The Rural Focus from April 2008

In November 2007 in a paper on the new equity agenda the Executive Board approved our delivery of rural economic development as follows:

to implement the strategic operational agreements with key rural private sector partners and stakeholders with a focus on enterprise and innovation, and the contribution of Scotland’s natural assets to economic growth;
to continue to promote and complement the enterprise agenda within the £1.6 billion Scottish Rural Development Programme; and to deliver step change projects across Scotland, in partnership with HIE, Scotland Food & Drink and the Scottish Government relating to the agricultural element of the Food & Drink supply chain, opportunities in renewable energy and tourism in rural areas, and to develop rural economic opportunities and leadership at a regional level.
that diversification activity would focus primarily on Scotland’s priority industries;
rural business development and workforce/ organisational development work to improve productivity would focus on growth and economically important businesses in rural areas; and
any role within the economic sustainability of communities, rural or urban, will be driven by our regional and national priorities, and reflecting our renewed focus and remit as Scotland’s Enterprise, Innovation & Investment Agency.

It was also agreed that there would be some narrowing of our activity to reflect our more focused remit, with an opportunity to review our role in managing some funding streams on behalf of the Government and in discussions with the respective Government Directorates as to what was expected of SE.