Scottish Cities Alliance

Scottish Cities Alliance joined Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on her visit to New York City today, where she delivered a keynote speech at a networking breakfast.

Promoting the vast investment potential Scotland has to offer to an exclusive investor audience at an event, hosted by Lena Wilson, Chief Executive Scottish Enterprise in New York, the Alliance highlighted the £10 billion of opportunities across Scotland’s seven cities in its online investment prospectus.

As the recent Ernst & Young Attractiveness Survey shows, Scotland continues to punch above its weight when it comes to Foreign Direct Investment, with Scotland hitting its best performance in a decade for attracting US investment, something the Alliance aims to boost.

Representing the Scottish Cities Alliance at the event run in conjunction with Scottish Development International, Stuart Black, Director of Development and Infrastructure at The Highland Council, said: “Being part of this EY Investor Breakfast networking event in the heart of New York City is a great opportunity to showcase Scotland on the world stage.

“The Scottish Cities Alliance actively promotes the substantial range of investor opportunities across the country’s seven cities.

“We have more than 40 development opportunities across residential, hotel and leisure and office and industrial sectors in the Scottish Cities Alliance’s online Investment Prospectus which were promoted to the investor audience in New York.

“By working together Scottish cities can offer the critical mass of investment attractive to potential investors such as those we met today.”

Chairman of the Scottish Cities Alliance, Councillor Andrew Burns, said: “This is the perfect event for the Scottish Cities Alliance to showcase the huge potential Scotland offers to a top international investor audience and highlight to them the vast range of investments the seven cities of Scotland have to offer.

“The Alliance has great ambitions for Scotland’s city economies and through attendance at targeted events such as this, will promote the country’s image as a high quality location to do business.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Our cost effective and supportive business environment, strong and highly skilled workforce, and world-class universities are not only enabling the development of Scottish companies but also attracting the world’s most innovative companies.

“During my visit, I am pleased to be able to meet with companies already investing in Scotland and to meet those who are considering expanding in Scotland. The business event, jointly hosted by the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and EY reinforces their latest Attractiveness Survey, which showed that 2014 was Scotland’s most successful year in the past decade for attracting US investments, and that we are continuing to hold our own as an attractive location for foreign investment in an increasingly competitive global market.”

The Scottish Cities Alliance launched its new Investment Prospectus at an international investor event this spring.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The Scottish Cities Alliance is a unique collaboration of Scotland’s seven cities and the Scottish Government working together to deliver economic growth through investment in infrastructure. With a £10 billion investment prospectus promoting the great potential across the seven city regions, the Alliance aims to attract external investment, stimulate economic activity and create new jobs and business opportunities.

The body’s ambitious plans range over the short, medium and long term to create the conditions to deliver expansion, by strategically focusing on infrastructure, low carbon and Smart Cities initiatives, aligned to City Investment Plans. By utilising the strengths of Scotland’s seven cities, the Alliance engages with Scottish investors through events across the seven cities and beyond. By working together Scotland’s cities can create projects of scale and achieve an economically stronger future for Scotland.

For further information contact Communications Officer Lillian McDowall

Email: Lillian.mcdowall@scottishcities.org.uk

Tel: 0141 222 9728

Mob: 07909 220799