The focus of the discussion looked to the entrepreneurial landscape and new opportunities arising out of COVID. Asking, what can we do as a result?
Reviewing programmes - and looking at how people are using adversity to do something different.
Thinking differently about their work and how they want to work 
Looking to Ireland as an example, new starts and load of job losses and moving forward with that.
Each panellist was given five minutes to outline opportunities and challenges.
Panel perspective, how business support agencies need to adapt:
Rachael Brown
Entrepreneurial support agency - looking after 68 at the moment through Scotland Can Do. 
Focus on creative and social impact, saw that in January 2020 the world was changing - March 2020, it had changed. Thrust into environment where for many people was comfortable and for others uncomfortable - and the looking for the same outcome, looking for more jobs and more movement in our economy.
There is a misunderstanding as to what is available; Old structures with new money, all the structures we currently have are not geared up for new ways of working e.g. We are an organisation that have been delivering online for 5-6 years, but turning up to a meeting prior to COVID, in Inverness, Dublin or London it was seen as a big effort. But now can all jump onto zoom and interact with a global audience.
So we need to look at what was wrong with the old structures, and push on with new money, new jobs, new entities can emerge. Last recession we saw the emergence of Uber, and Airbnb, interesting new businesses that became big businesses in a short period of time.
Excited about the opportunities that may emerge as now we are more socially aware, purpose driven entrepreneurship is more acceptable. Especially in Scotland.
But we must take into consideration when the last recession happened and Airbnb emerged, people did not understand it, how can you have a hotel service who doesn’t own properties - so the challenge now is to really understand the landscape we are actually working within now? 
Creative Entrepreneur Club. Subscription Service, 1st of March had 300 people, now we have 1700 members people want to be part of a tribe.
We are consuming content like never before - Netflix, etc. Creative and social involvement. Understand the landscape we are in, understand the jobs that are coming not the ones that exist already - and how to create the new money in order to flow through the old structures, and the new structures that could exist.
Blended approach to customer insight and marketing, access to everybody on the planet.
Small nation, creative, innovative, authentic, curious and has a real drive on social justice - we need to put entrepreneurship and creativity at the heart of Scotland’s recover.
Hugh Lightbody
In terms of challenges, what we are looking at is dependant on what sector you are in e.g. in terms of short-term impact, retail people are spending money, and there's consumer confidence to go and shop safely. Tourism and self-catering is relatively safe - hotels are more challenged but there is more challenges then Go to Go Scheme - engage with going out, going on holiday and shopping.
Brexit, opportunities that might arise from that, challenging - global side of things, US trade and tariffs. Opportunity for those businesses are able to respond - small businesses about to do interesting things, whole family is involved, working 24/7 - how do they keep the opportunities alive through online data bases. Health is priority, local lockdowns are a possibility. Come back quickly to respond, do we have the resources to allow us to support this - local government finance schemes, some sectors. Working from home becomes normal. Ensuring your staff is supported
Ana Gallardo
Has vast experience in delivering a series of projects for entrepreneurs for the agency.
The crisis emphasises the challenges and the opportunities, they are risky by nature in an unstable market. Ambitions to grow, and need funding to grow, conversations dropping off during COVID - confidence isn’t there, supply chain not established again.
Precarious situation and vulnerable to crisis. Human impact, smaller teams, and a crisis will impact smaller businesses than for bigger companies.
Mental health, anxiety and uncertainty - mitigating against those challenges, burn out - supporting peers and get out of this together.
Mitigate the impact of the crisis, support public health companies over the world. Flexible, can change quickly and adapt to the demands, how quicky they can respond to the environment
We need to be aware of losing sight of the social impact, inclusive growth, keep a focus on this - looking at the jobs that kept the economy going (i.e. key workers)
Dr Siobhán Jordan
More opportunities than challenges. Translating challenges into opportunities so that academic teams can help support businesses envision them. Businesses know they need to adapt and diversify - they do not need to do this alone, they can do this with other partners such as academia.
Worked with Visit Scotland, and tourism and hospitality industry that didn’t have much hope to begin with - 15 universities have knowledge and experience to help support the businesses. Adopt a business scheme, 80 businesses working with academic teams across Scotland. A lot of businesses have seen the last 6 months as a way of making new business.
Intrepreneurship - organisations have adapted online. People make connections, we still need to reach out even when working through the dining rooms. Proactively empathic, share collective insight
Convergence challenge, highest level of applications they have ever seen where students engage with businesses to provide creative solutions as entrepreneurs through Interface.
Brokered the largest number of collaborative projects between industry and academia on record - so entrepreneurship is alive and well, I think one of the challenges we have is getting the positive case studies out there. Working with media, upset the negative culture - there is a lot to hold on hope for. Show some positivity that is emerging.
Worried that businesses would be left behind, having to come up for solutions themselves. They need to ask. The ability to make business support accessible to allow those businesses to survive. What more can you do to adapt?
Financial constraints in research and development, it cannot be underestimated. Do we need to look at small scale interventions rather than the big game changer ideas?

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