Glasgow Powerhouse: exploring the city's business future

Martin Cowie, head of private business at PwC Scotland, talks about teaming up with Strathclyde Business School to debate the idea of the Glasgow Powerhouse

As PwC’s head of Private Business in Scotland I see a lot of fantastic businesses in the Glasgow area, and get a real sense of the potential the city has.

But how do we harness this potential and help Glasgow become a powerhouse in all its key business sectors?
To answer these questions we have linked with Strathclyde Business School to run a series of debates seeking to agree what actions are needed. Together, PwC and SBS can bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to this debate – as well as the best speakers for each industry.

Our first session happened this month (October 20) and our speakers and our attendees were really engaged in the debate which focused on SMEs and Entrepreneurs. As well as Eleanor Shaw, who leads Strathclyde's Hunter School for Entrepreneurship, we were delighted to be joined by Alex Stewart of Clyde Blowers and Stewart White from Collagen Solutions. Both have a wealth of experience in creating and growing successful Glasgow businesses, as well as some strong views on what the city does right and where we can improve.

The debate covered diverse areas such as the need for leadership in promoting the city and promoting a vision for Glasgow, the pros and cons of a mayor figure for Glasgow and how entrepreneurs can be more open and collaborative to support each other’s ideas.

A number of actions were identified and we will be following all of these up and sharing them when we do. So please look out for ways to get involved and support Glasgow’s powerhouse aspirations.
You can also follow and contribute to the debate online using the hashtag #GlasgowPowerhouse.

Our next session will focus on financial services and we expect a similar level of passion and engagement from our guests and speakers. For more information contact Sarah Poulter sarah.poulter@strath.ac.uk

How do you think Glasgow could build on its success and become a real powerhouse for business? What needs to be done to foster more entrepreneurship and help SMEs?