A digital portal which has made it easier for parents to interact with schools online was among the award winners last night at the annual Digital Technology Awards in Glasgow.
The parentsportal.scot platform, developed by the local government innovation agency the Improvement Service, was recognised for its Public Sector Innovation credentials at the 15th annual ceremony hosted by tech trade body ScotlandIS in the city.
Other award winners – spanning 12 categories – included an educational platform which has reached 50 countries worldwide. British Youth International College, based in Glasgow, has developed online learning tools for young pupils to improve their numeracy and language skills. The company, founded by Dr Rashmi Mantri, took home the Product Innovation and Digital Tech Business of the Year: Scale-Up awards in a night that celebrated the best of Scottish tech.
Other standouts included Inicio AI, a female-led fintech start-up, which picked up the award for Service Innovation for its AI training methods, allowing the tool to accurately advise businesses on money management. Sopra Steria, a leading European consulting, digital services and software development company, won the Best Wellbeing at Work category for its Employee Trust fund created in 1981 to financially support employees through hardships.
Additionally, Lugo became the first-ever winner in the awards’ newest category of ‘Outstanding IT Managed Service Provider’ having been recognised for its exceptional people-focused leadership, innovation and impact on customer service.
Meanwhile, Cieran Smith, an infrastructure engineer at KubeNet, was named this year’s Digital Tech Rising Star during the 15th annual ceremony at the Radisson Blu hotel.
Out of more than 100 entrants, 12 winners were selected by a panel of judges, including experts in cyber, data and AI. Judging was based on outstanding contributions to the industry and to society more widely. An increased focus was placed on strategy and long-term commitment.
Andrew Campbell, Head of Digital Public Services at the Improvement Service, said: “We are incredibly proud of this achievement. The Parentsportal.scot mobile app represents our dedication to improving public services and making a real difference in the lives of families across Scotland. This award is a recognition of the hard work and creativity of our team. We will continue to strive for excellence and innovation in everything we do.”
Karen Meechan, CEO of ScotlandIS, which was also celebrating its 25th anniversary, said: “A lot has been asked of the Scottish tech sector in recent years, with a high expectation when it comes to driving growth. It has been a source of great pride for our organisation to see so many businesses, across Scotland, achieving so much. Taking moments like this to celebrate the success of our brilliant sector is so rewarding.
“Every year the calibre of entries for Digital Tech Awards never fails to amaze me and it’s inspiring to see the range of sectors this year’s winners represent. From education to AI, it’s indicative of the work being done at all levels to inspire the next generation of talent and support the growth of the sector, despite a tricky climate. It’s a real grassroots to glory picture that’s being painted, and I hope to see that determination continue in the next 12 months.”
Winners
- Tech for Good – 1partCarbon
- Product Innovation – British Youth International College
- Service Innovation – Inicio AI
- Best Wellbeing at Work – Sopra Steria
- Data Trailblazer – DeepMiner
- Cyber Excellence – PACE Anti-Piracy
- Public Sector Innovation – Improvement Service
- Outstanding IT Managed Service Provider – Lugo
- Digital Tech Rising Star – Cieran Smith, KubeNet
- Digital Tech Business of the Year: Start-Up – CAVU Aerospace UK
- Digital Tech Business of the Year: Scale-Up – British Youth International College
- Digital Tech Business of the Year: Enterprise – Kick ICT
The awards were supported by category sponsors including Sopra Steria, Pulsant, Scottish Government National Cyber Resilience Unit, Futurescot, KAL ATM Software, Lloyds Banking Group, Techscaler, Highground and Dayshape.