Credit: South of Scotland Enterprise
The Scottish Government Minister for Employment and Investment, Tom Arthur, officially opened the new Hawick Business Centre on 26 July, citing it as an example of how the Scottish Government can invest new money where partnerships come together.
Scottish Borders Council (SBC) led the delivery of the new centre, securing £2.6 million from the Scottish Government, for a partnership with South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) to provide a wide range of support to Borders businesses. SBC have invested £530,000, SOSE £175,000 and a further £123,000 was sourced from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.
It opened the doors in April and has so far attracted more than 250 visitors, and becoming a hub for local businesses and organisations to hold meetings, seminars, workshops and simply to work. A new 12-month business accelerator programme, AccleratE, to develop entrepreneurial skills and support to grow – and bring experts and investors to the Borders – has also been launched at the centre.
”It’s great to see this centre supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, and the industries of the future.
Tom ArthurScottish Government Minister for Employment and Investment
“Of course, it’s early days, but what is encouraging is the number of people who are already making use of the facility, the presentations taking place here and the engagement.
“The key going forward is how we can genuinely bring different people and organisations together to create what our businesses need in areas like the Borders, and this business centre is a really great example of how partnerships can make that happen. This has come from Scottish Government investment and Scottish Borders Council and South of Scotland Enterprise working together to deliver not only this facility but the services it is providing, and this will support not only businesses and individuals in Hawick, but right across the Borders and south of Scotland.”
Included in the facility are short-term drop-in workspaces, bookable meeting rooms with video conferencing facilities, presentation spaces and a digital lab providing users with advanced facilities such as a podcast recording studio, live streaming and virtual reality headsets. The Business Centre has also hosted more than 14 partnership events including those by the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce and Business Gateway, which further support businesses in the region.
Euan Jardine, convener of Scottish Borders Council, believes it is a valuable addition to the business landscape and will help to reduce costs for local firms.
”It’s a fabulous building and I’m impressed with the really forward-thinking technology, like the live-streaming suite, the podcast suite, the work going on around AI.
Euan JardineConvener of Scottish Borders Council
“It’s important now to get the message out there that a lot of these tools are free to access so people don’t need to go spending money on their own specialised equipment; just come here utilise the equipment for free, use it on your social media and really step up your marketing.
“It’s fantastic that it’s in Hawick but it’s also for the whole of the Borders – everyone can use this centre.”
Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, added: “We have had really positive usage figures and feedback about the services being offered in Hawick Business Centre since it opened in April.
“We look forward to continuing to work with partners to build on this success and welcome businesses, enterprises and the wider community to this excellent facility over the remainder of this financial year.”
”We have had really positive usage figures and feedback...
Russel Griggs OBEChair of South of Scotland Enterprise
Credit: South of Scotland Enterprise
