Scotland's broadcast sector has opportunity to almost double income to over £420 million by 2012

The strategy identifies the unprecedented scope of growth available, due to recent changes in the broadcast industry, amounting to a potential near-doubling of direct employment to nearly 5,700 people, and additional income of more than £200 million, by 2012.

The new strategy will support the broadcast sector as it aspires to achieve the best possible scenario for sustainable growth to take advantage of the opportunities presented. The document highlights the scale of the economic opportunity for Scotland, the barriers to growth and how they may be overcome, and an action plan for the industry and stakeholders in Scotland to meet the growth opportunities.

Adrian Gillespie, director of Digital Markets at Scottish Enterprise, comments, "Broadcasting and TV production is a vital component of Scotland's creative industries, a key sector identified in the government's economic strategy. Through this new strategy, we want to support Scottish companies looking to achieve significant growth, and inward investors who are looking to establish a deep presence in Scotland.

"It is important to highlight that, while public agencies provide assistance and encouragement, the industry will grow most effectively if it takes the leading role in capturing the opportunities presented by recent developments. Scottish Enterprise, and its partners, will fully support the industry and we plan to host a number of Scotland-wide workshops to discuss the opportunities with businesses directly."

The critical change for the industry to meet the growth opportunity is the development of industrial scale, which will see the emergence of a number of strong high-growth TV production companies, Scottish Enterprise's research indicates between three and six, which will add significantly to Scotland's long-term production capability in both scale and breadth of genre.

The sector operates in a dynamic market which is undergoing far-reaching change in the UK and global markets, and Scotland has a unique opportunity to capitalise on many of these changes. This has seen a renewed commitment to Scottish production by broadcasters, as well as the launch of the new media channel BBC ALBA and proposed Scottish Digital Network.

The success of the sector is also dependent on the development of a vibrant ecosystem of companies, projects and skills essential in supporting both high growth companies and the broader supply and value chains of the industry.