How Scotland supports the software sector

When you work in Scotland, you’re surrounded by many innovation centres and centres of excellence, each one working to accelerate technological advances. These include:

• The Data Labopens in a new window — Scotland's innovation centre for data and AI
• CENSISopens in a new window — the centre of excellence for sensing, imaging and Internet of Things technologies
• The National Robotariumopens in a new window — an unrivalled technology and facility, fundamental to the development and testing of robotics

You can also build expert skills through flexible learning programmes. Collaboration between colleges, universities and industries through the Digital Skills Partnership enables you to keep updated of new developments.

Explore the Digital Skills Partnershipopens in a new window 

Scotland’s many networks, projects and events are a great way to keep up to date with what’s new in the software and digital tech sphere These include:

• Techscaleropens in a new window – a Scotland-wide programme for creating and scaling tech start-ups. It connects companies to experts and hosts collaboration spaces for the start-up community.

In 2019 Edinburgh was named UK’s top city for start-ups by Expert Market. And it makes sense. The city has experienced a 536% increase in digital start-ups. It also attracts more foreign investment than any other tech cluster in the UK, outside London, meaning it’s filled with opportunities in the software field.      

Advanced research and development

When it comes to research productivity and impact, Scotland is ranked in the top three in worldwide institutions.

Our culture of research, innovation, and creativity fosters collaboration between academia and the technology industry, opening opportunities for career starters and experts alike to deepen their knowledge and experience. 

Key networks and projects

Key networks and projects for Scotland’s software and digital tech sectors include:

• Turing Festopens in a new window is one of Europe's fastest-growing cross-functional tech conferences, covering sectors including software development and data science
• Engage Invest Exploitopens in a new window is a year-round investor readiness programme for tech entrepreneurs. Since 2008, it has helped more than 500 start-up and scale-up companies go on to raise more than £750 million in investment
• Scotland Fintech Festivalopens in a new window is an annual festival of ideas and innovation for the fintech sector
• ScotlandISopens in a new window is the trade body for Scotland’s digital economy —ts members represent sectors including software, IT, telecoms and digital media
• CodeBaseopens in a new window is the largest technology incubator in the UK with sites in Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen. Other incubators include  Techcubeopens in a new window, Elevatoropens in a new window and the Bayes Centreopens in a new window, the University of Edinburgh’s innovation hub for data science and artificial intelligence.
• The Data Labopens in a new window is Scotland's innovation centre for data and AI – and CENSISopens in a new window, the Centre of Excellence for sensingopens in a new window, imagingopens in a new window and Internet of Thingsopens in a new window technologies – are two of eight national innovation centres in Scotlandopens in a new window that help accelerate technological advances
• Glasgow School of Art’s School of Simulation and Visualisationopens in a new window explores imaginative and novel uses of advanced 3D digital visualisation and interaction technologies