Recovery and growth in 2021 | ONE

COVID-19 has overturned everyday life in business, at home and for our families. In our region three major industry employers have been disproportionately impacted with business closures and job losses across oil and gas, tourism and hospitality.

This is an important point to reflect and consider what we can take forward from our experiences of the last nine months and what we want our future economy to look like as governments invest in green recovery.

"The pandemic resulted in rapid change. The pace of the response by communities, our healthcare providers, government nationally and locally, businesses and individuals across the workforce demonstrated real strength, adaptability and resilience. ONE provides leadership development, mentoring and a new financial mentoring programme to support business leaders maintain this momentum and agility, as they navigate the changing and challenging environment that includes coronavirus disruption, Brexit and the climate emergency," said Jennifer Craw, CEO of Opportunity North East (ONE).

Despite the global turbulence, and the current economic climate, the region’s long-term strengths and opportunities are more relevant than ever to post-COVID economy. North sea energy transition and the application of digital solutions have been accelerated. Important sectors for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire including food and drink production, life sciences and tourism are big drivers of recovery and growth.

"Technology , digital working and automated manufacturing have been critical to business success in adapting to the challenges of 2020,” said Ms Craw.

“All of our sector projects and programmes include strong digital content so that tech companies can bring new solutions to market and businesses can get ahead with digital adoption, advanced manufacturing and processes to increase productivity. The projects we support span energy tech and agri-food tech to AI solutions in fracture diagnosis and continue to increase in number and ambition.”

All the region’s main industry sectors have major opportunities in the years ahead and are recognised as both regional and national economic priorities.

Ms Craw said: “Aberdeen and Scotland is uniquely positioned with 50 years’ experience in oil and gas to lead the energy transition, the green recovery and the sustainable energy era that follows. We will achieve this by leveraging our vast potential in net zero carbon; internationalising our strong and competitive energy supply chain and expert workforce; and investing with focus and pace. There is now real urgency to deliver net-zero and government and industry are working together on this through the North Sea transition deal.

“Our dynamic and growing life sciences cluster’s expertise in biologics, digital health and medtech is at the forefront of industry efforts to tackle COVID and other health challenges, including antimicrobial resistance, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Accelerated innovation and commercialisation across the NHS, universities and companies is bringing forward new therapies and technology to benefit patients.

“In food and drink, we have great primary produce and very enterprising, progressive businesses. The focus is on developing on-trend, premium products that command high margins in global markets and driving Industry 4.0 adoption to increase productivity and profitability in manufacturing and processing. We will be one of the most exciting food and drink regions in the UK with an industry that goes from farm and fishery through to fork.

“In our visitor economy there’s huge potential to attract new visitors around adventure tourism and authentic experiences. Enjoying world-renowned food and drink at source and reconnecting with the natural environment, from hills to coastline, with a focus on wellbeing. Visitors can enjoy the best of city and rural experiences and investment in our infrastructure benefits visitors and residents. Place-based development and promotion will also attract new people and businesses, able to work remotely and more flexibly than in the pre-COVID economy,” said Ms Craw.

Looking ahead, the region’s future should be more diversified, greener and sustainable. It can provide our communities, our current workforce and young people with jobs of the future and training opportunities across a range of resilient industries.

"We all know that 2020 has been extraordinarily difficult, but recovery will come and the region is in transition. We have great skills, very enterprising and resourceful people and businesses, and our economic strengths are in areas primed for future growth. We have a record of delivering what we say we will and can secure investment and resources to drive recovery. In 2021, we should be hopeful, fully committed in our efforts and long-term focus, and continue to support one another," said Ms Craw.