Strengths

Strengths and benefits of publishing in Scotland

Skills and expertise

• A long history of publishing skills – the first printing press in Scotland was created in 1507 
• Publishers in Scotland include Canongate, Encyclopaedia Britannica, John Murray, ChambersHarrap and Blackwell Publishing Ltd (one of the worlds foremost academic and professional medical publishers) 
• The List and Canongate have a major online presence 
• A skilled, talented and technologically-educated workforce – Scotland is one of the world’s most educated nations, with more than one in five graduates having technological expertise

High-quality support infrastructure

• Strong intellectual property protection in place - support and expertise provided by the ICASS (Innovator’s Counselling and Advisory Service for Scotland) 
• Industry support provided by Publishing Scotland, a not-for-profit organisation formed to take responsibility for the representation and development of the sector in Scotland 
• Other industry support available from Creative Scotland – Scotland’s national arts and creative industries development body 
• Wide variety of public sector funding available – for relocating a business here that includes grants and aftercare schemes

Cost-competitive

• Scotland is cost-competitive compared to other creative hotspots such as London, New York or Paris