Scotland's Agenda for Cities

Section 1 - Increasing Internationalisation

Scotland's cities perform a symbolic role for the nation, characterising our aspirations, values and confidence. Our cities and their regions have deep cultural roots, global strengths and reach, and they have a key role to play in realising Scotland's ambitions to grow and internationalise our business base.

Our focus will be to:

• promote international trade and investment in Scotland's cities
• capitalise on new and existing EU and global links

1.1 Promoting international trade and investment in Scotland's cities

Already the Scottish Government has recognised the Alliance's proactive role in attracting capital investment to Scotland's cities, including:

• a £10 billion Cities' Investment Prospectus
• an investor event with the First Minister in New York
• bringing a range of Sovereign Wealth Funds to Scotland
• helping to secure £30 million investment in Perth city centre
• supporting the marketing of the £100 million Inverness Campus which opened in 2015

Building on this the Alliance's strategic and joined up approach will continue to generate strong investment propositions which meet investor expectations.  As part of a single door approach to attracting capital investment, we will take a lead in adopting a more systematic approach to identifying and engaging with potential investors.

In addition:

• Scottish Ministers will continue to act as ambassadors for investment
• we will use the new Scottish Government Innovation and Investment Hubs, in Dublin and then in Brussels and London once established, as bases to increase cities' reach and make investor engagement easier

1.2 Capitalising on new and existing EU and global links

Scotland's cities are the cultural touchstone for the nation, possessing and displaying a rich heritage and international appeal. This provides a solid foundation on which to build.

Already the Alliance has developed a strategy for our cities to increase their engagement in Europe, with a view to raising the profile of the cities, the Alliance and Scotland itself. Through this strategy, our cities aim to influence EU urban policies, and associated funding sources, to better reflect smaller cities' needs. The Alliance has already been invited to sit on the Urban Partnership for housing which will form part of the emerging EU Urban Agenda.

Building on this with a clear economic development focus aimed at securing investment for Scotland's cities:

• the Alliance will continue to develop a "pitch book" of large-scale investment opportunities for Scotland
• we will work to maximise the opportunities of existing EU and global networks such as GlobalScot and city twinning

The Scottish Cities Alliance breaks new ground at MIPIM - a globally-influential real estate event

The Alliance's £10 billion Cities' Investment Prospectus was first launched at MIPIM UK in October 2014, and then to an international audience at MIPIM Cannes in March 2015.

Keith Brown MSP

Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities at the Alliance's stand at MIPIM UK in October 2015

"With commercial property investment and development becoming increasingly competitive on a global stage, it is important that Scotland's cities are represented at these international gatherings, particularly in light of the well-funded campaigns on display from some other cities in their bids to attract investment.."

Cameron Stott
Director, Jones Lang LaSalle

"We're trying to emulate and rise to the excellence of the Alliance's stand at MIPIM. It's really well done and your information is well presented and co-ordinated."

Heather Lalonde
Chief Executive of Economic Developers Council of Ontario, Canada

"This week I joined colleagues from Scotland's cities and thousands of investors and developers … at London's Kensington Olympia for MIPIM UK, the country's biggest property marketplace… to fly the flag for Inverness and Highland, setting out our stall for an investment community which this year includes a large delegation from China. "We wouldn't be here at all if weren't for Scottish Cities Alliance. By working together with Scotland's bigger cities, combining resources and learning from the experience of others, we are making quite an impression on the exhibition floor.
"Days like these secure the future path of a city, and will plant the seeds of investment into projects that we will announce in the years to come."

Stuart Black
Director of Development and Infrastructure, The Highland Council, in the Scotsman, 22 October 2015