Make your life easier with a MyHIE account. It’ll save you time, help you find and organise content based on your needs and interests.
The Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF) bid is a collaboration of more than a dozen organisations representing industry, academia and the public sector around the Easter Ross and Inverness area.
The aim is to stimulate transformational regeneration through economic activity in manufacturing, and from local and inward investment, innovation, skills development and employment.
The OCF area has been highlighted as the main location for the UK to benefit from floating wind manufacturing.
Reacting to the news, HIE’s chief executive Stuart Black, said:
“We congratulate Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF) on their successful bid. This is fantastic news.
“Our collective belief in the region and the key ports’ capacity and capability to play an essential role in offshore wind and green hydrogen delivery has been confirmed by the dedication, commitment and resolve shown by the bid partners. This paves the way for even greater industry collaboration. The consortium’s physical assets, natural resources, experienced supply chain, and can-do people have proven to be a winning combination that can lead to future success.
“The Highlands and Islands will play a critical role in meeting the challenging net zero targets at both Scotland and UK levels. Green freeport status for the Cromarty Firth will be a huge asset, driving collaboration between industry, academia and the public sector to stimulate transformational regeneration through economic activity, investment, innovation and skills development.
“It will attract large-scale manufacturing and create thousands of green jobs that complement the skills of the local workforce and accelerate Scotland’s and the UK’s progress to achieving net zero targets.
“A green freeport will also build on recent significant investments made in ports and harbours across the region and the historic and ongoing strengths here in energy, engineering and life sciences.
“It will be a key enabler for supply chains of the future, rapidly accelerating domestic manufacturing capacity in an area with a long-standing industrial heritage.
“We very much look forward to our region working in partnership with OCF, as we seek to secure maximum socio-economic impact, not just around the Cromarty Firth and Inverness but throughout many parts of the Highlands and Islands.”
Audrey MacIver will be HIE's new area manager for the Inner Moray Firth area
People working in or entering Scotland’s growing renewables industry will soon have access to a new training facility in Inverness.
HIE Board recruitment
West Highland Tea Company is improving the energy efficiency and footprint of its newly leased premises in Mallaig
Inverness church set to be transformed into a Gaelic language and cultural centre
A £1m project by a family-owned business in Easter Ross will significantly reduce the carbon emissions and has already created new jobs.
Funding will help meet the costs of plant and equipment
Scotland’s first multi-purpose centre for children and young adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities was officially opened on Friday 25 August.
