Growth in collaboration prompts flagship conference

Co-operative Development Scotland has seen a 350% increase in demand for its services during the last year and will be promoting the consortia model at the Scottish Enterprise event ‘Business Success – the Collaborative Solution’.

Consortia allow groups of businesses to buy, produce and sell more effectively by pooling their skills and resources. Collaborating allows them to achieve economies of scale – a key advantage in tougher economic times – while retaining their individual brands and independence.

The event will be chaired by economics writer Alf Young and will focus on how businesses can join forces to scale-up their innovation, productivity and growth. Raymond O’Hare, Chairman of the Institute of Directors in Scotland and former Head of Microsoft in Scotland, will address the event as keynote speaker while a panel of entrepreneurs will explain how collaboration helped take their businesses to the next level of growth.

They include Virginia Sumsion of Argyll Food Producers, a consortium of nine food producers from across Argyll and the Islands, and Andy Payne, who is leading AppyNation, a consortium of UK-based games and Apps developers that is creating its own digital publishing venture to market their products directly to consumers.

Paul Lewis, Managing Director of Operations at Scottish Enterprise, will explore the economic potential of supporting more collaboration across Scotland.

Experts will be on hand to tackle a wide range of practical issues, such as legal structures, finance, management and the culture of effective collaboration.

Bookings can be made online at - http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/events/2011/08/business-success-the-collaborative-solution.aspx