CRAWFORD Beveridge's eight-year reign as chief executive since the birth of Scottish Enterprise has had more ups and downs than the economy he was charged with regenerating.

Calamities include Hyundai's chip plant in Fife and the receivership of the HCI private hospital at Clydebank while successes range from the phoenix-like rise of Lanarkshire after steel to Project Alba, his bold initiative for Scots to design rather than just assemble electronics and computer equipment.

Talks are already under way to ensure that Beveridge and his outstanding international contacts are not lost to the agency when he quits around March next year.