To Growth Sectors | Borders Railway

Of the 27,000 registered businesses in the Borders Railway area, around half are in Scotland’s growth sectors of food and drink, creative industries, tourism, energy, financial and business services, and life sciences. These companies generate £3.7bn added value (2014).
Although not one of the Scottish Government’s priority growth sectors, the Scottish Borders in particular has outstanding strengths and opportunities in textiles.

90 per cent of businesses in the area are small and micro businesses employing fewer than 50 people

The tourism sector not only supports 6,000 jobs in the region, it helps to put the area and Scotland on the world stage. In 2015 approximately 3.7 million people visited the Scottish Borders, Midlothian and Edinburgh, spending £1.6 billion

Life Sciences: 145 (£173.4m excluding SB), 3,400 jobs (exc. SB)

Edinburgh - 105(£140.7m), 2,200 jobs

Midlothian - 30 (£32.7m), 1,200 jobs

Scottish Borders - 10 (n/a), n/a

Financial & Business Services: 5,495(£1,255.3m), 61,100 jobs

Edinburgh - 4,570 (£1,128.3m), 57,500 jobs

Midlothian - 365 (£42.4m), 1,300 jobs

Scottish Borders - 560 (£84.6m), 2,300 jobs

Energy: 355 (£618.3m), 4,000 jobs (exc. SB)

Edinburgh - 275 (£540.7m), 3,800 jobs

Midlothian - 30 (£8.2m), 200 jobs

Scottish Borders - 50(£69.4m), n/a

Food and Drink: 1,505 (£132.7m), 8,300 jobs

Edinburgh - 195 (£92.4m), 2,300 jobs

Midlothian - 125 (£7.9m), 700 jobs

Scottish Borders - 1,185 (£32.4m), 5,300 jobs

Creative industries: 3,735 (£886.8m), 16,900 jobs

Edinburgh - 3,180 (£799.9m), 15,200 jobs

Midlothian - 235 (£43.2m), 700 jobs

Scottish Borders - 320 (£43.7m), 1,000 jobs

Tourism: 2,360 (£656.5m), 40,500 jobs

Edinburgh - 1,780 (£580.2m), 34,600 jobs

Midlothian - 175 (£30.6m), 1,900 jobs

Scottish Borders - 405 (£45.7m), 4,000 jobs