Scotland is thriving and open for business

In fact, did you know that Scotland is the UK’s top destination for foreign direct investment outside London? Or that Glasgow is the fourth largest city in the UK, with a metropolitan population of nearly two million and a return on investment, yields and vacancy rates similar to Manchester? Or how about that Scotland is home to four of the world’s top 200 universities?

Everywhere you look, Scotland has strength in numbers: Edinburgh has the highest concentration of financial and business services companies outside London and is a growing global digital and fintech hub; a quarter of Scotland’s top 100 companies are based in Aberdeen; and Dundee has just opened the £80m V&A Dundee. On top of all this, Scotland produces 59% of its electricity from renewables, and is on target to reach 100% by 2020.

The opportunities are vast, and I’m proud to say that I will be joining Scotland’s public and private sectors, which are coming together at Mipim 2019 to show these opportunities off to the investment community. The three-day programme of talks and presentations will highlight why Scotland is a fantastic place to invest with topics spanning commercial, industrial, innovation, waterfront and build-to-rent (BTR) opportunities across our major cities.

We are every bit as proud of this modern, thriving, innovative Scotland that we have built as we are of our heritage.

Laying the foundations

The art of building a nation requires many talents, and the built environment is an integral part, setting the tone and quality for how people and communities interact.

Scotland has laid the foundations to support an increase in construction and development for years to come. We are committed to building more houses, including 50,000 affordable units by 2021, but private development is equally critical to that. Our Rental Income Guarantee Scheme de-risks new developments by compensating developers if there is a shortfall against expected income – ensuring that new developments can proceed with confidence.

Recent reforms to our Land and Business Transaction Tax also mean that BTR landlords are exempt for purchases of more than six units; for developers there is no tax to pay until a new unit is occupied; and new tenants get a year’s relief from rates.

We are innovating our financial support as well. Our Growth Accelerator Model allows local authorities to support infrastructure development for complex sites by raising money against future value. The Business Growth Accelerator means no increase in bills from improvements made to existing developments for 12 months.

Next year, we will launch the Scottish National Investment Bank, providing a single point of access for investment finance to support new building as well as innovative technology. The Scottish government has already committed to capitalising the bank at £2bn over the next decade.

We also continue to invest in transport links. More than £850m will be invested in upgrading the railway infrastructure between our two main cities – Edinburgh and Glasgow – reducing the travel time for half of Scotland’s population to just 45 minutes. Motorways and roads have had an upgrade, too, opening new industrial and commuting areas between them.

Progressive spirit

If built environment is important, our business activities within it are equally so. The world is changing, and business is increasingly driven by values. The progressive spirit at the centre of Scotland’s vision for inclusive economic growth is synonymous with being open for business.

We know that economies can grow when businesses locate here, invest here and create new jobs here. We support businesses that want to be a part of that

Greater equity goes hand in hand with greater economic stability and more sustainable growth, as well as higher talent retention and productivity. We know that economies can grow when businesses locate here, invest here and create new jobs here. We support businesses that want to be a part of that.

These values are the ones that make Scotland an attractive place to live. They are what drive us to train and educate one of the most highly skilled workforces in the world and to support innovation. This helps investment in connecting cities and communities, both physically and virtually.

We are using the connections between people and places to create entrepreneurial hotbeds for AI, digital services, personalised medicine, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing – our values are what makes Scotland a nation on the move.

A nation on the move needs a property sector on the move, too. These people, businesses and sectors need somewhere to live, to work and to play. I am proud, too, that we have listened to industry and put in place a due diligence process that proves we have checked that investments stack up.

Scotland is ready for the world, ready for the market and ready for Mipim. What are you waiting for? Come and meet us at the Scotland Pavilion. Scotland is Now. Visit www.Scotland.org/Mipim.