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This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

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Euro funds for East of Scotland

13/10/2003

Nearly £2 million in European grant will be invested in improving road links and industrial development around Rosyth, it was announced today.

The grant is part of a package of awards worth £24 million to projects across the East of Scotland. The projects focus on strategic and community economic development, boosting employment opportunities and supporting the tourism industry.

Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Lewis Macdonald said:

"I am delighted to announce these awards, which focus on strategic and community economic development aimed at boosting employment and supporting the tourism industry.

"Growing the economy is the Executive's top priority and structural funds can play an important role in helping us achieve growth by regenerating and boosting local economies. This latest round of grants bring significant benefits to businesses and to local communities across the East of Scotland.

"The latest round of new approvals includes nearly £2 million to Scottish Enterprise Fife for important infrastructure support for industrial development and strategic road link improvements at Rosyth. This brings the total invested at Rosyth to £8 million

"The University of Dundee plays a key role in the knowledge-based economy of Tayside. I'm pleased therefore to announce that £227,780 European grant will boost the University's Biotechnology Knowledge Transfer Fund, which is aimed at encouraging the creation of new spin out companies in the growing biotechnology sector in Dundee.

"I am also pleased to confirm that £600,000 of Structural Funds will be provided to support the St Andrews World Class tourism infrastructure project which is expected to provide a strong downstream benefit to both tourism and University and College spin out dimensions.

"In addition more than £460,000 has been awarded to Scottish Enterprise Grampian for the Building Buchan Initiative to support the Growing the Business Base project."

The East of Scotland Objective 2 Programme was approved by the European Commission in early 2001 and is worth over €250 million over the period 2000-2006. The figure includes transitional funding of over €80 million for projects in those areas in the East of Scotland that lost full status from the present Objective 2 and Objective 5b Programmes.

The eighth round of awards to the Programme takes the total amount of European Regional Development Funds committed to date to over £111 million.

Page updated: Wednesday, July 21, 2004