Looking for an investment location with excellent transport links and first-class digital connectivity? Think Scotland. Providing a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system, helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.
Scotland has benefited from over £20 billion investment across trunk roads, rail, buses, ferries and air services as well as active travel - connecting tourism, business and communities better than ever before. This included delivery of the:
The Scottish Government is backing further investment in strategic infrastructure projects that will continue to support Scotland’s economy over the next 20 years. For example, the introduction of Low Emission Zones in four cities – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee – will encourage investment in cleaner transports technologies and Smart Cities.
We recognise the vital importance of a strong international air route network that connects businesses in Scotland to their customers worldwide.
Scotland has enjoyed significant growth in international air routes over the past 10 years. Scheduled and charter services connect business and visitors all year round.
Scotland's five main airports have international flights that connect millions of passengers to destinations worldwide. New services continue to be added to the Scottish network.
Around £2.7 billion is being invested in major road infrastructure, increasing access across the whole of Scotland and the UK. It takes just 45 minutes to get from Glasgow to Edinburgh by train, and more improvements will see the addition of 200 trains and 200,000 seats across the whole of the Scottish network.
Need to get to the UK capital? Direct rail journeys to London can take as little as 4.5 hours with speedy connections to other UK cities available too. And there's an average of 100 flights to London each day.
Scotland’s transport network supports over £80 billion of trade. Most of that trade is transported by road and sea. Our road freight exports largely to destinations in England, while our seaports carry most of the volume of our international exports.
Scotland's seaports handle international cargo, warehousing and distribution, passenger ferries, and offshore oil and gas services. There are seven major fully operational, deep-water ports in Scotland and frequent ferry services connect with Europe, Ireland and Scotland's island communities.
Beyond our transport links, Scotland's digital connectivity infrastructure is growing in strength.
Scotland is ranked Europe's most connected region for investment in the prestigious fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future Awards 2020/21.
Scotland is also a great place for work-life balance, ranking among the top 10 fDi Awards for economic potential, business friendliness, human capital and lifestyle.
This follows EY's report that Scotland is once again the top UK location for inward investment outside of London.
Scotland is a nation that stimulates innovation, welcomes investment and promotes its digital technologies industries. We want to be an internationally acknowledged test bed for innovation in connectivity.
It's estimated that by enhancing 5G capability, Scotland has the potential to add £17 billion to its GDP by 2035 and create 160,000 new jobs
Working with other digital technologies, 5G can also help us respond to the climate emergency – whether it’s creating smart energy grids, reducing waste of resources or improving efficiency of equipment.
The Scotland 5G Centre opens in a new window , a partnership between industry, academia and government, will ensure Scotland moves forward quickly on 5G adoption and innovation.
The Centre will be Scotland’s national platform for collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing across all aspects of 5G from research to delivery and exploitation.
Read more about Scotland's 5G strategy opens in a new window on the Scottish Government website.
5G coverage is currently available in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and soon in Aberdeen, as well as smaller towns including Hamilton and Paisley.
Furthermore, all seven major cities in Scotland are working to become Smart Cities. This will improve urban congestion, maximise energy efficiency, enhance public safety, help improve air quality and traffic flow, cut pollution and boost wellbeing.
Read more about Scotland's Smart Cities opens in a new window on the Scottish Cities Alliance website.
Scotland is open for business and ready to share opportunities with you to invest in large scale infrastructure and real estate projects.
We can connect you to the right people and assist and support you throughout the investment process. We give you access to our innovation and investment hubs and global support network.
Scotland remains the best-placed country in Europe to realise Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) on a commercial scale. Nearly £1.6 billion is being committed by the Scottish Government to drive Scotland's green recovery:
Scotland’s cities and regions are booming. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen cities are all among the top ten cities in the UK for attracting international investment.
Invest in Scotland for easy access to some of the world's fastest-growing markets.
We can connect you to the right people, in the right place and at the right time - helping you make the right connections for your business to flourish in Scotland.
We’re always ready to help.
Scotland is at the forefront of markets in ultra-low emission vehicles:
