Sir Ian Wood will spearhead the north-east’s bid to secure a £2.9billion City Deal, it has been announced.
The oil services tycoon has been appointed as the chairman of the leadership board that will drive forward the plans.
Chancellor George Osborne announced at the Budget in March that officials would enter negotiations over City Deals for Aberdeen and Inverness.
Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing, and her Aberdeenshire counterpart Martin Kitts-Hayes, signed off the north-east’s “Statement of Intent” to support the proposals last week, before it was sent to the UK and Scottish governments.
The document urges “double devolution” of powers from London to Edinburgh to Aberdeen to deliver a number of schemes, and identifies “innovation, internationalisation, connectivity and housing” as the four key themes which are “core to realising our economic ambition”.
Mrs Laing announced today that Sir Ian would chair the economic leadership board backing the bid, and said that other leading figures from the north-east business community would be involved.
She said: “Given the significance of the City Region Deal for Aberdeen, if follows that the governance arrangements must reflect the spirit of collaboration between public and private sector that is inherent in the proposals we have submitted to the UK Government and Holyrood.
“The private sector participation in the City Deal governance group will be through a newly formed private sector-led economic leadership board which will take over the role of ACSEF.
“The board will comprise senior figures from the region’s key industry sectors including oil and gas, food and drink, life sciences and tourism, along with two representatives from the local authorities, one from Scottish Enterprise and the principals of the two universities.
“As well as providing the input to the key City Region Deal decision-making, the new leadership group will support and deliver tangible projects and initiatives to maximise the benefits of the North Sea oil opportunity for the city, including anchoring the relevant technology and supply chain in the north-east for the long term.
“They will also focus on sector initiatives to enhance the development and activities of key traditional industries to broaden our economic base in the medium term.
“I am pleased to confirm that Sir Ian Wood will take on the role of chairmanship of the economic leadership board.”