30 'highly skilled' jobs come to Edinburgh as Trustpilot creates new hub

The new research and development (R&D) facility is being supported and co-funded through a £1.8 million R&D grant from Scottish Enterprise. It aims to initially create 30 “highly-skilled” data science jobs and new local partnerships in the Scottish capital.

Peter Holten Muhlmann, founder and chief executive of Denmark-headquartered Trustpilot, said: “The crisis of trust in society, driven to a great degree by mistrust in information online, has become a defining issue of our times.

“With the assistance of Scottish Enterprise, our new global R&D hub will become the epi-centre for accelerating our already leading efforts to tackle abuse and fraud related to consumer information, particularly consumer reviews.”

He added: “The technology scene in Edinburgh is thriving, with exceptional talent and an enviable network that will help us to meet our ambitions.”

Mark Hallan, director of global investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Attracting global companies to invest and locate in Scotland will be critical to our efforts to resetting and restarting our economy following the impact of Covid-19.

“Trustpilot’s decision to set up an R&D centre in Edinburgh is most welcome. Over the past few months, we have seen exponential growth in digital consumer activity and e-commerce, so it’s vital that customers can trust information that is available online, including online reviews.

“Scotland remains an extraordinary proposition for global companies to invest in and as the recent EY Attractiveness Survey showed, we continue to be the most attractive location in the UK outside of London for foreign direct investment. While we know the environment for international trade and investment will be challenging due to Covid-19, inward investment will continue to be vital in delivering economic opportunities for communities across Scotland.”

The new office will be spearheaded by two of the company’s executive team – chief legal and policy officer Carolyn Jameson and chief technology and information officer Steve Garland.

Jameson said: “We take the responsibility to protect both consumers and businesses from fraudulent behaviour very seriously, and believe strong detection and enforcement measures are fundamental to our open review platform.

“Creating a fair and open environment where consumers’ voices can be heard and businesses are able to earn greater trust in their products and services requires the best thinking and expertise.”

The firm has more than 700 staff across a network of offices including in London, Berlin, Denver, Melbourne, New York and Vilnius.

Meanwhile, Eurofins Digital Testing has acquired Edinburgh-based Commissum Associates for an undisclosed sum.

Commissum, which also has operations in Birmingham, Leeds and Kuala Lumpur, provides information security, risk management and governance services, and helps its clients meet compliance challenges across a range of technologies and processes.

The firm services small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and multi-national corporates as well as government agencies.

Martin Finch, managing director and founder of Commissum, will continue to lead the team and will report to Johan Craeybeckx, business line director, Eurofins Digital Testing International.

Finch said: “We are excited to be joining the cyber security operations of Eurofins Digital Testing and working with them to address the cyber security challenges facing companies and organisations today and in the future.

“Together with our new colleagues we will be helping deliver world-beating quality assurance and cyber security testing to help keep clients in all market sectors stay safe and secure. Getting onboard with Eurofins Digital Testing marks a new and exciting chapter for us all.”

Craeybeckx added: “The pace set by digital transformations and the near-exponential growth in connectivity is putting increasing demand on all organisations to meet the challenges posed in delivering a safe and secure IT infrastructure and ensuring any devices manufactured are similarly secure.”

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