With construction now underway to build infrastructure for the multi-stakeholder Inverness Campus, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is working to attract new occupants to the site from around the UK and abroad.

A number of plots are still available for new occupiers within phase one of the development. The focus will be in attracting business and research partners in the life science and finance and business services sectors.

Development opportunities are also available for business incubation units, Campus services and community facilities.

Work will start soon on the planning for phase two, which HIE hopes will attract educational developments as well partners wishing to locate on the site to benefit from the advantages of co-locating with others in similar sectors.

HIE plans to develop the entire 215-acre site over the next 20 years.

The Scottish Government announced Inverness Campus as a key development in one of 4 enterprise areas in January. This status recognised the huge potential for life sciences to create new employment opportunities, stimulate private investment and boost economic growth.

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Enterprise Area status for Inverness Campus will add to the attraction of this world-class site, with its proximity to Inverness' growing health cluster, offering investors from the broad life science sector rates relief for up to five years.

Ruaraidh MacNeil, Project Director, said: "In bringing together a number of business, research and education partners, Inverness Campus has a new and innovative offering in Scotland.

"The development provides research organisations and businesses with the opportunity to work in partnership with other highly successful individuals and organisations, including those occupying the Centre for Health Science, Scottish Agricultural College and UHI.

"Because of the Enterprise Area status and the inclusion of a further phase of the Centre for Health Science, which is already viewed as a hotbed of innovation among the scientific community, we are already attracting attention from the life sciences sector.

"What's more, we have spent time designing the Masterplan for Inverness Campus for the benefit of occupants and the surrounding community. The site will include community and arts facilities and a sports centre. This, combined with the landscape and views over the Moray Firth will help attract people to work and study in the region."

Work started on site to build infrastructure for Inverness Campus at the end of January this year. The initial partners, including Inverness Campus UHI, the Centre for Health Science, Scottish Agricultural Collage, Albyn Housing Society and the Calman Trust, will start opening on site from 2015.

(GK)