Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Inoapps steps up global expansion with senior hire
Global technology company Inoapps has appointed a leading software and services expert as Senior Vice President to drive its expansion in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
The Oracle partner - which has its global headquarters in Aberdeen - has welcomed Jens Lindenberg to lead growth across the EMEA region as Inoapps looks to further expand its footprint, offering large-scale global transformational Oracle ERP and HCM implementations.
He said: “Inoapps is a global Oracle partner, highly respected and well-connected with businesses in the UK, USA, and beyond. Now, we have mainland Europe in our sights to heavily expand our footprint and demonstrate just how effective we are at implementing software solutions that make companies vastly more efficient and transform the way they do business.”
Jens, who is fluent in Danish, German, and English, brings a wealth of expertise to the company.
Inoapps operates in more than 40 countries and specialises in large-scale global Oracle implementations, including change management. In addition, the company has developed its own portfolio of products and extensions that integrate seamlessly with Oracle solutions.
Judges to announce ruling on definition of a woman
The UK Supreme Court is to deliver its verdict on how a woman should be defined in law.
The announcement marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle between the Scottish government and a women's group.
The outcome could have far-reaching implications on how sex-based rights apply across Scotland, England and Wales.
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Disposable vape use falling in UK ahead of ban
The popularity of disposable e-cigarettes or vapes has fallen ahead of a UK-wide ban, on their sale on 1 June, a study has found.
Researchers believe vape users are switching to refillable and rechargeable vapes in anticipation of the ban.
The percentage of people aged 16-24 who mainly use disposable vapes has dropped by nearly half in the last year from 63% to 35%, according to University College London (UCL) research.
Starbucks’s UK retail business paid no corporation tax last year
Starbucks’s UK retail business paid no corporation tax for last year as it dived to a £35milion loss after paying £40million in royalty and licence fees to its parent company.
The US-owned coffee chain said it made the payments despite sales declining 4% to £525.6million in the year to 29 September 2024, amid what it called a “challenging economic climate” and a consumer boycott linked to the Gaza conflict.
Sales fell even though it opened 100 new British stores during the period. The previous year it had made a £16.9million pre-tax profit.
Nvidia expects $5.5bn hit as US tightens chip export rules to China
Microchip maker Nvidia said it would be hit with $5.5bn (£4.2bn) in costs after the US government tightened export rules to China.
The chip manufacturing giant, which has been at the heart of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, will require licences to export its H20 AI chip to China, which has been one of its most popular.
The rules come amid an escalating trade war between the US and China, with both countries introducing steep trade tariffs on each other covering various goods.
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Aviva wins backing for plan to cancel ‘irredeemable’ shares
Investors have approved a plan by Aviva to cancel £450million of supposedly “irredeemable” preference shares seven years after a City backlash forced the FTSE 100 insurer to abandon a previous attempt.
Aviva provoked a furore in 2018 when it revealed it was looking at repurchasing the securities at par value, which would have resulted in big losses for investors because the shares were trading above that level.
The debacle contributed to the ousting of the company’s chief executive Mark Wilson later that year and resulted in the insurer subsequently being publicly censured by the Financial Conduct Authority over its handling of the affair.