The long-standing twinning of Inverness and Augsburg, in Germany, could see experts in the two cities co-operate on new healthcare projects.
A high-level delegation from a hospital in the Bavarian city arrived yesterday on a fact-finding mission to the Highland capital’s Centre for Health Science.
The team from the 1,700-bed Klinikum Augsburg, which is in the process of becoming a teaching hospital, are meeting healthcare organisations and businesses during the two-day visit.
Arranged by Highland Council and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) the visit is focused on medical teaching and diabetes, with particular emphasis on treatment applications using digital and telemedicine techniques.
Inverness and Augsburg have been twinned for 60 years and UHI recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Augsburg University of Applied Science. The MoU, signed during an event in Bavaria marking the diamond anniversary, formalised a commitment for the two establishments to work together.
The twinning is one of 17 between towns, cities and areas in Scotland and Bavaria, which include Aberdeen and Regensburg, Argyll and Bute and Amberg-Sulzbach and Edinburgh and Munich.
This week’s fact-finding visit was arranged with the help of Munich-based Scot David Scrimgeour, founder of the British-German Business Network.
Mr Scrimgeour believes close relationships built through the twinning arrangements could play a crucial role in maintaining and developing business links between Scotland and Bavaria after the UK leaves the European Union.
Commenting on this week’s visit, he said: “We think there are opportunities for the Bavarians to learn from the Scots and vice versa.
“There are certainly opportunities for Highland companies to get into the German market.”
It is expected a delegation from Inverness will visit the Augsburg hospital as the next step in the project.
Following the Brexit vote Highland Council officials confirmed the decision would not threaten the twinning link with Augsburg.
Inverness is also twinned with two Fench towns, La Baule and Saint-Valery-en-Caux.
