Ambitious proposals to boost the volume of goods being traded by sea from the Highlands and Islands are to be unveiled at a series of meetings to be held over the coming weeks in Inverness, Shetland and Orkney.

The Northern Maritime Corridor project is a European Community-funded initiative examining ways to increase container traffic along an existing sea transport route which stretches all the way from northern Norway and north-west Russia to Greenland - a total distance of over 4,500 kilometres. 

A number of countries are taking part in the project including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, the Faeroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Sweden and Norway.

Within the Highlands and Islands, a regional partnership led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise is now seeking to develop a local maritime 'cluster' of businesses and organisations which could benefit from the corridor proposals. 

Letters have gone out to a range of interested parties - including ferry operators, port authorities, hauliers, exporters, consultants, local authorities and enterprise companies - inviting them to attend meetings to learn more about the proposals and to put forward their own ideas.

These 'cluster meetings' will be held at:
* Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Cowan House, Inverness (Friday 28 February);
* Shetland Islands Council, Lerwick (Monday 3 March) and
* Orkney Islands Council Department of Harbours, Scapa (Monday 10 March).

Each meeting will last from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.

Project manager Dr Alf Baird, who is also head of the maritime research group at Napier University, Edinburgh, is hoping to tap into a wide range of specialist knowledge and opinion.

"The vision of the Northern Maritime Corridor is a means of efficient, safe and sustainable transportation, connecting coastal areas and enhancing regional development in the North Sea region and the Northern Periphery area," Dr Baird explained.

"By helping to set up these cluster meetings, we're hoping to establish a forum where partners can pool their ideas on how best to develop new services in the corridor and gain the maximum benefit for Scotland.

"There's a great deal to play for here.  Development of this route would create significant business opportunities for the Highlands and Islands, not only for ship owners and exporters, but other industries in the supply chain.

"What's key is that the partners in the clusters are themselves holding the knowledge and potential solutions for the transportation system of the future."
Tom Matthew, Transport Policy Manager with HIE, said: "We have taken the role of Lead Partner in this project as we believe that it could deliver significant benefits to our region by developing new trading patterns and economic opportunities. We would strongly encourage participation in the project by local businesses and other maritime interests, in order to exploit these opportunities."

More information on the project is on the internet at www.northern.maritime.corridor.no Businesses and organisations interested in attending one of the cluster meetings can contact Dr Baird by phone on 01856 811320, or email a.baird@napier.ac.uk