Aberdeen is renowned for the warm welcome it offers to individuals and businesses alike, providing investors with a highly skilled workforce, an enterprising culture and exceptional support. As a result, Aberdeen is quickly becoming notorious for its ambition and inward investment. Recent noteworthy projects in the area have included the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, the redevelopment of the Aberdeen Art Gallery, the ongoing Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Project, and of course P&J Live at our fantastic new events complex, TECA. This, combined with the fact Aberdeen Airport is the best-connected regional hub airport in the UK, makes Aberdeen a major engine for growth on both a national and international scale.

I joined the sales team at P&J Live in April this year, after having lived, studied and worked in Aberdeen for the past four years. Originally from a small town on the outskirts of Edinburgh, my decision to move from Scotland’s capital to the Granite City was one that surprised many, as following the downturn of the oil and gas industry, Aberdeen was a dying city, right? Wrong.

Between 2014 and 2018, Aberdeen attracted 62 new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, securing its place in the top ten UK cities outside of London for attracting investment. In Aberdeen, the top three sectors benefitting from the highest numbers of inward investment projects are digital, business services; and machinery and equipment. With our industry-leading engineering skills and best practice, building on the strengths of our North Sea Workforce, combined with Aberdeen being on track to be Scotland’s first gigabit city by 2021, we are in an ideal position to bid for large industry related events and capitalise on these investments.

This importance of this investment is something I did not appreciate until I began working at P&J Live earlier this year, but for the sales team, it could not be more significant when attracting business to the city. Organisers are always blown away by our state-of-the-art event complex, but in order to attract delegates from across the world, they also depend on superior transport infrastructure to ensure they can get here with ease, cultural and leisure activities to keep delegates occupied in their free time, as well as first-class hotels, eateries and so much more. Fortunately, for me, this bit is now easy, as I love shouting about Aberdeen and all it has to offer when selling the destination on a global scale.

Just this month, the investment in our city has resulted in Aberdeen being ranked the best place to live and work in Scotland and was ranked sixth out of 42 cities in the UK by the Good Growth for Cities Index. Aberdeen is already home to some industry-leading companies, such as Wood and Brewdog, with many others choosing to make Aberdeen their international headquarters. Aberdeen’s fantastic infrastructure and innovative workforce produces the ideal environment for startups, scaleups and established large businesses to thrive. This is sustained by an accomplished young workforce, aided by Aberdeen’s two universities, college and research facilities, where individuals can specialise in subjects such as engineering, law or medicine, to name a few, ensuring that companies have direct access to a pipeline of skilled future employees and world-leading research and development support.

Highlighting our city’s ambitious plans for future growth, the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s Investment Tracker sets out a plan for investment and development in the region over the next ten years. This encompasses major transport projects, such as the Aberdeen South Harbour, the development of the Haudagain roundabout and the A96 dualling between Aberdeen and Inverness, to the transformation of Union Terrace Gardens and development of the new Aberdeen Football Club. Aided by a plan for increased affordable housing provision in the city and over £320million of investment in leisure and culture facilities, this will ensure that Aberdeen continues to be a booming location for us all to live and work.

Aberdeen is a vibrant city with the ambition, talent and resources to attract visitors, allow businesses to flourish and increase opportunities for all.

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