Key facts

Academic excellence

In Scotland there are 15 universities - 13 with teaching and research excellence in chemistry and engineering, 6 research institutes and 41 further education colleges - 5 with teaching and research excellence in chemistry and engineering

(Source : Universities Scotland)


200

There are more more than 200 chemical sciences companies in Scotland, many of them SMEs

(Source : Scottish Annual Business Statistics, 2012)


84,000

The Scottish chemical sciences sector employs 14,000 directly and 70,000 through dependent services

(Source : ONS UK Business: Activity, Size and Location, 2012)


£3.7 billion

The chemical sciences sector is Scotland's second top exporter, with exports worth £3.7 billion a year

(Source : Global Connections Survey 2011)


25%

The chemicals sector accounts for 25 percent of Scottish manufacturing by turnover

(Source : ONS UK Business: Activity, Size and Locations, 2012)


15%

The Scottish chemical sciences sector accounts for 15 percent of the UK chemicals industry

(Source : Scottish Annual Business Statistics, 2012)


40%

Chemical sciences accounts for 40 percent of all industrial R&D in Scotland (including pharma).

(Source : Business Enterprise Research and Development (BERD) 2011)


EaStCHEM is UK's best

The nationwide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) gave EaStCHEM research collaboration, between the universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews, the best power rating of any chemistry unit in Britain

(Source : EaStCHEM)


WestCHEM in top 10

WestCHEM research collaboration, which brings together Glasgow and Strathclyde, was ranked eighth by the nationwide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)

(Source : WestCHEM)


Top research facilities

The nationwide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) recognised that four of the UK’s top 10 research departments are in Scotland, including WestCHEM and EastCHEM collaborations

(Source : RAE 2008)


£9.3 billion

There are more than 200 chemical sciences companies generating £9.3 billion of revenue in Scotland

(Source : Scottish Annual Business Statistics, 2012)


£161,000

Chemical sciences has the second highest GVA per employee of any industry in Scotland with each employee contributing on average £161,000 to the economy

(Source : Scottish Annual Business Statistics, 2012)


Skilled workforce

Chemical sciences is one of Scotland’s highest value industries — employing 14,000 skilled staff, many of them graduates

(Source : ONS UK Business: Activity, Size and Locations, 2012)


Lowest corporation tax

Scotland’s 24 percent corporation tax is the lowest of the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States) making Scotland attractive to business investors

(Source : HMRC)


World-leader in inkjet dyes

FujiFilm’s Scottish business is the world leader in inkjet dyes

(Source : FujiFilm)


Top location for world-leading companies

The world's leading chemical/pharma companies have businesses located in Scotland, including INEOS, Syngenta, Exxon, GlaxoSmithKline, DOW, FujiFilm, and BASF.

(Source : Chemical Sciences Scotland)