Growth Sectors

- Of the 26,000 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 £5.1bn added value (2015).
- Although not one of the Scottish Government’s priority growth sectors, the Scottish Borders in particular has outstanding strengths and opportunities in textiles.
- 98 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
In figures: catchment growth sectors
Number of companies per sector in 2016 (2014 GVA figures).
Life Sciences: 135 excluding SB (£216.3m excluding SB), 3,450 jobs
Edinburgh - 105 (£165.1m), 2,000 jobs
Midlothian - 30 (£51.2m), 1,250 jobs
Scottish Borders - n/a (n/a), 200 jobs
Financial & Business Services: 5,630(£1,530.1m), 66,000 jobs
Edinburgh - 4,675 (£1,393.1m), 62,000 jobs
Midlothian - 375 (£57.6m), 1,500 jobs
Scottish Borders - 580 (£79.4m), 2,500 jobs
Energy: 370 (£769.8m), 4,725 jobs (exc. SB)
Edinburgh - 275 (£668.3m), 4,000 jobs
Midlothian - 40 (£9.5m), 225 jobs
Scottish Borders - 55 (£92.0m), 500 jobs
Food and Drink: 1,505 (£132.7m), 8,300 jobs
Edinburgh - 215 (£92.4m), 2,300 jobs
Midlothian - 120 (£7.9m), 700 jobs
Scottish Borders - 1,170 (£32.4m), 5,300 jobs
Creative industries: 3,890 (£1,456.5m), 19,050 jobs
Edinburgh - 3,320 (£1,289.3m), 16,085 jobs
Midlothian - 250 (£46.6m), 1,770 jobs
Scottish Borders - 320 (£120.6m), 1,195 jobs
Tourism: 2,400 (£1,005.3m), 39,000 jobs
Edinburgh - 1,825 (£915.2m), 33,000 jobs
Midlothian - 185 (£35.5m), 2,000 jobs
Scottish Borders - 395 (£54.6m), 4,000 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
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