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In a keynote speech to the Institute of Young Directors in Edinburgh the Scotland Office Minister Andrew Dunlop made a call to make Scotland 鈥渢he best entrepreneurial nation in the world.鈥�

He said to achieve this it was important that the 鈥淯K and Scottish Government work constructively together - whilst respecting political differences - to build a climate of trust and confidence to further the interests of all people in Scotland.鈥�

Full transcript of Speech:

I鈥檓 delighted to be here to support the Scottish launch of the IoD鈥檚 Young Directors鈥� Forum. The Forum is a fantastic initiative to help foster Scotland鈥檚 next generation of leaders. And I congratulate the IoD for setting it up and promoting it.

It provides an invaluable network for building relationships, exchanging ideas and sharing experiences as you develop your careers as directors and entrepreneurs.

You鈥檝e heard from Louise who is an inspirational Scottish leader.

Louise is ambitious for Scotland. She wants Scotland to be the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. I鈥檓 ambitious for Scotland too. And Louise鈥檚 ambition is one we can all get behind. Now I鈥檝e another ambition for Scotland. I want Scotland to be the most entrepreneurial place in the world.

Why?

Because if we鈥檙e to tackle poverty, address the scourge of long-term unemployment and deliver social justice, and we must, then we need first to generate the means to achieve our social goals.

We all know from our own lives that before you decide how to spend your money, you first have to earn it.
And that鈥檚 where Scotland鈥檚 entrepreneurs come in. In fact that鈥檚 where you come in. We all have different ideas of what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Ideas creator, opportunity spotter, risk taker, job provider, value enhancer, you name it.

Of course an entrepreneur can be all of these things. And let鈥檚 be clear 鈥� you don鈥檛 have to start up your own business to be an entrepreneur. You can work in a FTSE 100 company and be an entrepreneur. You can work in a business that鈥檚 been in the family for years and be an entrepreneur. And you can work for one of our great public services and be an entrepreneur.

Because the reality is that to be an entrepreneur is not a job or a profession 鈥� it鈥檚 a state of mind. It鈥檚 about the restless energy always looking to improve things for the better. It鈥檚 about the sense of personal responsibility and pride to always deliver what you鈥檝e promised.

Above all it鈥檚 about caring for your business as if it were your own. Now I was lucky enough 25 years ago to set up my own business. I even became a member of the IoD. At the time it seemed crazy 鈥� the business bit, not the IoD of course.

Mistakes 鈥� I made them. And regrets 鈥� to borrow a phrase 鈥� I鈥檝e had a few. But the business survived, became a success and is still going strong today under different ownership. And looking back it was one of the best decisions I鈥檝e ever made 鈥� daunting though it seemed at the time.

So if you鈥檝e got a good business idea 鈥� my advice is go for it. I learnt a lot from running a business for 20 years. The biggest lesson I learnt was that good structures, process and organisation matter. But people matter more. If you get the people wrong, no amount of process will compensate.

It鈥檚 about creating a positive environment of trust and confidence that empowers people to give of their best. So when I look at Scotland today I see a nation that means business, bursting with pride, crackling with creativity and exploding with energy.

And when I travel around Scotland I meet inspirational people doing inspirational things. Lewis MacLean whose Highland bakery is exporting shortbread across the globe 鈥� from China to Mexico.

Andrew Dobbie whose digital communications company is called 鈥楳ade Brave鈥� for a reason 鈥� to encourage his clients to push the boundaries to promote their business.

Or Alex Feechan, making the most of support from Entrepreneurial Spark 鈥� a great Scottish movement 鈥� to start up a new business providing cycling clothing designed specifically with women in mind.

And each in their own unique way spotting an opportunity, reaching for that competitive edge, determined to succeed. Each making their own contribution to the UK鈥檚 performance as the fastest-growing developed economy in the world and making Scotland our strongest performer after London and the South East.

All of this is in the great tradition of Scottish enterprise.

From the Scots of the past, David Dunbar Buick who founded the Detroit car company, Thomas Glover who helped establish Mitsubishi in Japan and William McKinnon whose businesses - forerunners of Inchcape - spanned the globe.

To the role models and mentors for today鈥檚 go-getters, Tom Hunter and Ian Wood, Dundee鈥檚 David Jones who has helped to sell some of the world鈥檚 most successful video games, or Professor Andy Porter turning his science into commercial success by finding a new way to fight super-bugs.

Figures who also exemplify another Scottish instinct - the strong desire to use good fortune 鈥� often literally - to give something back to your own community. Enterprise with a social as well as an economic purpose.

Unlocking Scotland鈥檚 entrepreneurial potential places a heavy responsibility on politicians and governments not to mess up. And by messing up I mean focusing on process at the expense of results 鈥� 鈥渄iscussers鈥� and 鈥渄ebaters鈥� getting in the way of 鈥渄oers鈥�.

Our national discourse over the last few years has been dominated by discussion of constitutional structures and process. Don鈥檛 get me wrong: they matter, of course they do. That鈥檚 why we are legislating to make the Scottish Parliament one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world.

But people matter more. So you can have the best constitutional structures and processes in the world. Making them work 鈥� and making them work well - requires personal commitment and goodwill. Today鈥檚 constitutional reality is no longer simply about what is devolved to the Scottish Government and reserved to the UK Government. Today鈥檚 reality is about the many responsibilities that are shared.

So it鈥檚 about how we work constructively together 鈥� whilst respecting political differences - to build a climate of trust and confidence to further the interests of all people in Scotland. It鈥檚 about grown-up government, in which genuine concerns can be raised about each other鈥檚 areas of competence, without offence being taken or dividing lines drawn.

Take just two examples鈥�

Higher education is the Scottish Government鈥檚 responsibility, yet Scotland鈥檚 universities depend in part on research funding that is UK-wide. The success of Scotland鈥檚 great universities therefore matters hugely to us all. And improving productivity is a challenge to which the whole of the UK must rise if we are to keep our economy powering along. The UK Government pulls many of the fiscal levers that make the UK one of the most attractive places to do business. Yet many of levers of influence for Scotland 鈥� like housing or the planning system 鈥� are devolved.

So the message is clear. Common interests need promoting with collective effort. Scotland鈥檚 prosperity and security will be built by the talents of the many, not the few.

I wish you and the Young Directors Forum well.

You are signing up to be Scotland鈥檚 next generation of business leaders. The job of government is to support you, not get in your way.

So let a thousand thistles bloom!

Thank you.