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Ian Couper Interview

Ian Couper, Chief Executive, North Scotland Industries Group (NSIG) answers a range of questions covering the organisation's priorities and market challenges for the region's energy industry.

Q: What do you think is NSIG’s key priority?

A: To raise the profile of energy and energy-related members throughout the North of Scotland and Islands.

Q: What have been NSIG’s biggest achievements in the last three years?

A: These fall into three areas:

• The growth of Focus Groups for sectors and local areas to give members their voice, enabling them to give direction to the actions of NSIG.
• Raising the profile of members.
• Raising the profile of the group as a whole.

Q: What brought you to work for NSIG?

A: A desire to improve the prospects of members in the North of Scotland and Islands, together with the wider northern economy.

Q: Where do NSIG’s members tend to see most benefits from it?

A: Through a collective improvement financially, a higher profile, and more opportunity to network internally and externally.

Q: How are market challenges changing for your members?

A: Mainly in the oil & gas side with fluctuating oil prices.

Q: What has been your most enjoyable project or activity?

A: Bringing developers and supply chain together around the developing opportunities in the Pentland Firth area.

Q: What further changes do you see for NSIG?

A: More focus on renewable energy progress and issues, and widening the work possibilities globally for oil & gas members.

Q: Where do you see NSIG in ten years’ time?

A: I see three key aspects:

• A membership that is happy with the “Value for Money” aspect of NSIG.
• The one dominant source of information on the Energy business in the North of Scotland and Islands.
• An effective and constructive relationship with politicians and other decision makers for our industry.