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Highlands and Islands Enterprise chief urges co-operation to overcome coronavirus challenge


By Calum MacLeod

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Charlotte Wright, HIE chief executive .
Charlotte Wright, HIE chief executive .

MSPs have been told the Highlands and Islands are facing a disproportionate impact from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

But they also heard how the region is looking for fresh opportunities.

Writing on the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) website, Charlotte Wright, the chief executive of the development agency, reported how she had told an online meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s economy, energy and fair work committee about the disproportionately severe impacts the pandemic has had on north businesses and communities, but also how HIE had moved swiftly to respond, by switching to home-working and linking up with local and national partner organisations.

HIE also helped distribute almost £25 million of funding to more than 800 businesses and awarded 205 grants worth nearly £4 million.

One positive she highlighted to MSPs was XpoNorth, Scotland’s largest creative industries conference, which took place virtually when the usual Inverness event was cancelled.

“The result was amazing,” she writes.

“When you combine the numbers of people who took part in real time with those who followed up on recorded content afterwards, the event reached around 5700 people – nearly three times its anticipated number of participants had it been a physical event.”

MSPs were also keen to know what next for the Highlands and Islands.

“Well, Covid is still with us. Brexit, to which the Highlands and Islands is also disproportionately vulnerable, is around the corner,” she warns. “Our focus is collaboration. Our priority is jobs. Our goal is recovery.

“We are pursuing new opportunities.

“The space sector, life sciences, energy and the marine economy all offer huge potential where our region has natural advantages that we can build on for future prosperity.

“The partnerships we have at regional and national level have become even stronger over the past few months. We must make sure they remain so and work proactively to identify and pursue opportunities for growth through the challenging times ahead.”


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