Focus North business conference in Wick – 'We need to work together'
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After a vibrant conference at the Norseman Hotel in Wick on Tuesday (March 19) the chair of business partnership Focus North talked about the importance of "working together" to fully capitalise on opportunities in the far north.
Focus North is an informal partnership established to deliver "transformational initiatives" in Caithness and Sutherland to generate economic growth and lead the low carbon economy – over 160 attendees at its conference heard from a lineup of speakers covering nuclear decommissioning, renewable energy, peatland restoration, and opportunities in the space sector.
Talking after the event, Simon Middlemas, the group's independent chair, said: "It was very positive and I'm very pleased how it went. The buzz around the place is incredible. What we're trying to make sure is that everyone realises they are part of the messaging and part of the Focus North partnership. We can only do this if we work together – if we all worked independently we won't get the benefits."
He continued: "We have set the scene for the future of Caithness and Sutherland, and we want people to commit to helping us drive it forward. There is a staggering number of opportunities in this part of Scotland, and we need to work together to manage this huge operation.
“Collective local action is required to ensure these transformational initiatives are delivered, so the north of mainland Scotland generates growth, economic diversity, and leads the low carbon economy. The centre of opportunities is in the north.”
Mr Middlemas says a lot more discussions are now happening between partners after last year's event held at the Weigh Inn hotel in Thurso. Highland Council leader and councillor for Wick and East Caithness Raymond Bremner was in attendance and agreed with that sentiment and said the event provided great opportunities for networking.
He said: "It has a multifaceted vision from renewables and the transition to Net Zero to local service provision, the Flow Country and the heritage bid, to the Spaceport and to opportunities for companies to do business in the north. Every one of us is part of a corporate vision and we can represent the north no matter where we are and who we are."
Peter Faccenda, Focus North programme manager, said: "It's a fantastic event and it is great that we can build on the start that we had last year. It was also really good to see the enthusiasm for developing Focus North and the partnership that's developing around it."
Trudy Morris from Caithness Chamber of Commerce said: “It was great to see genuine interest and enthusiasm which was evident by the high turnout and the buzz in the room along with the networking during coffee and lunch sessions.
“There has been a lot of positive feedback, with delegates commenting that they understand a lot more about what is happening in the here and now as well as the new opportunities on the horizon and their associated timelines.
“Initiatives launched such as the Net Zero Nation Accelerator programme, the Caithness Business Fund’s FutureSkills enhanced apprenticeship scheme and Recruit North Highlands’s Talent Attraction strategy will deliver tangible support to businesses and individuals over the coming months and years.
“It’s an exciting time for the region as we are on the cusp of several transformative opportunities and by working together we can achieve a great deal.”
Nicky Marr was host and MC for the day, introducing speakers and presiding over the panel discussion along with the Q&A session. "From my point of view there was amazing positivity and passion. The key message for me is that businesses in the north are in control of their destinies. Yes, there are challenges but the area has worked to overcome them.
"I wish there was more confidence and positivity so that people could see the opportunities that are here instead of looking south for the answers."
With regard to the issue of depopulation in the far north, Mrs Marr talked about opportunities through "high-skilled, long-term quality jobs" that will attract people to move to the area. A recent survey carried out by Focus North highlighted the amount of school leavers looking to stay in the region has dropped from 55 per cent to 47 per cent.
Increasing the pool of skilled people is Focus North’s number one priority and funding has been allocated to the Caithness Chamber of Commerce’s recruitment portal, Recruit North Highland, to coordinate recruitment for the region and attract new people to live, work and study there.
NRS managing director, Dounreay Division, Mark Rouse spoke of the future of NRS Dounreay and addressed concerns that it will come to an end in 2033 explaining that the region and its community can expect support for 10+ years to come through:
Helping build the education system
Supporting the local supply chain
Doubling the grant funding for supporting apprentices
The organisers of the event say it "set the scene for the future of Caithness and Sutherland" and urged attendees to take control of the growing opportunities.
The attendees heard from a dynamic lineup of speakers covering nuclear decommissioning, renewable energy, peatland restoration, and space – which featured spokespeople from NRS Dounreay, Net Zero Nation, Orbex, West of Orkney Windfarm, Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm and Meyg
