Inverness twinned town links to be developed further
The Highland Council is to develop further economic links with Inverness’ twinned city of Augsburg with the assistance of £10,000 Inverness Common Good Funding approved by Councillors today at the City of Inverness and Area Committee. This step follows the news that the Scottish Government has signed a strategic trade and investment partnership with Bavaria and has also recently set up a trade hub in Berlin.
Councillors agreed that the Common Good Funding will be used to compliment the development of economic links with the European City that were already being progressed by the Council’s Development and Infrastructure Service and Highlands and Islands Enterprise HIE.
Councillors were updated on the recent visit by the Council’s Director of Development and Infrastructure and HIE’s Inner Moray Firth Area Manager to Augsburg in April 2018. Their visit was to discuss how to move forward with the development of economic links and was an opportunity to meet with representatives of the economic development agencies in the city as well as in the wider Schwaben region. Meetings were held with SGL Carbon and the Klinikum.
Provost of Inverness and Area Helen Carmichael said: “In the past, connections with our twin towns and cities have been purely on a civic and twinning level, however with the uncertainties of BREXIT facing Highland we need to look for ways in which we can work more closely to all our benefit with our twinning partners.”
Director of Development and Infrastructure, Stuart Black said: “During the trip we visited SGL’s headquarters near Augsburg. They have a large factory in Muir of Ord which produces carbon fibre for use in the automotive, aeronautical and renewables sectors. We also went to Klinkum Augsburg, a major hospital which is keen to develop links with UHI.
He added: “The next stage in the process is to move from dialogue to the actual development of joint projects. We will be seeking to engage further specialist consultancy advice for the continued development of Economic links with Inverness’ twin city of Augsburg.”