HIE network's thirteenth annual report launched

The Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network has just published its 13th annual report, covering the agency’s activities from 1^st April 2003 to 31^st March 2004.

The 100-page document, was launched on Tuesday 26 October by HIE chairman William Roe and chief executive Sandy Cumming, charts a successful year for the enterprise network, which met or exceeded 27 of its 33 key targets.

During the course of the year HIE invested £102 million in the area, including £81.3 million from the Scottish Executive and £9.7 million from the European Union.

Highlights included helping to create or retain nearly 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs, enabling 1,687 people to gain a job with training through Modern Apprenticeships, helping to start up 692 new businesses and assisting 28 community land purchases. In its first full year of operation, HIE’s community energy unit supported 111 projects.

Writing in the report, Mr Cumming pays tribute to the performance of local businesses which created thousands of jobs with the agency’s assistance.

He states: “During 2003-04, HIE supported the creation or retention of 2,944 jobs across the Highlands and Islands – 47 per cent above our target figure of 2,000. I believe that figure is important because it highlights a degree of business confidence which is essential to achieve sustainable economic growth. It bears witness to the individual efforts of many hundreds of local business people, from Shetland to Argyll and from the Western Isles to east Moray, who have been supported by the HIE network and who deserve our congratulations.

Mr Cumming also acknowledges the contribution made by Dr James Hunter, who stood down in August after six years as chairman of HIE.

He says: “Jim’s passion for the Highlands and Islands and the energy and vision he brought to the chairman’s role had a considerable impact or the area’s development as well as on the Network itself and, not least, on wider perceptions of the area.

“That impact will continue to be felt as projects which were instigated under his chairmanship come to fruition in the months and years ahead.”

Acrobat PDF format copies can be downloaded here on the HIE web site - or hard copies obtained through HIE's communications team's - publications page.