Access to markets

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The world on our doorstep

Invest in Scotland and you'll be close to some huge markets.

Your business operations will run smoothly thanks to our connected cities and connections to global markets.

The UK is the world’s eighth largest economy and is number two for purchasing power in Europe. With a global network of offices and in-depth knowledge of Scotland, we're here to help every step of the way.

Our connections

Whether it’s to London, Europe, or the rest of the world, Scotland is very well-connected.

Five international airports offering 150 destinations make, for example, a quick hour’s flight to London or a longer-haul one to New York simple.

You can travel between Edinburgh and Glasgow in under an hour by train, and London is less than five hours away. Major motorway roads head south too, while a freight ferry service connects with Northern Europe.

More on Scotland's connections

Edinburgh Waverley station with light path
Three people looking at graphs on a big screen with a light path

Industry links

Being in Scotland means you’ll benefit from industry clusters and connected supply chains.

We host companies in leading industries such as oil and gas in Aberdeen, renewables R&D in Glasgow and life sciences in Edinburgh. Scotland is also home to a number of science and business parks. Investors from a range of sectors can benefit from the financial incentives available to companies in Scotland.

Financial support in Scotland

A world of opportunity

We're committed to boosting Scotland's exports. Why not join us?

  1. Scotland's exports reached  £78.6 billion in 2015
  2. Scotland's top five export markets by country are USA, Netherlands, France, Germany and Norway
  3. Scotland's food and drink sector contributes 16.8% of our overseas exports, worth £4.8 billion in 2015
  4. Exports are varied and growing - for example, Scotland's professional, scientific and technical industries boast exports of £3.5 billion
  5. Scottish companies are constantly exploring new markets - Scotland's textiles industry alone exports to over 150 countries
Source: Scottish Government export statistics 2017

One of Europe's fastest-growing medtech firms

Optos, a Scottish producer of retinal imaging devices is one of Europe's fastest-growing medtech company over the past five years.

Thanks to our support, the company now sells its eye testing devices worldwide and sees significant opportunities in Middle East and South America for disease detection in diabetes.

We help ambitious companies like Optos succeed and grow. Let us help you.

You have friendly, well-educated, hard-working people, a beautiful environment and a local investor base that has a long history of backing risk...what
more could you want?

Founder of Optos - Douglas Anderson

A connected base for your company

Some examples of Scotland's easy connections.

  1. Numerous domestic airports serve outlying areas such as the Shetland and Orkney Islands 
  2. An hour to fly to London from Scotland and Scotland's airports offer hundreds of flights each week
  3. Edinburgh Airport is Scotland's busiest, handling over 12 million passengers a year - around 33 airlines fly to 130 destinations
  4. Glasgow International Airport is Scotland's long-haul gateway, with regular flights to the Middle East, the USA and Canada - it handles over 9 million passengers each year
  5. Scotland's modern, comprehensive road network has less traffic density than other parts of the UK

Talk to us

We can answer your questions about locating in Scotland. We can also give you details of funding support that may be available to you.

Find your nearest SDI office

We needed a location that was at the heart of the financial industry while also being a hub for current and upcoming talent in the technology field.

Chris Zwicker, managing director of Avaloq Innovation