Meanwhile, a vibrant new district is growing within the city's World Heritage Site.  Transforming a 19-acre site of the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary into an exciting new leisure and business community, Quartermile will blend the city's heritage with attractive new buildings in a framework designed by the world-renowned architects, Foster and Partners. A City of education and technology The Scots are justly proud of their tradition in supporting the ambition of young people in their schools, colleges and universities and nowhere is this more visible than in Edinburgh, with a student population of 50,000adding vibrancy to the city and its cultural life. Edinburgh's universities, colleges and management schools hold a worldwide reputation for excellence in medicine, science, engineering, bioscience and IT. Indeed, the pioneering work of the universities has supported breakthroughs that have significantly advanced human knowledge and discovery.  Our universities are also creating vibrant young companies which are developing products and services for world markets in technology, bioscience and engineering. It's in Edinburgh too that the latest technologies in defence radar systems are developed by the UK's Manufacturer of the Year, Selex Airborne Systems. Their AESA system is a breakthrough in radar technology, providing more reliability, visibility and security than previous technologies.  It has helped the company win $30 million of export contracts around the world, securing2,000 high value-added jobs for Edinburgh. It's this ambition that is driving Edinburgh forward as an Inspiring Capital, a city of outstanding natural beauty and heritage, where opportunities to live, work and invest in a quality of life unparalleled anywhere in Europe are here to be discovered. 

Graham Birse, Deputy Chief Executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commercewww.edinburghchamber.co.ukTel: 0131 221 2999