Aberdeen and Moray have both been named among the top 10 local authority areas for high growth potential.
The Growth Outlook 26 assessed more than 4.3 million UK businesses and identified a shrinking pool of firms expected to achieve rapid growth next year.
But while just 9% of firms across the UK are forecast to grow by 20% or more this year, that downward trend is bucked by north of the border, with Aberdeen, Moray and Perth and Kinross among the top 10 areas for high growth potential.
Researchers noted 11% of businesses in Aberdeen with a high-growth score, with companies "benefitting from the city’s accelerating shift away from oil and gas dependency and towards renewables, clean tech and wider innovation-led industries".
While Aberdeen came in at number 6 on the list, Moray also featured at number 9 with 12% of businesses displaying high-growth characteristics and an" economy driven by world-class food and drink producers, whisky and a growing engineering and services supply chain".
Richard Jeffery, co-founder of Growth Flag
The positive picture in the North-east is not one replicated across the UK, with data from Growth Flag showing rising financial pressure on firms, 47,600 high-potential companies displaying early distress signals and more than 726,000 businesses showing signs of strain.
New business creation is also slowing, with a 6% fall in registrations - a sign that more founders are wary about launching ventures in volatile conditions.
The Growth Outlook 26 uses Growth Flag’s predictive Growth Score to calculate its data.
Richard Jeffery, co-founder of Growth Flag, commented: “Scotland is home to some of the UK’s most exciting growth stories, and the performance of Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen and Moray shows what happens when innovation, investment and strong local support come together.
“What’s equally clear is that growth is not universal, and some areas risk being left behind unless investment and resources are deployed more strategically. We have businesses in Scotland with incredible potential, many of which are also facing financial headwinds. With the right support, they can lead a new phase of economic growth. Without it, we risk losing firms that could be at the forefront of the UK’s future economy.”