VASO Global, based in Dumfries and Galloway, designs and manufactures structural composite panels made from recycled glass for the housing and general construction markets. 

The company recently invested in a new 60,000-square-feet manufacturing site in Dumfries, creating up to 70 jobs within the next five years.

VASO Global’s conversion of waste glass into high‑performance structural panels has been heralded as a potential contributing solution to the UK and Scottish housing crisis. It follows the Scottish Government’s declaration of a national housing emergency in 2024.

Now the company’s board has been strengthened by the arrival of Douglas Morrison, Deputy CEO of Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) whose mission is to accelerate Scotland’s transition to a zero carbon built environment and construction sector.

On joining VASO Global in a non-remunerated Strategic Advisor role, Douglas said: “I’m delighted to be joining the board of VASO Global. The company shares my vision to reduce carbon in the built environment, which is why I’m so pleased to advise this talented, innovative and passionate team.

“VASO Global has the potential to revolutionise the construction business not only across Scotland, but also across the UK and beyond, and I’m very excited to be able to play my part in that transformation.” 

Eddie Black, Co-Founder and Managing Director of VASO Global, said: “We are delighted to have someone of Douglas’ calibre on board to help with what is a hugely exciting phase in the delivery of VASO Global products which will revolutionise housebuilding methods across the UK and abroad.

“Douglas is a highly-regarded strategic leader with vast experience of how construction, advanced manufacturing and skills transformation combine to deliver real meaningful change. 

“With a career spanning craft apprenticeship, technical education and national innovation leadership, he brings a systems level perspective on modernising construction and supply chains which will be hugely valuable to VASO Global’s roll-out.”

At BE-ST, Scotland’s national innovation centre for construction and the built environment hosted by Edinburgh Napier University, Douglas has led programmes supporting the United Nations and European Union sustainability and innovation agendas, alongside strategic initiatives for the Scottish and UK Governments. 

His work includes collaboration with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), sector wide industry leadership groups and national transformation programmes aimed at improving productivity, skills and innovation adoption.

He currently co-chairs the Digital and Data Group of the Construction Accord Transformation Board and serves as Chair of South Lanarkshire College, strengthening alignment between industrial strategy, qualification frameworks and workforce development.

Engineered to deliver exceptional thermal performance and durability, VASO Global panels allow homes to be built rapidly and at scale while significantly reducing embodied carbon. 

Thermally efficient buildings constructed with VASO Global panels create the ideal conditions for technologies such as heat pumps, solar, and battery storage to operate at their highest efficiency and lowest cost, reducing energy bills and lowering carbon emissions.