Here are the business stories making the headlines both locally and nationally today.
Aker Solutions predicts 30% revenue surge
Engineering firm Aker Solutions is predicting a 30% surge in revenues for 2022 as it capitalises on “record high” tendering activity.
In its outlook for the year, the Oslo-listed firm said tendering is at NOK 105 billion (£8.6bn) and the company will be “selective in its approach”.
Energy Voice reports that in oil and gas, Aker Solutions expects to see “multiple years of spending growth” from clients dealing with energy security, meaning the company can capitalise near-term and for longer-term changes in the energy markets.
Glencraft factory creditors in line for legacy payout
Creditors who lost out when a furniture factory went bust 13 years ago are in line for a surprise payout after it emerged that a "substantial" legacy had been left to the business.
The announcement was made by liquidators for the Royal Aberdeen Workshops for the Blind and Disabled, which traded as Glencraft.
They said the legacy had only recently come to light following a bereavement. The BBC reports it to be a low six-figure sum.
Top marks for university equity investment deals
Companies that have been spun out of universities and have been founded in Scotland have attracted more equity investment deals than anywhere else in the UK, according to a report.
The British Business Bank said there were 44 such transactions in 2021 involving firms started at Scottish academic institutions. That was 21 per cent of the UK total and ahead of the southeast of England, with 39 deals, the east of England, on 35 and, London, with 32.
Scotland also topped the table in 2020, with 64 companies receiving equity funding, ahead of the second-place figures of 41 for the southeast and east of England.
The Times said they include Elasmogen, a biotechnology specialist from the University of Aberdeen, which uses proteins found in sharks to attack tumours, netting £8million
Heathrow boss faces ultimatum on travel chaos
The chief executive of Heathrow is facing an official ultimatum to resolve the disruption at the understaffed airport, as the world’s biggest international airline openly defies his order to cancel flights.
In a joint letter from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) director general for aviation, maritime and security and chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), John Holland-Kaye has been given until noon on Friday to assure them that the airport has enough staff for security screening and to assist disabled passengers.
In addition, he was ordered to report back with a “credible and resilient capacity recovery plan for the next six months”, according to the letter seen by The Telegraph.
Mike Ashley firm bans working from home over 'slacking'
Mike Ashley’s Frasers has banned staff from working from home on Fridays after some employees were caught posting too often on social media.
The retailer, which owns Sports Direct and House of Fraser, has ended its flexible Friday policy and asked staff to be in the office all week.
An internal memo, sent by the company’s operating chief, said “Frasers Friday” had become “an unproductive day of the week”, reports The Telegraph.
Sturgeon wants to meet new PM for indyref2 talks
Nicola Sturgeon has said she wants to meet the next prime minister for talks over her plan to hold an independence referendum next year.
The first minister said she would potentially be willing to compromise on some of the details of the plan.
But she said whoever replaces Boris Johnson would have no democratic endorsement from Scotland, according to the BBC.
Banks cut mortgage lending amid recession fears
Banks and building societies have cut back mortgage lending at the sharpest rate since the depths of the first lockdown amid fears of a recession.
More banks reined in home loans than offered easier money in the three months to June, the Bank of England’s quarterly survey found.
The Telegraph reports that the drop in mortgage lending is the most dramatic since 2020, when the onset of Covid-19 and lockdowns brought the property market to a standstill.