Scotland's Economy

Inverness Campus

February 21, 2012 by John Swinney MSP No Comments | Category Investment

I was glad to see work getting underway on the new Inverness Campus as the project is already creating some exciting developments for the local economy, with more to come.

The location is being developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise as a prime site for business, research and education and I met HIE Chief Executive Alex Paterson, Chair Willie Roe and Project Director Ruaridh MacNeil to see the progress. The good news is that Inverness College UHI will be the first occupiers in 2015. In time they’ll be joined by organisations like the Centre for Health Science, the Scottish Agricultural College, Albyn Housing Society and the Calman Trust. The Campus will see businesses based on the same premises as those involved in relevant research and education. This will allow them to share knowledge and resources and I think the benefits of this innovative approach will be felt for decades to come.

More immediate benefits are already being felt in the local labour market. HIE’s construction partner in the project is Morgan Sindall, which opened its Inverness office in 2010, employing former staff of a local construction firm that had gone into administration. Since then, the company has doubled the size of its Inverness workforce and is looking to expand even further this year. It was good to hear that Morgan Sindall will directly and indirectly employ up to 250 workers over the course of the project – with at least 20 on site in the next month.

Tags: education, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Inverness

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