Inverness city brochure mar 2014

INVERNESS THE CITY IN THE HIGHLANDS The natural place to invest

INVERNESS THE NATURAL PLACE TO INVEST

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INVERNESS – CITY IN THE HIGHLANDS

INTRODUCTION

Inverness, the city in the Highlands, is one of Europe’s fastest growing cities, with excellent connections via the rapidly expanding international airport and local transport networks. It’s an important centre for trade and commerce, as well as a vital transport hub for the whole Highlands and Islands region.

As Inverness grows, it is developing all the key characteristics of a successful city:A connected city: With strong digital and transport infrastructures, Inverness enjoys national and international connections from Inverness Airport, and benefits from a £146m investment in Superfast Broadband Access – essential for vibrant business, education, health and community growth.

A sustainable city: With the lowest levels of pollution in any British city, Inverness is striving to maximise the benefits of its transition to a low carbon economy, creating business, industry and development opportunities within frameworks that respect its spectacular natural environment.

A knowledge city: Inverness encourages and supports the development of high performing research and educational institutions alongside high value sectors and a high quality labour pool. Its commitment to business, education and research is demonstrated by being home to the new Inverness Campus development which will include a state of the art building for Scotland’s newest University.

A vibrant city: With its unique identity, Inverness celebrates the diversity and quality of its retail and leisure facilities, and fine food and drink, integrated with a fascinating history and rich cultural fabric that draws as much on modern trends as it does on ancient traditions.

These four decisive elements combine to make Inverness a unique, exciting and dynamic destination for business and property development; and a relaxed lifestyle in one of the world’s most dramatic and unspoilt natural environments.

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INVERNESS – CITY IN THE HIGHLANDS

SECTORS

THE PLACE FOR OPPORTUNITY The Highlands is firmly established as a successful business location. The area has proved to be a magnet for progressive industries and innovative new businesses, with landmark achievements in renewable energy, life sciences, marine biotechnology and business services. These emerging sectors, together with successful tourism, food and drink and creative industries, are helping to build and enrich the region’s diverse economy.

Businesses and people choose to settle here for a host of sound commercial, economic, lifestyle and environmental reasons. Inverness offers a dynamic economy with a modern infrastructure, plus outstanding lifestyle advantages and a strong sense of community.

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Alongside its reputation for tourism, Inverness is fostering the development of dynamic new industries. In particular, the city is rapidly becoming a centre of excellence in the research of diabetes with the presence of the Johnson and Johnson subsidiary, LifeScan Scotland, a world leader in this field. Inverness is also renowned for its expertise in renewables, with two of Scotland’s leading wave and tidal companies based here. The oil fabrication yard at nearby Nigg is a major hub for the energy sector, whilst plans exist to redevelop the Ardersier yard at Whiteness for the offshore wind sector.

In support of the thriving and specialised business and industry community, Inverness is also home to the head office of Scotland’s newest university, the University of the Highlands and Islands, which was granted a university charter in 2011.

CENTRE FOR HEALTH SCIENCE

CAPGEMINI

Inverness is working towards becoming a major centre for research and development in health science and bio-technology, and the Centre for Health Science, a £23m facility, reflects this ambitious objective.

Long-standing French finance technology firm Capgemini has high praise for Inverness as a purposeful, dynamic and productive environment for business. The company has recently made the decision to significantly expand its presence in the Highlands, building on a strong record of proven success.

With the Centre’s reputation for excellence growing, there are plans for the expansion of the life science offering on the Inverness Campus.

NIGG FABRICATION SITE The Nigg Fabrication Site on the Cromarty Firth was successfully purchased in October 2011 by Global Energy Group (GEG), a company with headquarters in Inverness. With a £1.8m funding package from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, work has been undertaken to transform the former oil fabrication yard into a multi-use modern energy park.

As well as boasting one of the finest dry docks of its kind in Europe, the Nigg Energy Park is an excellent location for offshore oil and gas and renewables manufacturing.

GEG expects around 2,000 people to be employed on the site by 2015.

In employment terms, the expansion means the creation of up to 500 new jobs in Inverness over the next three years, doubling Capgemini’s current Highland workforce.

2,000 PEOPLE EXPECTED TO BE EMPLOYED AT THE NIGG ENERGY PARK BY 2015.

INVERNESS: FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES Inverness aims to enhance the attractiveness of the city as a focal point for the Highlands through the promotion of key development opportunities. The Inverness Campus and Inverness Airport Business Park represent significant real estate and business development sites.

Realisation of their potential will consolidate long-term objectives and deliver important economic and social advantages to a city with clear targets for a dynamic future. The city centre also provides opportunities for retail, hotel and tourism development.

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INVERNESS – CITY IN THE HIGHLANDS

INVERNESS CAMPUS

THE PLACE TO INSPIRE The Scottish Government has described Inverness Campus as one of the most important developments in Scotland.

The ambitious project is set to become a nationally and internationally significant location for business, education and research, delivering a high quality environment for learning, innovation, collaboration and commerce. The first building to open its doors will be the Inverness College UHI in 2015. Inverness Campus will also include a new concept hotel, student accommodation, sports facilities, parkland and an outdoor art area open to everyone.

The Campus is situated at the junction of two major trunk roads – the A9 from the south and A96 to the east. The main rail route south also runs alongside its eastern border. Developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Inverness Campus occupies 90 hectares of prime development land.

The Campus will attract businesses, professionals and students to the city and surrounding area, and is expected to generate up to 6,000 jobs over the next 30 years. It is anticipated that the Campus will also stimulate private investment, and significantly boost the local economy.

HIE is currently marketing a number of fully serviced development plots to organisations looking to establish themselves on the Campus.

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HECTARES OF PRIME DEVELOPMENT LAND

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REASONS TO INVEST • Inverness has an established reputation for innovation and opportunities across a number of sectors including energy, creative industries and life science.

• Inverness Campus offers an opportunity for enterprising organisations to locate in a stunning environment and share knowledge within a vibrant business, research and learning community.

• The Life Science sector has experienced rapid growth in Inverness in the last 15 years, largely due to diabetes research and diagnostics; at Inverness Campus, Johnson and Johnson’s LifeScan Scotland, Raigmore Hospital and the Centre for Health Science are all immediate neighbours.

• The Centre for Health Science is unique in combining: university research and education; clinical care; private sector R&D and business development; clinical skills training and clinical trials facilities, all under one roof.

• Potential for future growth is anticipated in the areas of digital health and rural healthcare.

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SCIENTISTS, DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS ALREADY ON THE GROUND

The site has also been designated as an Enterprise Area for Life Science. It offers particular benefits and incentives to organisations in this key sector, including rates relief, access to next generation broadband, and a streamlined planning process for eligible companies interested in locating to the site.

6,000

JOBS GENERATED OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS 5

INVERNESS – CITY IN THE HIGHLANDS

INVERNESS AIRPORT BUSINESS PARK

THE PLACE TO DEVELOP Inverness Airport Business Park (IABP) is a planning approved and masterplanned development of 250 hectares with 350,000 sq m of accommodation. This is a joint venture between Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, Moray Estates and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, with the support of The Highland Council. We are now progressing plans to develop advance site infrastructure and have the ability to offer turnkey development solutions through our partnership with Roxhill Developments.

The masterplanners remit has been to deliver a design for a technologically advanced 21st century sustainable business environment to complement the stunning location. The design reflects the stakeholders’ commitment to promoting IABP to enhance the long term social, economic and environmental sustainability of the area, as well as providing a vibrant commercial hub that will build on the established success of Inverness and its environs.

The site, which is only 14 km from Inverness city centre, occupies a strategic location adjacent to road, air and rail connections.

IABP is located beside the region’s main hub airport and alongside its main trunk routes, the A9 and A96. A rail halt on the main Inverness-Aberdeen line is planned for 2017.

Amsterdam, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol are all accessible within two to three hours.

Two companies are based on the airside site, Bond Aviation Group are already in operation and Bristow Helicopters Ltd will be opening their search and rescue base in 2015. This is also a key opportunity for the energy sector due to location and proximity to key energy sites.

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REASONS TO INVEST • IABP is the main strategic business growth allocation for the Inverness area for the foreseeable future.

• The approved masterplan provides for: business space, general industry, storage and distribution and associated services (crèche, support retail etc).

• Hotel and conferencing site in an area with growing tourism visitors and airport passenger figures of 611,000 per annum.

• Fully serviced airside site available for aviation related activity including freight and maintenance.

Phase 1 (around 15 hectares) is available for immediate development for a wide range of uses, including manufacturing and production; the Port of Ardersier, 4 miles away, has energy sector potential.

The business service sector in Inverness continues to expand, making office space an ongoing opportunity.

£30m

PLANNED INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS

With the Highlands and Islands food and drink sector generating in excess of £1B/annum, IABP is an ideal location for warehouse and distribution facilities, while the growing Life Science cluster in Inverness creates unique opportunities.

Set to grow alongside the expansion of Inverness and the A96 corridor, IABP is a major long term project which neighbours the planned new town of Tornagrain, with an expected population of 12,500, and the first houses ready for occupation in 2015.

611,000

INVERNESS AIRPORT PASSENGERS IN 2012/13

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INVERNESS – CITY IN THE HIGHLANDS

LIFESTYLE

THE NATURAL PLACE TO BE Inverness, the city in the Highlands, offers exciting lifestyle opportunities. As well as being part of a dynamic phase of commercial and community growth, people living and working here enjoy the advantages of a high quality property market and skilled workforce, a rich culture and history – and easy access to one of the most dramatic natural environments in the world.

The city also boasts the Eden Court Theatre complex, the largest multi-purpose arts venue in Scotland. There are many superb restaurants and bustling pavement cafes as well as a wide range of specialist retailers in the historic Old Town and Victorian Market.

There is a vibrant music scene and plenty of entertainments in the area, including major music festivals like Rockness and Belladrum.

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It’s also a gateway to many of Scotland’s major tourism destinations, including the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre and Urquhart Castle, on the shores of Loch Ness. For golfers, the nearby Castle Stuart golf course is rapidly establishing itself as one of the world’s finest links courses, and hosted its first Scottish Open championship in 2011. A few miles away, The Cairngorms National Park, the largest in the UK, lies to the south of the city, with its year-round sporting challenges amid spectacular mountain scenery. Wherever you live in the Inverness area, this capital city of the Highlands will offer a dynamic business environment, a great lifestyle, and all the opportunities of a city that’s going places.

For further information contact:

T: +44 (0)1463 702251 E: stuart.black@highland.gov.uk

KAREN THOMSON TEAM MANAGER Inverness Campus Team Highlands & Islands Enterprise T: +44 (0)1463 7244268 E: karen.thomson@hient.co.uk

www.enterprisinghighland.com www.invernesscampus.co.uk www.iabp.co.uk

KENNY MACINNES ECONOMIC ADVISER Highland Council Planning and Development Service T: +44 (0)1463 702553 E: kenny.macinnes@highland.gov.uk

LYNDA JOHNSTON Inverness Airport Business Park T: +44 (0)1667 464 277 E: ljohnston@hial.co.uk

Aerial photographs by Scotavia.

STUART BLACK DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Highland Council