Influential business figures sign up for major online business forum for the Highlands and Islands
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highlands and Islands businesses are being invited to join the region's first major innovation and investment forum of its kind for the region.
Hosted by the Institute of Directors (IoD) Scotland, the Scotland H&I Innovation and Investment Forum will take place virtually over June 8 and 9.
Free to attend it will feature sessions led by representatives from key high growth sectors, and provide an opportunity to hear success stories from fellow Highlands and Islands businesses.
Delegates will be able to attend sessions featuring more than 115 panelists, interactive workshops, and attend one-to-one meetings.
Willie Watt, chairman of the Scottish National Investment Bank, will lead the main keynote event.
He said: “The Scottish National Investment Bank is a new investment institution for the whole of Scotland, so this is a fantastic opportunity for us to speak to the business community in the Highlands and Islands. Innovation occurs irrespective of location.
"However, it can often be a challenge to gain access to the right people to help your business grow.
This forum is an opportunity to remove such barriers and I look forward to discussing how we can further support the growth of businesses in the Highlands and Islands.”
Other speakers and hosts will include Fergus Murray, head of development and economic growth at Argyll and Bute Council; Zero Waste Scotland chief executive Iain Gulland; Scottish Business Network chairman Russell Dalgleish; James Withers, chief executive at Scotland Food and Drink; Sutherland Space Hub director Roy Kirk; Campbell Grant, founder and chairman of Sitekit Group; Jan Robertson, growth investments director with Scottish Enterprise; Gillian Fleming, co-founder of Mint Ventures Angel Syndicate; Womens Enterprise Scotland; Par Equity partner Andrew Castell; Nigel Walker, deputy director of UKRI Innovate UK; and Tim Allan, Scottish Chambers of Commerce president.
The programme's unique strategic and investor deal forum will allow both established Highlands and Islands businesses and high growth scale-up ventures to meet a panel of potential strategic partners and funders who can help support them as they seek to re-establish or expand markets locally, across the UK, or internationally.
The panel will include representatives from Innovate UK, Scottish National Investment Bank, British Business Bank, Business Growth Fund, Par Equity, Mint Ventures, Archangel Investors, Kelvin Capital, Nucleus Commercial Finance, Apollo Informal Investments, Royal Bank of Scotland, Virgin Money, Assetz Capital, LINC Scotland and more, with the ability to unlock funding of anywhere from £100,000 to £5 million in equity, debt, grants or a combination.
Donald Forsyth, chairman of the Highlands and Islands Branch for IoD Scotland, commented: “Businesses of all shapes, sizes and stages have been under considerable strain over the last year. However, the Highlands and Islands is a hive for entrepreneurship. From tourism to space technology, the region is home to high calibre businesses. However, they are often left out of the spotlight against their peers in other parts of the country.
“We felt it important to launch the Scotland H&I Innovation and Investment Forum to address that and elevate the profile of those organisations who live, breathe and work in the region by granting them access to individuals and organisations they may have previously not been able to speak with. The deal forum and personal meetings will be of significant value to many, and I encourage anyone to attend who is interested in expanding clients, partners, sector knowledge, counsel, grants or investment.”
The forum is free to attend for both non-IoD members and members. To attend or register your interest in presenting in the deal forum please visit www.iod.com/events-community
