Equipped for the future

Looking Back

Over the past 10 years we’ve worked to develop skills, infrastructure, connectivity, climate resilience and inclusive local prosperity.

Fife has taken steps to strengthen the foundations for future prosperity and resilience. Investment in infrastructure and connectivity, including the Queensferry Crossing and the reopening of the Leven Rail Link, has improved access to opportunities and supported economic growth. Economic outcomes have improved, with employment remaining above pre-pandemic levels, earnings increasing over time and more employers committing to Real Living Wage accreditation.

Fife has focused on sectors that will shape its future economy. Opportunities linked to energy transition, advanced manufacturing and major programmes such as the Forth Green Freeport are attracting investment. Emphasis has been placed on skills development, fair work and community wealth building to help ensure local people benefit from economic growth.

Climate adaptation work has expanded, carbon emissions have reduced over time, and major work is underway to develop future energy infrastructure through initiatives such as the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy.

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  Employer partnerships strengthening pathways for young people into the workforce

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  Sustainable travel partnership: reducing costs and carbon through discounted bus travel

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  Transforming learning and delivering added value through procurement

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  Building climate capability across Fife through Climate Literacy training

Looking Around

Fife’s institutions may have insufficient resource and struggle to adapt fast enough to the changing world around us.

There is growing recognition that future prosperity will depend on resilience and adaptation as well as economic growth. The economy is going through a period of transition with significant shifts in demography, climate, technology, economic structures and public service demand.

Greater emphasis is being placed on regional economic partnerships with funding, particularly for employability, moving from local to regional allocations. This raises the challenge of navigating funding programmes between areas with distinct issues and priorities. Evidence suggests that Fife’s biggest long-term challenge is not simply generating economic growth but adapting successfully to these changes while ensuring the benefits are captured for Fife and shared across people and places. The scale and pace of change is likely to exceed the capacity of existing systems, available finances, workforce skills and ways of working, raising questions about how equipped Fife’s institutions are for future challenges and opportunities. Growth and resilience will also depend on the capacity of transport, digital and energy infrastructure to meet changing demands, while constraints around business premises, employment land, connectivity and investment risk limiting opportunities in some parts of Fife.Plan 27 Conversations: The Challenge Ahead

Looking ahead - Our key challenges

• Skills and future workforce – Technological change, A.I, the energy transition and changing workforce needs are reshaping the nature of work. Demographic change and economic inactivity are reducing the available labour pool. People, employers and institutions must adapt quickly to equip current and future generations with the skills needed to participate in and benefit from future economic opportunities.
• Infrastructure and connectivity – Future prosperity will depend on the capacity of transport, digital, energy and business infrastructure to support economic growth, reduce inequalities and respond to changing demands. There are pressures on infrastructure, employment land and premises, and disparities across Fife. Investment and connectivity must keep pace with future needs and opportunities.
• Climate adaptation and resilience – Climate change is increasing exposure to flooding, coastal erosion, extreme weather and wider environmental risks, while the transition to a low-carbon economy is creating both opportunities and challenges. Communities, infrastructure, businesses, the workforce and natural systems need to be more resilient to the change ahead.