Latest HIE Plan Builds On The Region's Opportunities

2nd August 2024

Latest HIE plan builds on the region's opportunities.

The document sets out how the organisation will work towards building and sustaining a greener, fairer and more resilient region and strengthening the contribution this makes to Scotland's economy and that of the UK.

Collaboration is seen as essential to achieving the aims of the plan, which includes a commitment to work with partners to capitalise on the ‘unprecedented range of once-in-a-generation opportunities across the region'.

With many of these opportunities arising from natural and built assets HIE will be working hard to make sure the benefits reach all parts of the region.

Under the organisation's four strategic pillars of People, Place, Planet and Prosperity, there's a focus on sectors such as offshore wind, green hydrogen and space, as well as supporting further growth in food and drink, tourism and creative industries.

In areas that face disadvantage, HIE will be working with communities to support their resilience and wealth building. This includes attracting people and investment and improving regional equity through infrastructure and targeted intervention.

Innovation, productivity, fair work, wages and wellbeing are all seen as key to regional prosperity, while embracing opportunities associated with the transition to net zero, including the growing role of offshore wind energy, will help the region to remain at the forefront of climate action.

HIE’s operating plan for the year focuses on implementing its five-year strategy launched in 2023. It acknowledges the challenging economic conditions that remain across the UK and are particularly acute in the Highlands and islands, such as population, housing, transport and fuel costs.

Equally, it notes the improvements in economic growth predictions and falling inflation rates, and the history of enterprise and resilience among businesses and communities across the region.

Stuart Black, HIE chief executive, said:

"Our operating plan is about challenges and opportunities. The region is on the cusp of significant, once-in-a-generation economic opportunities. These are across long-standing sectors like energy, tourism, food and drink, creative industries and aquaculture, as well as new and emerging sectors such as life sciences, technology and space.

"At the same time, we face continuing challenges, particularly around housing and population, but also transport and digital connectivity.

"To benefit fully from the opportunities while addressing the challenges effectively will take a lot of hard work and collaboration. It also means targeting resources on geographic areas where growth is more challenging and/or economic performance is lower than average for the region.

"Our operating plan sets out how we plan to do this. We look forward to working with our partners, businesses and communities to build on the successes we have and strengthen the contribution the Highlands and Islands makes to Scotland’s prosperity and that of the UK."

Read HIEs Operating Plan here on the HIE website

Am plana HIE as ùire a’ togail air cothroman na roinne

Tha Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd ’s nan Eilean (HIE) air a’ Phlana Obrachaidh do 2024-25 fhoillseachadh.

Tha am pàipear a’ mìneachadh mar a bhios am buidheann ag obair a dh’ionnsaigh roinn nas uaine, nas cothromaiche agus nas fhulangaiche a thogail agus a chumail suas, a’ neartachadh na tha seo a’ cur ri eaconamaidh na h-Alba agus na RA.

Tha co-obrachadh air fhaicinn riatanach airson amasan a’ phlana a choileanadh, a tha a’ gabhail a-steach dealas a thaobh obrachadh le com-pàirtichean gus buannachd fhaighinn às ‘an raon gun choimeas de chothroman uair-sa-ghinealach air feadh na roinne’.

Le mòran de na cothroman sin ag èirigh à maoinean nàdarra agus togte, bidh HIE ag obair cruaidh gus dèanamh cinnteach gu ruig na buannachdan a h-uile pàirt den roinn.

Fo na ceithir cholbhan ro-innleachdail de Dhaoine, Àite, Planaid agus Soirbheachas, tha cuimse air nithean mar ghaoth far-thìr, haidreadsan uaine agus farsaingeachd, a bharrachd air taic do thuilleadh fàis ann am biadh is deoch, turasachd agus na gnìomhachasan cruthachail.

Ann an sgìrean a tha a’ dèiligeadh ri ana-cothrom, bidh HIE ag obair le coimhearsnachdan gus taic a chur ri am fulangas agus togail beairteis. Tha seo a’ gabhail a-steach a bhith a’ tàladh dhaoine agus inbheisteadh agus a’ leasachadh co-ionannachd roinneil tro bhun-structar agus eadar-theachd targaidte.

Tha ùr-ghnàthachadh, tarbhachd, obair chothromach, tuarastalan agus sunnd uile air am faicinn mar a bhith aig teis-meadhan soirbheachas roinneil, fhad ’s a bhios gabhail ri cothroman co-cheangailte ris an eadar-ghluasad gu neoini iomlan, a’ gabhail a-steach an àite a tha a’ sìor fhàs aig cumhachd gaoithe far-thìre, a’ cuideachadh na roinne gu fuireach aig aghaidh gnìomhaidh ghnàth-shìde.

Tha plana obrachaidh HIE don bhliadhna a’ cuimseachadh air an ro-innleachd còig-bliadhna, a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an 2023, a bhuileachadh. Tha e a’ gabhail ris na suidheachaidhean eaconamach dùbhlanach a tha an làthair air feadh na RA agus a tha gu h-àraid dian sa Ghàidhealtachd agus na h-Eileanan, leithid àireamh-sluaigh, taigheadas, còmhdhail agus cosgaisean connaidh.

Mar an ceudna, tha e a’ toirt fa-near nan leasachaidhean ann an ro-innsean fàis san eaconamaidh agus reataichean atmhorachd a’ tuiteam, agus eachdraidh iomairt is fhulangais am measg ghnothachasan agus coimhearsnachdan air feadh na roinne.

Thuirt Stuart Black, Àrd-Oifigear HIE:

“Tha ar plana obrachaidh mu dheidhinn dhùbhlain agus chothroman. Tha an roinn aig fìor mhullach chothroman eaconamach, cudromach agus uair-sa-ghinealach. Tha iad sin tarsainn roinnean fad-sheasmhach leithid cumhachd, turasachd, biadh is deoch, gnìomhachasan cruthachail agus tuathanachas uisge, a thuilleadh air roinnean ùra a tha a’ tighinn am bàrr leithid saidheanasan beatha, teicneòlas agus farsaingeachd.

“Aig an aon àm, tha sinn a’ cothachadh ri dùbhlain leantainneach, gu h-àraid mu thimcheall taigheadas agus àireamh-sluaigh, ach cuideachd còmhdhail agus co-cheangailteachd didseatach.

“Bidh làn bhuannachd fhaotainn bho na cothroman fhad ’s a thathar a’ dèiligeadh ri dùbhlain gu h-èifeachdach, ag iarraidh co-obrachadh agus mòran obair chruaidh. Tha e a’ ciallachadh cuideachd a bhith a’ targaideadh ghoireasan ann an sgìrean cruinn-eòlasach far a bheil fàs nas dùbhlanaiche agus/no coileanadh eaconamach nas ìsle na an àbhaist don roinn.

“Tha ar plana obrachaidh a’ mìneachadh mar a tha sinn a’ planadh air seo a dhèanamh. Tha sinn a’ coimhead air adhart ri obrachadh le ar com-pàirtichean, gnothachasan agus coimhearsnachdan, gus togail air na buaidhean a th’ againn agus an tabhartas a neartachadh a tha a’ Ghàidhealtachd ’s na h-Eileanan a’ cur ri soirbheachadh na h-Alba agus na RA."

Read HIEs Operating Plan here on the HIE website