Attracting Inward Investment for Caithness and North Sutherland
6th July 2011
A novel approach in combining the skills of the private and public sectors is being tried in Caithness and North Sutherland.
A senior project manager with internationally renowned engineering services company Babcock International is working on secondment with the North's social and economic development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Chartered Engineer Simon Coles, who is general manager of the Babcock Forss office supporting operations at Dounreay, is involved in a project to grow inward investment opportunities.
Simon, who has worked in the area for 15 years, will be leading proactive work from HIE in attracting companies to invest and locate in Caithness. He will be working closely with local partners, the recently established Caithness Ambassadors and other government agencies including Scottish Development International.
Roy Kirk, HIE area manager for Caithness and North Sutherland said: "HIE is all about working in partnership, whether with the private sector or with our colleagues in Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership. Babcock, as one of the largest employers in the area, has a good overview on what attracts the private sector.
"We want to further develop a climate for private companies to flourish. This type of interaction allows us to have a direct link into a number of developments that are happening in the private sector and to continue to diversify our economy to encourage businesses to locate or grow here. We also see the opportunity to develop our learning in new ways and new approaches to working."
Simon is also a member of the Board for Decom North Sea, which was established with HIE, Scottish Enterprise and the Department of Energy and Climate Change to support the decommissioning supply chain. Locally he is involved with the Pulteneytown Peoples project. He says he was keen to look at how closer links between the private and public sector could help provide a more rounded view on creating opportunities to develop the future economy of the area.
"Caithness and North Sutherland has many opportunities and two of the main ones are in the areas of energy and business services; both sectors we have a strong history in supporting. These sectors are quite broad and we need to focus on well defined opportunities within them," said Simon.
The secondment is for a year and Simon hopes he can bring some additional structure and momentum in the delivery of inward investment activities.
New Partnership to Attract Inward Investment for Caithness and North Sutherland
He added: "The private and public collaboration is valuable for the economic development of the area. By bringing the skills and resources of both together we can ensure we develop projects that will deliver the best benefits."
About Simon Coles
Simon is a Chartered Engineer; and a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Nuclear Institute. He has a degree in Nuclear Engineering from Manchester University and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Cranfield University. He is also a Member of the Chartered Management Institute.
He has worked at Sellafield and Dounreay in project and engineering management roles.
Photo From HIE
Simon Coles and Roy Kirk
Related Businesses
Related Articles
A programme of remedial works to bring Scotland's only funicular railway back into service at Cairngorm Mountain is entering a new phase during week beginning Monday 15 April. With the snowsports season now over, multiple teams from contractor Balfour Beatty, appointed by Cairngorm Estate owner Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), are set to be deployed on the mountainside.
The five-year agreement between Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will also play a major role in contributing to regional economic growth. The signing of the agreement, by Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, and HIE Chief Executive Stuart Black, follows the official opening of SRUC's Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC), a valued addition to SRUC’s School of Veterinary Medicine, in Inverness by HRH the Princess Royal.
Deerness Distillery Ltd has secured £246,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the £820,000 development. Construction is underway at the distillery, which was founded by husband-and-wife team Stuart and Adelle Brown.
The Co-Chairs of the Inverness Castle Delivery Group, Fergus Ewing MSP and Cllr Ian Brown, are delighted to announce the award of £30,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in support of framing the 57 panels that will form the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands. This financial commitment from HIE has contributed significantly to the preservation of the 57 panels created by communities across the Highlands and Islands, of which 32 will be included in the first exhibition as part of the Inverness Castle Experience.
Sumitomo Electric UK Power Cables Ltd plans to establish major operations in the region, supplying high voltage cables to the growing offshore wind energy sector. A funding package has been agreed to secure an estimated £350m in inward investment for Scotland, based in the Highlands.
As part of the study, businesses, community groups and social enterprises with future land or property plans are encouraged to complete a short survey by 22 March 2024. Whether it's interest in land for sale or space to lease, HIE is keen to hear from organisations already based in the region as well as from those that are considering locating a business to the area.
L&M Engineering has secured a grant of £58,914 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the development, which is set to boost business turnover by £1.2m and create two jobs over the next three years. The company is diversifying its operations to cater for additional aquaculture markets.
Most businesses in the Highlands and Islands consider their links with the local community as either equal to or more important than their profitable growth. This is one of the key findings of the most recent rural business survey commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in partnership with South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE).
Dynamic business support programme, IMPACT30, is aimed at nurturing and empowering the next generation of innovative leaders. The fully funded programme is for people aged under 35 in a young enterprise and in a key decision-making role.
A project to increase electricity supply and reduce emissions on a west coast island has been awarded more than £25,000 by HIE. The HIE funding is being used to replace and upgrade high voltage transformers and other associated equipment to enable a major upgrade of the renewable energy supply on the Isle of Muck.
