In the wake of the demise of the oil platform fabrication industry in the Highlands, which saw more than 5,000 highly skilled jobs and an estimated £100 million of local income vanish, the council is leading an initiative to identify how the major marine and industrial assets of the Inner Moray Firth can best be harnessed in coming years.
Proposals range from world class rig maintenance and decommissioning activities, through manufacturing of renewable energy and timber-based products to the booming demand for cruise ship destinations, marinas and leisure sailing facilities. Along with the emerging potential for waterfront housing and commercial regeneration projects, these prospects offer intriguing future scope for joined up working between businesses, the ports and waterways operators. The new Strategy sets the scene for such co-operation and links the way forward with the need for national scale investment in the infrastructure of this rapidly growing city-region