LOCAL ECONOMIC FORUM FOR EDINBURGH AND LOTHIAN

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LOCAL ECONOMIC FORUM FOR EDINBURGH AND LOTHIAN
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A Brief History..

• Established in 2000, one for each LEC area
• Charged with removing duplication in business
  services
• Development of economic development strategies

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LEF Membership

• Chamber of Commerce
• Federation of Small Businesses
• 4 Councils
• SE Edinburgh and Lothian
• Communities Scotland
• Area Tourist Board
• Homes for Scotland
• BAA Edinburgh
• Edinburgh Trades Council
• Job Centre Plus
• Higher Education
• Further Education

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LEF Model

• Strengths
• brings key stakeholders together
• shared, positive agenda
• can drive and demonstrate joined up thinking
• can provide common set of data re Regions
  current assets and growth forecasts for use by
  all partners
• neutral respected body to champion economic
  development

• Weaknesses
• no dedicated resources
• responsibility without power
• area of influence does not necessarily match area
  of economic activity
• public/private sector balance

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Achievements to Date

• Services to business
• Development of Strategy
• Action Plan
• Feeding into long-term scenario planning
• Influencing policy?

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The LEF Strategy

• First regional strategy for Edinburgh and
  Lothian/ a medium-term strategy to achieve the
  positive scenario
• Based on robust analysis of issues and strengths
• Networks and new alliances as per the positive
  scenario

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Local Economic forum for Edinburgh and Lothian

• a medium-term strategy focus on high impact/
  LEF leverage
• a medium-term strategy to deliver the positive
  scenario for the city region
• focused on education, research, innovation and
  knowledge
• strengths in key sectors
• the hard and soft infrastructure to support a
  range of sectors and attract/retain talent
• increased diversity through collaboration.

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What does the private sector add to the work of
the LEF? some thoughts

• Ongoing dialogue between the public sector and
  key private sector organisations
• Keen interest in the Scottish picture and
  Edinburghs major contribution to it.
• The LEF provides an opportunity for the private
  sector to raise key issues of concern
• Can be strategic focus on the needs of the
  economy not lines on maps
• Lends weight to policy debate/ advocacy

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The LEF and Community Planning Process

• LEF
• Economic Forecast/ background input(macro-level)
• Partner contribution (including private sector)
  to local initiatives(micro-level)

• CPP
• Key Issues
• Regeneration
• Social Inclusion
• Opportunities for young people
• Co-location of services
• Educational attainment
• Health inequalities
• Engaging communities

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LEF - Monitoring the Economy

• An improvement on
• GVA per head, productivity, commercialisation,
  fast growth technology companies, growth in SMEs,
  tourism trips, household and business
  connectivity
• Relative jobs growth, qualifications, on the job
  training, 16-19 year olds in training or
  education
• Population growth, transport/freight activity and
  use of vacant/derelict land

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LEF - Monitoring the Economy (Contd.)

• But weaker performance on
• Business start-ups and stock, and inward
  investment, exports (we anticipate)
• Employment and productivity in some key sectors
  and unemployment
• Weekly earnings and low earners
• European benchmarks
• Strong performance on jobs, output and other
  indicators in 2003

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LEF - Monitoring the Economy (Contd.)

• Pace of growth accelerating slightly in 2003 and
  little sign as yet of easing on people and place
  constraints
• Issues to consider
• Recovery in key sectors and meeting demands from
  the current labour force to upskill
• Meeting the infrastructure needs of a rising
  commuting workforce and increased population
• Raising the quality of the labour force across
  the board to attract talent and spur long-term
  growth