| •
Analysing modelling and costing future sea and air transport options
for Western Isles Enterprise jointly with Napier University.
• Co-ordinating Scottish participation in and funding of the
Northern Maritime Corridor, a joint Scottish, Norwegian, Russian
programme to secure new shipping routes, services and maritime safety
regimes in the northern periphery of Europe.
• Developing economic and cultural links between Scotland
and Ireland, particularly in the form of an all Gaelic map Tír
Cholm Cille, for Iomairt Cholm Cille – the Columba Initiative
– a joint initiative by UK minister Brian Wilson MP and Mary
Robinson, former President of Ireland www.colmcille.net
• Acting for Inverness and Nairn Enterprise (INE) to secure
an inter-modal air/road/rail freight terminal and high quality business
park at Inverness Airport.
• Making the case to ministers for 24 hour opening at Inverness
Airport to enable Highlands & Islands Airports (HIAL) to attract
air freight business and assessing how a new charging regime could
be devised to attract low cost carriers without increasing state
subsidy.
• Creating the business plan and budget for the Ministerial
Action Group on Scots Gaelic and subsequently advising the new Scottish
Executive backed Gaelic development agency Bòrd na Gàidhlig
to set out its development priorities www.bord-na-gaidhlig.org.uk
• Jointly with Hecla Consulting assessing the feasibility
of flagship projects under Scotland’s Year of Highland Culture
2007 for HIE, Highland Council and the Scottish Executive
• Establishing a new not-for-profit company “Hi-Wide”
to provide broadband access to remote communities in the Highlands
and Islands using wireless technology www.hi-wide.net
• Acting for HIE to monitor and evaluate the impact of a strategic
alliance between HIE and Dublin based MediaLab Europe (a partnership
between the Irish Government and Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
to commercialise new ICT and other applications
• Jointly with Hecla Consulting devising a Gaelic language
plan for Inverness and Nairn
Previous Career
The current business was preceded by a long and successful
career in economic and social development with ground-breaking regional
development agency Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB)
and its successor Highlands Islands Enterprise (HIE). During this
time Roy Pedersen managed a range of strategic and innovative development
projects and programs with a track record of successfully identifying
trends, new opportunities for wealth creation, community and cultural
development and innovative transport solutions. A key success was
working in partnership with the private and public sectors to bring
projects to fruition.
Transport Projects:
• Creating Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) a rationale for charging
for subsidised ferry services (see “Roads to the Isles”
HIDB 1974) and setting out new approaches (based on Scandinavian
practice) to the provision of ferry services in Scotland (see “Ferry
Futures” HIE 1999) and advising on detailed practical ways
of handling the tendering of ferry services while maximising both
value for money and community benefit
• Steering HIE’s interest in creating a major ($200m)
Container Transhipment Terminal in Scapa Flow, Orkney in partnership
with the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Promoting a policy for air services from ‘ring-fencing’
of landing slots at congested hubs
• Promoting the concept of improving access to small remote
islands, in particular Colonsay and Coll by light aircraft
• Creating Highland Rail Developments – a partnership
to secure rail passenger, freight and heritage development
• Managing the Government’s Rural Petrol Stations Scheme
and pioneering the creation of a region-wide network of LPG supply.
• Initiating thinking on the development of alternative fuels
and in particular the use of fuel cells using hydrogen generated
from sustainable (wind and wave) energy sources
Community Development:
• Directing HIDB’s pioneering Community Co-operative
(later Community Enterprise) Programme which enabled the creation
of over a hundred self sustaining community owned enterprises throughout
the Highlands and Islands
• Managing HIDB/HIE’s Community Action Grants scheme
Cultural Development:
• Publisher of “ALBA” the first Gaelic map of
Scotland (30,000 copies sold) and many other maps including “Orkneyjar
ok Katanes”, an Old Norse map of Orkney and Caithness (£3.50
plus p&p)
• Founding chairman of HI-Arts, now Scotland’s leading
regional arts promotion organisation
• Development Director of the Gaelic development agency Comunn
na Gàidhlig (CNAG), under secondment from HIE, and in this
capacity created a strategic plan for Gaelic development (see the
Dynamics of Gaelic Development, HIE 1993), developed the concept
of Gaelic tourism under the “Fàilte” label and
aided the development of the Gaelic college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
• Chair of Gaelic publishing company Acair
Other Information
Roy Pedersen has served on several bodies including the
Highlands & Islands Strategic Transport Partnership (founding
member) and the Governments Regional Air Services Co-ordination
Scottish Committee – a group charged with considering the
future of aviation policy in Scotland. Currently chair of Go-Events,
a music industry promotion company and a committee member of Scottish
Transport Studies Group.
Roy Pedersen is widely travelled in Europe, North
America, Australia New Zealand and Asia, and experienced in public
speaking (e.g. OECD international conferences – Paris, Canada,
etc.) and in radio and TV presentations. Interests include economic
and investment trends, world affairs, Gaelic and Norse cultures
and the development of the “New Scotland”. He writes,
publishes and speaks on these and other topics.
Writing and Publications
When I get the chance, the current research and writing
project is a book on the traditional provinces of Scotland (Atholl,
Galloway, Mar, etc.). A list of publications is in preparation.
Scroll To Top
|
