Obama advisor supports business community find opportunities in changing North economy

16 November 2010

Global entrepreneur Ken Morse will consider the challenges facing the Moray, and wider Highlands and Islands economy as part of a live web cast tomorrow (Tuesday) looking at how communities can create opportunities from change.

Businesses from across the region can take part in the event with the founding Managing Director of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center who has recently been appointed by President Barack Obama to the new US National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Mr Morse will be interviewed by HIE's Calum MacPherson, who is currently working on the Moray task force, for an online interview highlighting how entrepreneurship can play a role when economies face change. The people of Moray are currently facing uncertainty about the future of two RAF bases which support more than 5,000 jobs in the area. The interview will be broadcast live across the internet at www.dpdigitalmedia.co.uk/hieinnovation on Tuesday evening from 6:15pm-6:45pm. Edited highlights will be available to view on the website after the event.

Questions can be submitted in advance to hieinnovation@dpdigitalmedia.co.uk or emailed live during the broadcast, instructions will be on the website.

While in the Highlands Mr Morse is working with a range of groups. He will be inspiring budding entrepreneurs at the final of the UHI Business Ideas Competition delivering a key note talk at the "Dragons Den" style event at Inverness College UHI on Wednesday evening.

He will also deliver the latest workshop in HIE's Entrepreneurs Growth Programme series which are aimed at equipping Highlands and Islands businesses with world class entrepreneurship skills.

Mr Morse commented: "The difference with the current economic situation is that it is unlikely that either governments or large companies are going to add many, if any jobs in the next five years.

"Today, we know that it will be the small and medium-sized companies which will create most of the new, high value jobs.

"HIE is working across the Highlands and Islands, and with additional focus in Moray through business, community and public sector task force partners, to help ambitious individuals, companies and social enterprises find opportunities to diversify and grow."

The "Global Sales Strategies for Ambitious Entrepreneurs" workshop will be taking place in Inverness on 16-17 November and is designed to teach real-life selling skills, strategies and techniques such as the "art of the elevator pitch" which will accelerate the success of Scottish businesses selling internationally. Further information on the workshop series is available on our Entrepreneurs Growth Programme page.