Business organisations in the North-east have jointly called on the new Scottish Government to take steps to let entrepreneurship thrive in the region.
In a letter to parliamentary candidates, the partners behind North East Business Week – Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC), Elevator, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) – outline areas they see as needing government action to reflect the needs of business.
The four key areas identified which they say should be a focus are recognising the support needed to develop entrepreneurship, the business rates system, the next stage of infrastructure investment in the region and encouraging a collaborative approach between the public and private sector to boost international expansion for business.
The partners met with all the candidates from the four main political parties during North East Business Week to discuss these issues in detail.
They say that the North-east of Scotland is already the most entrepreneurial place in Scotland, with over 1,300 new businesses set up last year, a figure which is well in excess of the 1,000 target from the previous Scottish Government.