A real competitor for Ireland

Reading one of my favoured magazines I stumbled across an interesting piece about Scotland. Not written by a Scot but by an journalist from London. What struck me was how much competition we have in the global market and we don't have to go very far to find some of our strongest competitors. Some stats on Scotland: 1% of th world's published research is produced there, The average house price is 23% lower than the UK mean, Scotland is home to the second larges life sciences cluster in the UK and Lonely Planet has Glasgow are rated in the top 10 by Lonely Planet. With 14 Universities (some highly rated) Scotland is a force to be reckoned with. 


Or on the other hand Scotland could be a force to ally with. Check out http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/et-partners and think of the opportunities to access the UK market through partnerships and alliances. It's on my to do the 2010 already. 

Note: Choosing to form an alliance or partnership with a local company is another way to enter a new market. Partnering with a foreign company can provide the expertise, technology, capital or market access that you might not be able to afford on your own. Allying yourself with a local company whose products or services complement your own can reduce costs through joint marketing efforts or the sharing of distribution channels etc. Also consider other mechanisms, such as investments, joint ventures and licensing agreements. What are you waitin for?