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The UK government's economic development agency for the northern and western half of Scotland:

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland has around 19,000 businesses, more than 435,000 individuals with skills and potential of their own - and more than 8,000 voluntary and community groups. The task of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network is to unlock that potential and help create a strong, diverse and sustainable economy. HIE's activities include: delivery of business support services, provision of training and learning programmes, assistance for community and cultural projects and measures for environmental renewal. Much of HIE's work is undertaken through nine 'local enterprise companies' or LECs.

Links to further details about the area covered by HIE:

• Scottish Highlands
• Shetland Islands
• Orkney Islands
• Outer Hebrides
• Caithness and Sutherland
• Inverness
• Isle of Skye
• Lochaber
• Argyll
• Moray

The refreshed version of the Scottish Executive strategy 'A Smart, Successful Scotland' was launched in November 2004. The document carries forward the strategic objectives of the national enterprise strategy, together with its two cross-cutting themes of sustainable development and closing the opportunity gap.

It also builds on the Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (FEDS), the Scottish Executive's economic development strategy. How the enterprise strategy will be implemented in the north-west half of Scotland is set out in A Smart, Succesful Highlands and Islands.

HIE's aim is to enable people living in the Highlands and Islands to realise their full potential on a long-term sustainable basis.

The aim is founded on the belief that the people who live here have the prospect of enjoying one of the most fulfilling existences in the developed world. The concept of sustainable development lies at the heart of this approach. Enabling people to realise their full potential is about utilising resources wisely in a way that assists current residents to improve their lives, without constraining the ability of future Highlands and Islands residents to make their own improvements from an enriched, rather than depleted, resource-base.

The equivalent organisation for lowland Scotland is Scottish Enterprise.

Further information is available from: Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Cowan House, Inverness Retail and Business Park, Inverness, Scotland, IV2 7GF

Telephone: 01463 234171 Link to HIE website

The predecessor to HIE was the Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB).