Inverness is the latest city to gain City Deal status from the UK government initiative.
The Scotland Office writes:
More than £300 million of public money will be provided to Inverness as part of a UK City Deal. It aims to unlock a further £800 million of private money for the city and the surrounding region.
The UK City Deal will invest money in projects designed to help the economic growth of Inverness and the Highlands, and is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs over the next two decades.
UK Government Minister Andrew Dunlop was in Inverness today to announce details of the UK City Deal agreement which includes money from the UK Government, Scottish Government, Highland Council, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
City Deals were created by the UK Government as a way to provide UK cities with the power and resources to unlock the economic potential of their city.
As part of the Inverness City Deal the UK Government is providing £53.1 million of new money for spending on areas that are the reserved responsibility of the UK Government. These include:
- Enabling the Highland area to be the most digitally connected rural region in Europe by investing into extended digital coverage, including superfast broadband and mobile 4G connectivity across the Highlands region.
- Supporting a package of new innovation measures that builds on existing academic and industry expertise in Inverness, as well as business support networks across the Highlands. This will include exploring ways to support a multi-disciplinary centre focused on the commercialisation of new medical products and technologies, and a Northern Scotland Innovation Hub.
- Working to ensure business-friendly air routes to international hubs and improving access to London.
View the news release
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