Scottish businesses learned about competing for billions of pounds worth of engineering contracts, as UK Government minister Andrew Jones addressed the HS2 Scottish supply chain conference in Aberdeen.

Representatives from 85 businesses from throughout Scotland attended the event to find out how to prepare to bid for work on the high speed line, which is a vital part of the UK Government’s long term plan to rebalance and grow the economy.

The event provided an opportunity for small, medium and large companies to find out more about the types of work packages available, not just in construction and engineering, but on a wide variety of supporting activities such as signaling and telecoms.

HS2 will support up to 100,000 jobs nationwide, create around 25,000 jobs during construction and 2,000 apprenticeships.

UK Government Transport Minister, Andrew Jones said:

“The UK Government is committed to delivering the infrastructure needed for our economy to grow, become fairer and increase the prosperity of its citizens. HS2 will be the new backbone of the national rail network and its benefits will be enjoyed by Scotland as soon as the transformative scheme opens in 2026 as improved journey times bring Britain closer together.

But with construction due to start next year HS2 is an opportunity for businesses across the UK- including those here in Scotland- right now with significant numbers of jobs being created throughout the supply chain. Aberdeen has a long and proud history of innovative engineering and it was pleasing to see Scottish businesses taking full advantage of this conference.”