Highland Region Investment Landscape Creating More Business and Jobs
11th August 2025
Highland hosts 110 of the Highlands & Islands' 251 identified transformational projects, representing over £40 billion of potential investment and more than 11,450 direct operational jobs in the area.
Across the Highlands & Islands, the total investment potential from 2025 to 2040 is over £100 billion, marking a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the regional economy and support nearly 18,000 ongoing roles post-construction.
Top Industries Attracting Capital
See graph.
Emerging and Niche Sectors
Space technologies and marine biotechnology are attracting early-stage rounds as the region leverages academic research.
Life sciences, digital health, and social care spin-outs benefit from strong university-industry partnerships.
Aquaculture, food & drink, tourism, and creative industries continue to draw local capital through targeted, smaller-scale projects, though they sit outside the main transformational pipeline.
Considerations for Investors
Renewable energy leads, making Highland a prime location for green-energy and infrastructure investments.
Initiatives like the Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport bring additional incentives and a coordinated support structure.
Key risks include grid-capacity constraints, planning delays, and skills gaps in specialised sectors.
Some Leading Companies by Sector in the Highland Region
Renewable Energy & Infrastructure
Offshore Wind
SSE Renewables (Beatrice Offshore Wind), Vattenfall [Muir Mhòr].
Grid & Supporting Infrastructure
SSEN Transmission, SP Energy Networks
Pumped Storage Hydro Glen Earrach Energy (Balmacaan pumped storage near Loch Ness)
Space Technologies
Onshore Wind
Falck Renewables, Highland Renewables network
Green Hydrogen ITM Power (Cromarty project), Linde (Highland H₂ Hub partners)
Marine Energy
Orbital Marine Power, Mocean Energy (wave & tidal arrays)
Space Technologies
Orbex - Developing "Prime" small-satellite rockets for launches from SaxaVord Spaceport
Skyrora - Rocket engine factory in Cumbernauld with planned Shetland launches.
Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) - Licensed its 30 m RFA One for unpopulated northbound launches from Unst.
Aquaculture
Mowi Scotland
Atlantic salmon farming Kyleakin, Isle of Skye
Scottish Sea Farms
Salmon production & R&D Inverness & Loch Duich
Bakkafrost Scotland - Salmon and trout farming Fort William
Gael Force Group - Mussels, oysters & seaweed Inverness
Ace Aquatec Ltd - Feeding, biomass measurement Inverness
Marine Biotechnology
Dedicated marine-biotech companies headquartered in the Highland are still nascent. However, the region's strong research ecosystem (via Highlands and Islands Enterprise and academic partners) is spawning spin-outs in areas such as:
Marine-derived pharmaceuticals (e.g., PML Applications collaborating with HIE)
Algal extracts for health & nutrition (early-stage ventures supported through HIE's bioeconomy funding)
Beyond these headline players, dozens of local SMEs and specialist contractors populate the supply chains—everything from undersea engineering firms to data-analytics start-ups in digital health.
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