Mission:
Scottish Enterprise is the economic development agency for 93 per cent of Scotland's population. Its purpose is to create jobs and prosperity for the people of Scotland. It works to ensure that Scotland enters the next century as a wealthy, strong, internationally competitive nation.

Budget:
The budget managed by SE in 2001 is £450m (720m) for all of its activities in economic development.

Activities:
Scottish Enterprise operates with many partner organisations in the public and private sectors. Their mutual goal is to build more and better businesses in Scotland, to develop the skills and knowledge of Scottish people, and to create the right physical environment for the Scottish economy to prosper.

Scottish Enterprise invests in industry and commerce, infrastructure and people, the vital elements of a healthy economy. Its own investment stimulates many times more again from its partners in the private sector.

The Scottish Enterprise Network is made up of Scottish Enterprise National and 13 local enterprise companies. Together, they form a cohesive group of organisations, working to a common purpose that is clearly defined in the 1999 Network Strategy.

Scottish Enterprise National is based in Glasgow. There are three main areas with operational activities based at Scottish Enterprise; National: national operations, international operations and e-business. Other areas based there cover: customer relations, knowledge management, finance and human resources. All these centrally based activities work in a highly integrated way with the local enterprise companies.

Scottish Enterprise Operations works under the broad headings of industry and skills, business development, access to finance, inward investment and exports. It tackles key issues at national and international level. The areas covered by National Operations activity include : building competitive businesses, commercialisation of science and technology, skills development, clusters, competitive location and social inclusion. International operations covers, inward investment, trade development, globalisation and European activity. E-business covers all aspects of that form of business. There are close relationships between all these areas and activities are delivered in an integrated manner across the network, main lead being with the local enterprise companies, and through the small business gateway which covers businesses in Scotland with less than 25 employees.

Useful Sites:

Staff:

Contact:
Jonathan Slow. www.scotent.co.uk
Scottish Enterprise, 120 Bothwell Street, Glasgow G2 7JP
tel. +44 141 248 2700, +44 141 228 2791 (direct), fax +44 141 228 2762
e-mail