Software and IT
Setting up your software and IT business in Scotland gives you access to a dynamic and supportive ecosystem including the best tech talent and creative minds.
Did you know?
Scotland’s vibrant software and IT industry offers products and services across a wide range of industries, from financial services and healthcare to energy and space.
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11,200 digital tech companies
Scotland’s software and IT industry is forecast to grow by 38% by 2024.
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21,000 graduates
from Scottish universities and colleges each year in areas of IT, engineering, maths and sciences.
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73,000 people
employed in digital technology roles across Scotland.
Source: Scottish Economic Statistics, Scottish Enterprise February 2021
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The right choice for your software investment
You'll be in good company
Scotland’s software and IT industry punches well above its weight. Scotland has around 11,200 digital technology companies engaged in a variety of activities from software development to telecommunications. Along with its highly talented workforce and international reputation for excellence, it’s no wonder that Scotland is quickly becoming the top choice for tech startups and large multinationals.
Global names such as Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, Capgemini, Atos and more have all been attracted to Scotland thanks to our advanced, reliable digital infrastructure and low software development costs.
What Scotland can offer your tech company
Join a community with innovation at its heart
Scotland’s long tradition of innovation remains as strong today as it ever has been. Smart, profitable ideas flow from the broad mix of multinational firms based here, and from the diverse business, academic and technology communities that support them.
As a nation at the forefront of software and technology innovation, Scotland offers a connected infrastructure and outstanding level of academic and industry collaboration. This combination can take your R&D to the next level.
More about innovation in Scotland
Access the skills and talent you need
Scotland’s world-leading research centres attract some of the brightest international software engineers, developers and academics. If that wasn’t enough, we will listen to your business needs, giving you the opportunity to influence skills, education and training provision to maximise your human capital.
By choosing Scotland for your software project, you’ll find a cohort of ambitious, passionate and globally connected leaders across academia and industry.
Digital skills support for businesses locating to Scotland
Benefit from a truly supportive environment
Scotland makes it easier for you to succeed. Whether you’re a startup or industry giant, our strong, collaborative software industry is here to help you.
Take advantage of a compact geography, engaged and connected industry leaders and active support from the Scottish Government. You'll find yourself in one of the most accessible, well-connected and collaborative software clusters in Europe.
By locating to Scotland, your company can immediately benefit from our established and influential industry networks and trade bodies, like ScotlandIS.
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Location opportunities
A UK hotspot for tech startups
Poised as the data capital of Europe, Edinburgh is already the UK's top city for startups, while Glasgow is one of the UK’s biggest tech investment hubs, according to Tech Nation.
Our innovation labs and flexible workspaces encourage collaboration between companies, academia and public sector organisations. Innovative products can be designed and tested in real world scenarios.
You’ll find expertise from software development, data science, cyber security, sensors and quantum to Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI).
Technology innovation hubs and centres of excellence
- The Data Lab opens in a new window enables industry, public sector and world-class university researchers to innovate and develop new data science capabilities and value in a collaborative environment.
- Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) opens in a new window promotes international excellence in research, knowledge exchange and industry collaboration, representing 14 Scottish universities.
- Urban Big Data Centre opens in a new window brings together social and data scientists and industry to address social, economic and environmental challenges facing cities.
- School of Simulation and Visualisation (SimVis) opens in a new window at Glasgow School of Art explores imaginative and novel uses of advanced 3D digital visualisation and interaction technologies.
- Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC) opens in a new window is one of the leading supercomputing centres in Europe and a major provider of training in high performance computing and industry collaboration.
- Interface opens in a new window simplifies the technology transfer and licensing process, making it easy to collaborate with Scotland’s world-renowned universities in emerging technologies.
As well as our centres of excellence focused on technology, you’ll also find plenty of opportunities and expertise in our network of industry-led innovation centres where software development plays a critical role such as:
- DHI – Digital Health & Care Institute opens in a new window
- CENSIS – Innovation Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems opens in a new window
- Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics opens in a new window
- IBioIC – Industrial Biotech Innovation Centre opens in a new window
- Precision Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre opens in a new window
- Net Zero Technology Centre opens in a new window
Digital skills and flexible workspaces
You’ll find that Scotland’s skills clusters create the ideal environment for your business growth by bringing together talented people in the tech and creative communities, while providing flexible working space and easy access to potential collaborators. Here are some of Scotland’s best tech hubs:
CodeBase, Edinburgh
The largest technology incubator in the UK, CodeBase provides affordable office space, services and unrivalled community support and networking for innovative technology companies.
Creative Clyde, Glasgow
A flourishing riverside community for media, technology and creatively-minded businesses that already counts BBC Scotland, STV, BIP Solutions, Film City Scotland and Glasgow School of Art’s School of Simulation and Visualisation as its residents.
Seabraes, Dundee
Offering a dedicated space to build on Dundee’s success as a digital media and creative industries hub, Seabraes provides flexible commercial space for the digital community.
Enterprise Park, Forres, Highlands
Fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, the park provides an ideal soft landing and flexible location from which to grow your technology business.
Nexus, Inverness Campus, Highlands
Located within the University of the Highlands and Islands campus, Nexus offers a collaborative, innovative and flexible environment for businesses in technology, life sciences and health.
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