and bringing business benefits and significant ongoing cost savings. The Council is the third largest local authority in Scotland and eleventh largest in the UK employs 21,500 staff and serving a population of around 360,000 people.

Belgium-based Artilium, the telecoms software developer centred around the Microsoft platform to that create ARTA Mobile Services Platform systems for mobile network operators, is planning to increase its R&D activities and create 30 new jobs at its operations in Dunfermline offices. The Artilium office in Dunfermline holds key intellectual property for its Tri-cell Intelligent Location System technology.

The American hi-tech company rumoured to be taking over the former Hyundai plant in Dunfermline with the potential of creating 1000 new jobs, is revealed as San Jose, California-based, Zoom Diversified Inc (not to be confused with broadband Zoom Technologies Inc) by the Dunfermline Press. It claims to be building a poly-crystalline silicon manufacturing facility and a multi-phased vertically integrated solar energy generation plant that will manufacture the polycrystalline silicon feedstock, silicon solar cells and solar modules. It's choise of location is unusual in that the UK is not the biggest PV market and most PV companies find logistics plays an important role in location.The company, involved in mining, infrastructure, industrial, and real estate is developing the Global Gateway Technology City in the Philippines, a 24.5m sq ft business community.

Level Four Software, based in Dunfermline, has added monitoring software through an OEM deal with Austria's Salzburger Banken Software (SBS) re-branding the latter's KIXOperator product as BRIDGE:control. This enables banks to monitor changes in the amount of cash in the machine, device faults and software issues; the latter factor a key requirement as Microsoft OS have overtaken OS2. Next move for Level Four will be into the actual ATM application software, planned for the next year-to-eighteen months.

The MoD has signed contracts with industry to build the two future aircraft carriers (CVF). The contracts in the region of Â£3bn, were signed with the newly-formed British shipbuilding company BVT Surface Fleet and the Aircraft Carrier Alliance onboard HMS Ark Royal. Glasgow-based Thales secured Â£425m for design and engineering; BVT Surface Fleet secured Â£1.325m for construction of both ships at Govan and Portsmouth; Babcock Marine taking Â£675m for bow section and final assembly at Rosyth; BAE System has Â£300m for construction at Barrow-in-Furness yards and BAE Systems INSYTE has Â£275m for design and supply of mission systems.

Fife teenager Alasdair Campbell who played water polo for the Great Britain youth team in Slovenia, has just completed his first year as a sports scholarship student at Lindenwood University in America. "I seriously considered trying for the 2012 Olympics, and it would have been great," he admitted in an interview with Elspeth Burnside of The Scotsman. "But it would have meant moving to the GB training base in Manchester and living and training there full-time and, to be honest, I had to accept that water polo is never going to provide me with a decent living.

University scientists have created the next generation of low cost light sources - lasers which can be tuned to every colour of the rainbow. The new technology developed by physicists at the University of St Andrewscan be used for a wide range of applications, from medical treatment tolight-emitting clothing. Because of their ability to be powered by a simple light-emitting diode (LED) rather than another laser, the compact new visible lasers can be created at a fraction of the cost of existing technologies.

Toprovide an insight into how three companies from different industries and backgrounds are harnessing technology to capture and provide real business benefits. Delegates will have the opportunity to explore the strategies that three award winning companies Ambergreen (events,exhibitions & graphics) Beetroot Blue (catering services) and Clyde Valley Drilling (high technology diamond drilling) have adopted to attract and retain customers, how they make it all happen, what has (and has not) worked and the benefits they have achieved for themselves and for their clients. We are delighted to have representatives from three award-winning companies recognised by various bodies for their use of technology, e-business and customer care.

This event will provide the opportunity to hear from and engage with current business leaders operating at the sharp end of their respective sectors. We have secured the following speakers who will talk openly and provide genuine real life examples of the growth and leadership successes they have and continue to experience: Jane Sunley, Learnpurple who will provide an insight into attracting, developing and retaining top talent and maximising performance. Bill McCall, McCall & Partners will provide advice on financing for growth. Vincent Connor, Pinsent Masons discusses effective approaches to developing in international markets.

Redrow is injecting some fun into househunting with a weekend spectacular at Middlebank Rise in Dunfermline, where youngsters will get the chance to win a popular Nintendo Wii games console. The event will run on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March from 12noon to 4pm and there will be plenty of entertainment on offer to get visitors into the spirit of the Easter holiday.
There will be the chance to sample tasty treats from the barbecue and mum can take advantage of a pampering session, while those who are feeling brave can take a vertical trip in the Redrow hot air balloon, which will be offering tethered rides, weather permitting. And of course there will be the opportunity to enter the Wii prize draw.

A different Formula One world championship is where cars go head-to-head powered on CO2 cylinders to thrust balsa wood frames down a 20-metre course. A team of dedicated schoolchildren from Lochgelly, Fife represents Scotland against rivals from the USA, South Africa, Singapore, Germany and Malaysia in March during the build-up to the real F1 battle at the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.

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