Law firm announces survey results
9 Mar 05
Shepherd+ Wedderburn and University of Aberdeen unveil results of business survey
Businesses in the North East have an optimistic, expansionist outlook at present, according to an independent survey commissioned by legal firm Shepherd+ Wedderburn and the University of Aberdeen Business School.
The results of the survey, which focused on "Doing business in the North East", were debated by over 100 senior business executives who gathered at the University of Aberdeen Business School this week.
The debate, also organised by Shepherd+ Wedderburn and the University of Aberdeen Business School, was hosted by television presenter Kaye Adams.
Debate topics ranged in subject matter from the relationship between businesses and higher education establishments to professional skills gaps, local transport infrastructure, restrictive business legislation and the North East’s food and renewable energy industries.
The survey of 88 senior executives in Grampian indicates that the region is increasingly international in its outlook, with 52% operating abroad and 42% seeing an expansion into new markets as a major priority in 2005.
It suggests that confidence within the oil and gas sector is particularly strong at the moment, with 60% of directors in the industry anticipating an upturn in their company’s fortunes during 2005. That sense of optimism is mirrored in the manufacturing and transport sectors where both score higher than the average when asked whether they are more confident than a year ago (67% for both sectors compared to the average 54%). Only 14% are less confident than 12 months ago.