Regeneration for the north

22nd August 2007

A structure to deliver a regeneration strategy is being overseen by an executive board comprising the chief executives of HIE and Highland Council and the director of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Region 4. Following a period of public consultation on the strategy for Caithness and north Sutherland, a detailed action plan is being developed with the input of partner organisations.

One of the first steps in implementing the plan is to recruit an inward investment manager and a programme co-ordinator. The partners are committed to identifying
business functions and opportunities which can be spun out from the Dounreay site,
as well as attracting inward investment which fits well with the natural advantages
of the region.

Progress
The HIE network is providing business start-up advice to current Dounreay employees and a supported business incubator unit has been launched at the Forss Business and
Technology Park. Two additional speculative units have been built on theWick Business
Park, increasing the total number of units on the park to five.

Two major education and research facilities -
T3UK and the Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation Centre (DERC) were both opened by the Princess Royal in October 2006, both funded by ERDF and
the HIE network. A project officer has also been recruited to develop a proposal for a delivery arm of the National Nuclear Skills Academy to be based in Caithness. This post has been funded by the HIE network, UKAEA and the NDA.

Research
The network and its partners in the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership are working on a bid to have the national nuclear archive based in Caithness.
HIE Caithness and Sutherland and UKAEA have been working on an employee transition
programme for Dounreay dependent staff and business start-up workshops will continue to be delivered.

Meanwhile, the status of the Environmental Research Institute in Thurso continues
to grow. The Scottish Funding Council has agreed to fund two further research posts
for marine renewable energy as part of a wider research development grant.

HIE has also been contributing to the Scottish consortium bidding to locate the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, Energy Technology Institute (ETI) in Scotland with a view to maximizing the potential for renewable energy in particular the utilisation of marine renewables in Caithness.

This article is from the HIE network 2007 report
To read the full report go to -
HIE network 2007 This is a Pdf doc

To see latest from the newly formed Regeneration group mentioned above go to
Regeneration

For more on DERC go to DERC

Forss Business And Technology Park

Environmental Research Institute