SgurrEnergy
SgurrEnergy is a renewable energy consultancy specialising in worldwide renewable energy projects.
TalentScotland spoke to Technical Director, Ian Irvine, about the company’s upcoming developments and its increasing internationalisation.
Tell us a little about SgurrEnergy and your product/service portfolio.
SgurrEnergy is a leading multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy specialising in renewable energy. The company was formed in Glasgow in 2002 with the aim of creating value by successfully harnessing the expertise of a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary engineering team in the design, delivery and operation of high quality sustainable energy solutions.
We identified an opportunity to take experience gained in Scotland and export these skills overseas. As a result of our success we have now assessed more than 65GW of renewable energy projects in over 40 countries around the world. We are an innovative company, bringing to market a number of products for the wind industry. This includes cutting edge Galion Lidar technology for wind speed and direction measurement.
How big is the organisation?
We are a growing organisation employing over 120 staff across our global network of offices. Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, we have six offices across the world in China, India, America, Canada, France and Ireland. In 2010 we became members of the international engineering services company, Wood Group.
What’s the company ethos like?
Our company ethos is one of working hard to get engineering projects successfully and efficiently in the ground and working. The structure of the company is flat and we regularly encourage staff suggestions and involvement in all areas of the business. Teams are organised into groups which reflect the stage of project lifecycle for example the Feasibility and Development team lead on the early stage assessment and environmental impact process of renewable energy projects in solar, onshore and offshore wind among others.
Do you take on many graduates?
Yes, we have a number of internships and often employ experienced graduates. We work closely with universities to bring the freshest graduate talent into business.
What particular skills do you look to recruit?
Multi-discipline engineers (e.g. mechanical, civil, structural, electrical), physicists and mathematicians with a variety of experience in different technologies and stages of a project's life, and international experience is also a big plus.
What does SgurrEnergy offer a skilled engineer?
Because we are one of the leading consultancies in the fast paced, high growth renewables sector we provide staff with excellent opportunities for variety in what they do, to develop very specialist renewable sector skills, and for travel. Also, early promotion and increased responsibility based on results and ability, not age.
Are there any benefits to attracting expertise from overseas?
Language and cultural experience are essential to our international growth. For example, having Polish staff backed by our wider international experience has resulted in very positive feedback from Polish clients. Likewise, doing business overseas, say in France or China where we’re operating at the moment, would be significantly more challenging without staff from these countries.