Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) held its public board meeting at the Loft in Keith on Tuesday, 20 February 2007.

The Loft youth centre was set up in 2002 by the Loft Youth Project (LYP) with financial assistance from HIE's community land unit (CLU) and lottery funding. A further £40,000 grant from the CLU enabled the project to buy Craighurst's restaurant in 2005, which is run as a social enterprise providing job and training opportunities for young people.

HIE Moray area director James Gibbs began proceedings with a presentation on the Moray 2020 economic vision - a strategy and action plan for diversifying the area's economy.

HIE chairman William Roe said: "The Moray economy is undergoing a period of significant change and Moray 2020 was set up to ensure that we anticipate the challenges and make the most of opportunities which will emerge. Partnership will be critical to success and we recognise that to achieve the goals set out in Moray 2020, we need to draw on the ideas, commitment, energy and influencing powers of both the public and private sectors."

Items on the meeting agenda included the draft HIE network operating plan 2007-2010, including a strategic environmental assessment; and the Network's position on the future of Initiative at the Edge, which promotes the community-led regeneration of remote, fragile communities.

Members of the public were invited to the meeting as observers and were welcome to attend all or part of the meeting.

Board papers relating to the agenda are available online. These documents were for comment and approval by the board and do not represent HIE's final position on agenda items.

HIE conducts eight board meetings annually at venues around the Highlands and Islands.