Scottish Council for Development and Industry
Prosper, formerly the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, was founded in 1931. It is a non-governmental, membership organisation which aims to strengthen Scotland's economic competitiveness through influencing government to create sustainable economic prosperity for Scotland.
SCDI had circa 1,200 members in 2012 across Scotland's private, public & social economy sectors, including manufacturing and service sectors, universities and colleges, local government and enterprise networks, trade associations and professional bodies, arts organisations, churches and trade unions.
In 2023 the organisation announced its new name, Prosper.
Structure
Prosper's lead officers are the President, Chairman and Chief Executive- President: Shonaig Macpherson CBE
- Chairman: Joanna Boag-Thomson
- Chief Executive: Sara Thiam
- Prosper Board – the strategic leadership for the organisation
- Prosper Policy Committee – the lead body for policy development
- Highlands and Islands Committee
- North East Committee
- London Committee
- South of Scotland Committee
Policy
Policy Overview
As a policy-focused organisation, Prosper's work revolves around the achievement of its policy objective – sustainable economic prosperity for Scotland.Prosper's primary policy-making body is the Policy Committee which consists of representatives from across the private, public and social economy sectors which make up Prosper's membership.
The views of Prosper members are reflected in the development of Prosper's policy positions. Since its policy positions represent the consensus view of Prosper's diverse Scotland-wide membership, Prosper's policy output carries substantial weight. As a result, Prosper is well regarded contributor to political debate in Scotland and beyond.
With the publication in December 2015 of Prosper's key policy report From Fragile to Agile: A Blueprint for Growth & Prosperity, Prosper makes recommendations on how Scotland can become a better economy.
Prosper's policy priorities have focused on six key areas:
- Economy
- Energy and Sustainability
- Connectivity
- Skills and Productivity
- Global Ambitions
- Scotland's Future
Blueprint for Scotland
Following membership consultation, Prosper launched its 'Blueprint for Scotland' in June 2010. This document was produced to influence the legislative agenda of the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government in Westminster and to feed into the development of political party manifestos in the run-up to the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary election.The Blueprint presented a long-term vision for Scotland's future success under three headings:
- An outward and enterprising nation
- Maximising Scotland's assets
- Realising the potential of our people
Priorities
| Short Term | Long Term |
| Broaden the business base of Scottish exporters and establish a network of Scottish Trade Centres | Double the value of Scotland's exports |
| Managed restoration of public finances to ensure public sector net debt falls as a share of GDP, but ensuring we support capital spending, R&D and skills | Return public spending growth to be in-line with the GDP growth trend in the long term |
| Restore the strength, reputation and competitiveness of Scotland's financial sector and its support for higher business investment and manufacturing | More balanced and sustainable growth across business sectors, with manufacturing a stable or growing share of GDP, and support for new world-class financial services headquartered in Scotland |
| Strengthen the Scottish Parliament’s responsibility for tax and spending decisions which promote sustainable economic growth. Increase the supply of skilled people for the Scottish economy | Increase sustainable economic growth and supply of skills |
Maximising Scotland's Assets – Priorities
| Short Term | Long Term |
| Begin construction of offshore wind, CCS, marine energy parks and new onshore and offshore grids, with Scottish supply chains | Meet 2020 renewable energy, climate change and green economy / ‘green-collar’ jobs targets. Transform every Scottish city into a low carbon city. Create low carbon zones around renewable power stations, CCS infrastructure and water resources to attract new industry to Scotland |
| Phase out supplementary corporation tax on the North Sea oil and gas industry | UK oil and gas to supply 60% of the UK demand for oil and 25% of its gas. Establish Aberdeen as the world's leading energy services hub |
| Support the market-led roll-out of high-speed broadband with public funding for the areas where the market will not deliver. Establish Scotland as a first-choice location for green data centres and build outsourcing excellence within Scotland supported by technology | Full wire Scotland to high-speed broadband, and transform business practices to achieve world-leading productivity growth performance. Create new ‘distributed cities’ in the Highlands and Islands and southern Scotland |
| Grow Scotland's international air route network, including direct flights to China and India | Commence construction of high-speed rail in Scotland |
Realising the Potential of our People – Priorities
| Short Term | Long Term |
| Independent review of university and college funding in Scotland to maintain international competitiveness | Focus more resources on centres of excellence |
| Refocus innovation schemes, create a single Office of Higher Education Technology Transfer and ring-fence 0.5% of the procurement budget to stimulate innovation across the economy | Increase business R&D to at least the UK average of 1.08% of GDP |
| Deliver a transformational skills syllabus and prioritise places in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects | Maintain high employment levels and reduce economic inactivity, re/up-skill workforce and deliver skills for priority industries |
International Trade Visits
Since 1960, Prosper has worked to develop Scotland's international business links, organising a programme of global trade missions. By 2007, 5,000+ companies had participated in 350 trade missions abroad.Prosper trade visits have supported companies to visit export markets, focusing on growth markets for Scottish exports across the World.
A large number of organisations joined our trade visits, ranging from sole traders, SMEs, large organisations, universities and colleges.
SCDI Events
Prosper runs approximately 100 events each year involving senior business and civic leaders, politicians, and international thought leaders.Flagship Events
- Prosper Forum – held annually in spring. This major conference event in the Scottish business calendar has gathered together key leaders and influencers from the Scottish, wider UK and international business and political spectrum to debate the future of the Scottish economy since 1970.
- Annual Lecture – held in Aberdeen in January each year with a high-profile economic leader giving the keynote address.
- Highlands and Islands Annual Dinner and Business Excellence Awards – recognising business excellence in the Highlands & Islands region each September.
- International Awards – Prosper has previously delivered a celebration of Scotland's international and exporting success. The 2010 International Awards Dinner was addressed by former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani. In 2011, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan gave the keynote address; and at the 2012 Awards Dinner at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow former US Secretary of State, Dr Madeleine Albright addressed a capacity business audience.
- London Series – a series of sessions in London related to Scottish interests, engaging businesses and politicians in London.
Other Events
- Influencers' Series dinners programme
- Meet the Politician series
- Membership Networking events
- Election hustings
- Membership consultations
- Business Seminars & Conferences
History
Scottish Development Council
The Scottish Development Council was established on 8 May 1931. At that time, Scotland was experiencing the worst effects of the depression, and the then-called Scottish National Development Council was created to analyse the courses of the collapse which had occurred and to find and apply solutions.The leading figures involved in organising the first meeting were the Earl of Elgin, Sir Henry Keith and William Watson of Glasgow. It was attended by representatives of the Burghs and Counties, Industry, Commerce and Banking, Trade Unions and prominent individuals. It was a response to a crucial, immediate situation, and this is stressed in the Constitution:
“It will be the duty of the Council to examine and consider impartially the industrial, commercial and economic problems with which the country is faced for the time being; to endeavour to arrive at a solution of these problems and where necessary, to obtain from Parliament such legislation as may be required to give effect to the conclusions reached by the Council”.
On 23 July 1931, Lord Elgin invited Sir James Lithgow to become Chairman of the Executive. This was a boost to the morale of the council and to its financial situation, as in December 1931, Lithgow donated £1,800 to the funds to meet the salary of the Secretary for three years. It was also at this time that the Scottish Development Council undertook to rent its first office in the premises of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, 39 Elmbank Street, Glasgow. Previous to this, meetings had been held in Lanarkshire House in Ingram Street and in the City Chambers of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The first sub-committees were set up in December 1931 and the topics covered shows the area over which the Development Council hoped to spread its influence. Committees on Agriculture, Rating and Taxation, Textiles, Electrical developments, Chemical industries and the Fishing industry were formed.
An Economic Committee, Chaired by Sir Steven Bilsland was formed by the Council in collaboration with the Scottish Office in the early 1930s as an economic action group to explore and promote the new regional policies of the thirties. By 1938, it already had to its credit the establishment of the trading estate at Hillington.