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Landmark Freeport event held in Inverness is ‘crucial step in raising awareness of incredible opportunities’





Calum Macpherson, CEO of Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport, Giles Jones, Freeport Manager at Liverpool City Freeport, Angus Macleod, Head of Inverness at WJM and Mike Engelbrecht, Vice President of Sumitomo Electric UK.
Calum Macpherson, CEO of Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport, Giles Jones, Freeport Manager at Liverpool City Freeport, Angus Macleod, Head of Inverness at WJM and Mike Engelbrecht, Vice President of Sumitomo Electric UK.

More than 100 representatives from key sectors driving the Highland economy were in attendance as Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) and Irwin Mitchell (IM) co-hosted a landmark freeport event in Inverness.

Led by Angus MacLeod, partner and head of the Inverness office at WJM, the event, held at the Kingsmills Hotel, focused on the launch of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth (ICF) Green Freeport, emphasising the importance of preparation for businesses to seize the significant opportunities presented by this initiative.

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The discussions highlighted the potential of the freeport to transform the region's economic landscape through the enhancement of supply chains, infrastructure, and community engagement.

The event featured a series of insightful presentations from expert guest speakers, including Calum MacPherson, CEO of ICF Green Freeport, Amy Lambert, deputy head of Freeports for the UK Government, Giles Jones, project manager at Liverpool City Region Freeport, and Mike Engelbrecht, vice president of Sumitomo Electric UK.

From their varying specialist perspectives, the speakers presented on the opportunities and challenges that freeports bring, in sectors such as offshore wind energy, trade, investment, and community development.

WJM hosted their landmark freeport event in Inverness, attended by more than 100 representatives from key sectors driving the Highland economy.
WJM hosted their landmark freeport event in Inverness, attended by more than 100 representatives from key sectors driving the Highland economy.

Mr MacPherson emphasised the urgency for local businesses to seize the vast potential in offshore wind energy and engineering, highlighting both the huge scale of ICF Green Freeport, and the pace at which its development will move.

Ms Lambert provided a nationwide perspective, stressing how freeports aim to revitalise declining areas, create high-quality jobs, and drive trade, while positioning the ICF locations as key hubs for offshore wind and renewable energy.

Mr Jones shared insights from Liverpool City Freeport's success in surpassing job creation and investment goals, and Mike Engelbrecht outlined Sumitomo's commitment to investing in the Highlands' infrastructure and workforce.

Mr MacLeod of WJM expressed his enthusiasm about the event's success, saying: "We are thrilled with the turnout and the level of engagement from all participants.

“This event marked a crucial step in raising awareness about the incredible opportunities that the freeport initiative has already opened up. We are no longer in the realm of the hypothetical – the legal structure is already in place. It is now ours to make the most of.

“Our event, hosted alongside Irwin Mitchell, was set up to reassure the community that the required legal specialisms exist within the Highlands and are supported by a large team over our 20 locations across the UK.

“The discussions have set the stage for meaningful collaborations that will help shape the future economic, and social, landscape of our home.”


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