Kate Forbes

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and economy secretary Kate Forbes will engage with a range of entrepreneurs, business experts, stakeholders and economists on the Scottish Government’s ambitious economic plans.

The theme of this year’s forum will be A National Endeavour – Implementing the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

Speaking ahead of the forum, Ms Forbes said: “Scotland’s new National Strategy for Economic Transformation is ambitious and refreshing. The strategy sets out our aim for Scotland to be a successful, thriving country that is always looking to deliver positive change, both in terms of economic performance and tackling inequalities.

“We want to be recognised as a nation of entrepreneurs and innovators, who embrace the opportunities of new technology, boost productivity and focus on the innovations that will make the biggest difference, not just here but internationally.”

She added: “We must work together, we will listen to and engage directly with industry experts to ensure that the voice of businesses is heard at the heart of the government, which will in turn help us transform our economy and deliver on our ambitions to not leave anyone behind.

“I, alongside the First Minister and other Ministers in the Scottish Government, look forward to this year’s National Economic Forum and to continuing to work in partnership with Scotland’s business community to unlock our economic potential.”