It was with a spring in my step that I set off to the Scottish Technology Showcase last week. Two years previously, I had visited the same event and it was where I first came across the incredible company that is Touch Bionics. If this year’s event could boast some stories with even half the appeal of that little gem, then I’d be well satisfied.

As it turns out, the number of products-oriented companies that presented potentially interesting opportunities for a PR firm were relatively thin on the ground. There were a lot of manufacturing and design services firms that don’t usually present the most interesting of prospects for a PR firm - although you should always scratch beneath the surface before making that call.

There were certainly a few shining lights (literally) among the clustered booths in Glasgow’s SECC. The light was primarily thanks to an outfit from the University Edinburgh called NIPHT, which has developed kits that allow customers to grow decorative bioluminescent mushrooms at home or in the garden. These glowing fungi could be used to illuminate a garden pathway or flowerbed at night. Nifty indeed.

At the opposite end of the technology spectrum, Perth company, Ewgeco, has developed a fascinating device that will allow small businesses and consumers to accurately measure their utility consumption in real time. In today’s ever increasingly energy-conscious society, this could indeed be a timely device.

Alongside these two examples, and despite the larger number of services firms, there were plenty of other innovative products companies on display, from CRM and mobile security software to satellite systems and advanced loudspeaker technology, proving that entrepreneurship of the very highest standard is still a trait in Scotland.

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