Entrepreneurship Driving Transformation 2024 | ONE

ONE CEO Jennifer Craw shared the impact of the ONE private sector economic development model and its partnership working, action and investment over the past year and looked to future delivery to 2030 and beyond.

“The private-public partnership approach works. Since we started operating in 2016, ONE has secured £150m investment in the region for growth sectors on a co-investment basis and continues to develop as the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, combining economic development with entrepreneurship and innovation,” said Ms Craw.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary Kate Forbes stressed the significance of the ONE model to driving entrepreneurial growth and national economic transformation in her conversation with Times Radio broadcaster Calum Macdonald.

Leap AI founders Ben Stuart and Ben Bamford and their mentors Deirdre Michie, Mike Fleming and Rob Burnett shared their experiences of the North East Venture Mentoring Pilot, led by ONE with partners Energy Transition Zone, Net Zero Technology Centre, University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and Scottish Enterprise.

Austin Hay of ADC Energy Ltd., Fiona Rudkin of mycoBiologics, Scott Fraser from Angus & Oink, and Little Brown Dog Spirits' Andrew Smith shared insights on how disciplined entrepreneurship supports them to scale their businesses.

Closing the event, ONE chair, Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, said: “I’m very encouraged by what we’ve seen and heard today. The focus by ONE and partners on growth sectors, entrepreneurship and innovation is making a huge difference to our economy and prospects. There’s a lot more to do, and there’s a clear appetite in this room to extend and expand action, investment and delivery to achieve our shared ambitions.”

Read more and see content from the 2024 ONE annual event here.