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  • What we do
    • Business plan 2008-2011
      • Contribution to the Government’s purpose
        • Responding to the requirements of Scotland’s key industries
        • Enterprise
        • Innovation
        • Investment
        • Equity

Contribution to the Government’s purpose

Helping to increase sustainable economic growth

As the economic development agency for lowland Scotland, Scottish Enterprise can play a catalytic role in contributing to the Government’s overall target of raising Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the UK level by 2011, and other purpose targets, alongside private and public sector partners. The Government Economic Strategy shows that increased GDP growth is driven by increased productivity, population growth and economic participation.

Scottish Enterprise is best placed to focus on the first of these: productivity. Furthermore, the strategy diagnoses Scotland’s current poor productivity performance being down to shortfalls in enterprise, innovation, investment and skills. Scottish Enterprise is best placed to focus on the first three of these and this business plan is structured around objectives in these three areas:

• Enterprise: responsive and focused enterprise support, helping growth companies and industries to reach their full potential.
• Innovation: stimulate innovation to support business growth including exploiting new products, processes and technologies.
• Investment: helping to create the right conditions for growth companies and industries to have access to property, markets and finance to help them grow.

One of the principal outcomes of the Scottish Government's Enterprise Networks Review is a redefinition of the respective responsibilities of Scottish Enterprise and local authorities in relation to economic development. The Scottish Government has given Scottish Enterprise a very clear remit to focus on priority sectors and on supporting those businesses, of whatever size, that have high growth potential and that are important to the national or regional economy. Local government will be expected to play a complementary local role in economic development, providing business advisory support to local firms through the Business Gateway and assuming the lead in local regeneration projects, alongside its existing functions like transport and planning.

Scottish Enterprise will work proactively and selectively with a much smaller number of businesses, predominantly those with whom it has, or will establish, an account management relationship. This means that for the majority of firms, including those serving mainly local markets, public sector advice and/or guidance should be sought through the Business Gateway, overseen by local authorities.

We will also ensure that we play a full and proactive part in delivering the government’s equity agenda and contribute positively to social and geographic equity. In particular, we will help exploit the opportunities of a move towards a low carbon economy and increasingly integrate sustainable development into our work with our customers.

Increased productivity will result in more competitive and faster growing businesses in Scotland. These will generate the opportunities to attract and retain population, and create more and higher quality employment – which stimulates the labour market to help raise participation.