Home  Latest News Scottish entrepreneurial culture ‘less dynamic’
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Scottish entrepreneurial culture ‘less dynamic’ |
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 Scotland's business start-up rate continues to lag behind the rest of the UK and other similar countries, according to new research. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Scotland 2008, launched by the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde, found that Scotland continues to suffer from a "less dynamic" entrepreneurial culture.
And start-up rates among women fell to their lowest level since the research began in 2000.
The number of new businesses starting in Scotland fell four percent in 2008, compared with rising rates of entrepreneurship elsewhere. There was a two percent rise in the UK and a nine percent rise in similar countries, despite the start of the recession.
Commenting on the findings, Sir Tom Hunter said: "Given the UK Government owns a substantial portion of our major banks it is important a reasonable balance of lending is provided to viable business proposals as they grow in difficult circumstances.
“At its heart economic recovery will be delivered by business and small businesses and their growth has never been so important," he wrote. "For that reason, local authorities, now responsible for enterprise service delivery, need to step up to supporting those businesses in their area – we're watching.
“With the exception of a few, we have all suffered in the past couple of years – the only way we will move forward is with a positive outlook, hard graft and the willingness to learn from our collective mistakes. Together we can and we will build a strong and vibrant Scottish economy, where opportunity prevails for all.”
But recent figures from the Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers (CSCB) paint an even gloomier picture, showing a dramatic decrease of 12% in the number of new businesses launched in 2008 compared to the previous year.
David Grahame, executive director of LINC Scotland, one of the country’s leading business angel capital associations, said: "While there are some elements of that research that may ring true, it's important to look at how far Scotland has come from its post industrial low point. I also feel that the research doesn't tell the whole story. There are many strong start-up businesses in Scotland and, importantly, many investors who are prepared to support them.
"One particular area where Scotland is very strong is in offering a supportive environment for enterpreneurs through a robust business angel network. This model has been very successful in encouraging innovation and has been exported to many other countries."
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