This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Radical vision for selling Scotland
04/10/2001
Scotland plans to adopt a radical new approach to
selling itself as a world class business partner in the
globally-connected economy of the 21
st Century.
Plans revealed today by Enterprise Minister Wendy
Alexander will push international economic development
activity in a new direction with the creation of a new
organisation, Scottish Development International, to
promote Scotland's story overseas.
There is to be a shift from focusing solely on
attracting manufacturing inward investment and exporting by
Scottish firms, to a whole range of new business
partnerships between Scotland and the rest of the world
built on knowledge, technology, ideas, skills and
people.
Future international priorities will be:
- Knowledge out: Taking Scottish
knowledge, skills and ideas to the rest of the world -
leading to more Scottish companies, organisations and
academic institutes becoming active in the global
economy through alliances, strategic partnerships,
buying and selling technology, trading links and
investment overseas
- Knowledge in: Bringing global
knowledge, skills and ideas into Scotland - leading to
more research, design and development rich inward
investment projects, new technology partnerships and
international venture capital.
- People: Promoting Scotland as a place
where people choose to pursue their careers. Networking
people around the world who are committed to Scotland.
Central to this will be the creation of a Network of
International Scots who are currently working in top
positions overseas to use their expertise to help
Scottish businesses grow. Also working with Scottish
businesses and academics to develop their international
leadership skills.
Scottish Development International will now spearhead
Scotland's drive to tell this new story to the world. The
strategy will require a re-organisation of Scotland's
inward investment and export divisions - Locate In Scotland
and Scottish Trade International.
Delivery of the new strategy will be the responsibility
of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise
who will work closely with the Executive, VisitScotland, UK
trade bodies and other partners at home and overseas.
Outlining the changes Ms Alexander said:
"The connection between all the world economies has been
thrown even more sharply into focus by events in the US.
But even before this the rapid pace of globalisation and
new challenges facing Scotland led us to review our
international operations.
"To compete we must engage Scottish companies and
institutions with the global economy in new ways. We need
to grow more global companies at home - and attract others
based outwith Scotland. We must extract real skills and
investment and new relationships with global business and
institutions.
"This will not mean abandoning traditional forms of
inward investment and exporting - these have been very
successful for Scotland. However, tomorrow our global
strengths will be in the skills of our people and our
ideas.
"Scotland became a role model for the world when twenty
years ago we created Locate In Scotland and its innovative
one door approach to inward investment. I am confident that
Scottish Development International will become another role
model at the leading edge of regional development for other
agencies around the world. "
Martin Togneri, Senior Director of International
Operations at Scottish Enterprise, said:
"Scottish Development International will create an
international sales force equipped to offer potential
investors, Scottish business, academics institutions and
partners a much broader range of products, from research
and development to joint ventures and technology licensing
opportunities."
He added:
"It is no longer appropriate to focus our efforts only
on winning large-scale inward investment projects or
assisting with export initiatives. We have a much wider
portfolio of knowledge based, higher value offerings that
are more relevant in today's economic environment.
"As well as the major international corporations that
have been our traditional targets, we'll be looking at new
markets; smaller companies, research institutes,
universities and even individuals.
"We will be targeting our resources on areas where we
can gain most return on investment and make better use of
UK overseas development bodies."
.
BACKGROUND
1. The success of the new approach will be measured
against the performance framework being developed by the
Joint Performance Team established by the Executive to
chart progress in delivering the objectives of 'A Smart,
Successful Scotland'.
3. Scottish Development International will also be
measured against the annual operating targets for the
Scottish Enterprise Network.
4. No job losses are anticipated as a direct result of
the re-organisation announced today.
5. Like Locate in Scotland and Scottish Trade
International, Scottish Development International will be a
joint venture between the Scottish Executive and Scottish
Enterprise. The proposed structure is:
- Field Operations: responsible for all
overseas operations
- Inward operations: responsible for all
domestic inward investment functions including venture
capital
- Trade: responsible for all domestic
export support operations and includes Scotland the
Brand
- Group Services: responsible for
briefing, strategy, planning, budgets, management
information systems
- Internationalisation: responsible for
work in supporting Internationalisation of Scottish
companies
- Scotland Europa: responsible for the
Enterprise Networks' links with the European Union
- Building International Networks:
responsible for creating a network of senior Scottish
business people capable of promoting Scotland
globally
6. Oversight of Scottish Development International will
be provided through a supervisory board of senior officials
from the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise and
Highlands and Islands Enterprise, chaired by the Minister
for Enterprise & Lifelong Learning