Benefits of SE

Bill Jamieson asks "what function does Scottish Enterprise serve and what would be lost by taking an axe to it?" (Opinion, 23 July).

I would like to highlight that Scottish Development International (SDI) is run by Scottish Enterprise (SE) and is an integral part of our operations both in terms of supporting Scottish companies to grow and in attracting new inward investment.

Over the past five years, Scotland has secured more inward investment projects than any other region in the UK outside the south-east of England and more than double that of Wales and Northern Ireland.

This is largely down to the work of SE and SDI.

However, Bill is correct in the fact our functions have reduced following the transfer of local regeneration and skills development to other bodies but I believe this has given us the focus we need to integrate our activity with other organisations to ensure we can have a bigger impact on Scotland's economy.

Instead of "being all things to all men" our renewed focus on businesses and sectors with real global potential means we can respond to the greatest opportunities for economic growth while addressing some our biggest economic challenges.

Ninety per cent of the companies we work with expect their turnover to grow or remain steady over the coming year. This is no mean feat in the current climate. While it's correct local regeneration is now the responsibility of local authorities, improving Scotland's business environment remains a fundamental part of our role. Projects such as Edinburgh BioQuarter, Energetica, Fife Energy Park and the Digital Media Quarter will help build world-class clusters of activity that build on our strengths in life sciences, energy and digital media.

We're not nave, though. We know we need to continue to demonstrate the impact we have. The most recent research has shown that for every 1 we invest, we generate a further 8.80 for Scotland's economy.

CRAWFORD GILLIES

Scottish Enterprise

Edinburgh