START UPS across the Wee County will benefit from Scottish Government investment designed to nurture high-growth businesses.

This funding aims to develop pre-start up support and increased investment in Scottish EDGE, the business funding competition.

The wave of investment has been welcomed by Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, who heralded the talent and skills on display in the Wee County.

He said: “There can be absolutely no doubt that in my constituency we have the talent, skills and facilities to enable us to develop a strong and vibrant start up economy, not least with over 60 businesses based at Stirling University’s Innovation Park.

“This investment package from the SNP government puts innovation at the heart of the economy and is an important step that will increase opportunities and help develop start-up networks across Clackmannanshire and Dunblane.

“At a time when Scotland is demonstrating itself to be an attractive destination for economic investment, the SNP government will continue to take every possible action to prioritise growing the economy.”

The investment package comes as figures show that Scotland once again attracted the highest number of UK financial services foreign investment (FDI) projects outside of London.

This in turn highlighted the points that Scotland continues to be an attractive destination for economic investment, something that was a particular point of pride to the Clacks MSP.