World Forum for FDI gives South of Scotland chance to be heard loud and clear
South of Scotland Enterprise is attending World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment, and our Head of Operations Phil McCreadie explains what the South of Scotland offers investors.
Investors from around the world have arrived in Edinburgh for the 2022 World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment, hosted by Conway Data and Scottish Development International in Edinburgh from 9 to 11 May.
The annual event, which is being held in Scotland for the first time, provides a unique platform for networking and discussions between FDI dealmakers, economic agencies and international businesses.
The event is attended by the people behind some of the biggest global location decision-makers in business.
It is therefore a fantastic opportunity for Scotland to give an international audience a real flavour of what the country has to offer investors.
We are present at the Forum, and while we will be working closely with our Team Scotland partners, we will also ensure what the South has to offer is heard loud and clear.
So what does the South have to offer an investor?
As well as being an attractive place to live, work, study and invest, the South of Scotland has a fair and sustainable business culture.
We have a wealth of natural capital and an extensive coastline, both huge selling points.
And those investors with an interest in the energy transition sector will be impressed by the growth potential of the South, which can be seen through its ideal environment for offshore and onshore wind, community-based renewable heat schemes and hydrogen storage facilities.
Recent high-profile investments across the region, such as the regeneration of Chapelcross, highlight our area’s appetite for growth and commitment to creating low-carbon jobs.
The South of Scotland has an impressive and highly regarded food and drink sector and benefits greatly from its historical roots in agriculture, fishing and farming.
We are well supported by the region’s education and skills infrastructure, including related industries such as Agritech. Together, these roots provide a natural foundation from which the region can grow to become an innovative leader.
The South of Scotland is also set to host a new Mountain Bike Innovation Centre at Innerleithen, which will allow companies from across the globe to develop innovative products and services, and train and test athletes within the mountain biking and cycling sector.
The South’s magnetism does not end there, though.
We have an ongoing commitment to decarbonisation, with existing projects such as Dairy Nexus showing how businesses in the region are already committed to developing innovative approaches to dairy farming while also reducing carbon emissions.
The sector’s close alignment with the decarbonisation agenda is a strength and an area where the South can make a significant business impact, in terms of bringing innovative solutions to farming and food production.
We firmly believe the South of Scotland’s numerous pull factors will boost our region’s profile at the Forum, and, ultimately, help attract substantial new investment into our area.
More information on investing in the South of Scotland is available via the new website– www.investinsouthofscotland.com