Why Scotland’s the place to do great things with data
Scotland is a growing and dynamic country with an exciting future at the heart of the data science revolution - an estimated £20 billion opportunity for the economy. Our thinking around artificial intelligence and the use of data for business is big. Our ambition is even bigger.
Scotland's data ecosystem
Data is the future. That’s why we’re investing £661 million in our vision of turning our capital city into the ‘Data Capital of Europe’.
Scotland’s ambitious 10-year Data-Driven Innovation programme will work with partners in government, industry, and educational institutions to make Scotland the No.1 location of choice for data science startups and data science companies.
You’ll find excellence in education, a nation of invention and dedicated research hubs across the country. You can be confident that Scotland has a talent pool with the skills and experience required to grow your business. And, with a highly responsive skills and education system, we’ll meet your needs both now and in the future.
An environment bursting with innovation
Scotland’s innovative culture has created more university spin outs here than anywhere else in the UK, including London. Scotland has eight innovation centres and the University of Edinburgh is one of the UK’s top research universities in computer science.
We also punch above our weight in this area globally, rubbing shoulders with the top 20 research institutions worldwide.
Our community is well connected
We have a strong presence in, and access to, many data-rich industries offering the greatest global opportunities, including:
Digital tech talent is readily available in Scotland
We have 93,500 people working in roles across digital technologies, within companies that are doing exciting things in data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, space, cyber security, ecommerce, software, telecomms and media.
Scotland creates 5,700 new information technology graduates every year. Learn about the support available from Skills Development Scotland to help you access that data science talent.
Scotland's future-proofed workforce
Data has an important role to progress our society. That’s why we’re committed to training 100,000 people in the application of data. Explore the Bayes Centre, Europe’s largest training hub in data sciences, and the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics, the largest European centre of its kind with over 450 staff and 850 students.
You can also benefit from a pipeline of work-ready digital talent via CodeClan, Scotland's accredited skills academy.
Scotland is a competitive location for business
It’s up to 40% more cost effective to locate in Scotland than other parts of the UK.
Home to tech unicorns
Scotland’s national animal is the mythical horned creature but it’s also home to tech unicorns. Edinburgh-based fintech giant FNZ is Scotland’s latest startup to reach 'unicorn' status. The company now holds around £330 billion in assets globally.
Your business could be going places
By locating to Scotland, you can access our highly educated workforce and renowned academic institutions, which have an outstanding record of industry engagement. We’ve invested significantly in our universities and innovation centres, creating a unique tech hub and spirited community.
At the heart of this ethos is The Data Lab, an innovation centre where industry, the public sector and world-class researchers can come together to develop new data science capabilities in a collaborative environment. With a Scotland-wide presence, The Data Lab is focused on delivering a range of activities around collaborative innovation, skills and training and community building as well as leading Scotland’s strategy to unlock the social and economic potential of artificial intelligence (AI).
Phase 2 of the centre's growth plan saw it secure £13.5 million Scottish Government investment over 5 years from April 2019. This new funding will allow The Data Lab to improve data innovation’s economic impact on Scotland, generate more jobs and build on its growing global reputation. It also includes supporting 665 new data science Masters (MScs), ensuring a pipeline of talent into Scottish businesses.
Our greatest thinkers are ready to collaborate with you
Community is important to Scotland - it's a place where great minds come together. Eleven universities are already collaborating with The Data Lab to grow the supply chain of data science expertise. Scotland is also home to ambitious indigenous tech companies with data at their core as well as some of the world’s leading tech giants such as Amazon and Oracle.
We're home to CodeBase, the UK's largest tech startup incubator providing office and co-working spaces for more than 100 of the country's most promising tech companies.
Underpinning this unique community is a supportive public sector, and a government that’s a strong advocate of the use of data for societal and economic benefit and supports uptake through its investments in infrastructure and innovation.
Matching quality of work with quality of life
Beyond the office, Scotland is a land of great natural beauty and our warmth and hospitality are world-renowned. Our friendly communities combine an exceptional quality of life with low cost of living, making the move to Scotland an attractive option for you and your employees.
Our progressive government policies strive to make Scotland a fairer and better place to live and work, for citizens and residents alike.
We’d love you to join the many top global tech businesses that choose to locate, operate and grow in Scotland alongside our ambitious local companies. And we’re here for you throughout the journey – with support before, during and after you locate.
Read our blog on why Scotland is the best place to live and set up your business
Big data industry examples in Scotland
Digital health and care is an emerging and exciting global market potentially worth over $1.4 trillion by 2025.
This is already an area of exceptional strength for Scotland, thanks to a well-established National Health Service (NHS) - with extensive digital patient records – and a strong company base with expertise in informatics. As a result, Scotland has a world-leading research base that collaborates with industry to create commercial healthcare solutions of the future.
Thanks to the presence of, and our ability to analyse, vast quantities of data, Scotland is the place to drive opportunities in this arena.
“Scotland has some of the best health service data in the world. Few other countries have information that combines high quality data, national coverage and, importantly, the ability to link data to allow person-based analysis and follow-up…and is increasingly contributing to research and to improving health for people in Scotland.”
Professor Marion Bain, Medical Director, NHS National Health Service Scotland
Scotland's energy know-how has been forged by fifty years of oil and gas expertise in the North Sea. An important by-product of this activity is huge amounts of data that continues to be harvested.
Looking to the future, more sustainable and less invasive practices will see a massive proliferation of sensors and data – and the technology to unlock its value – will become increasingly valuable.
Sensor-Works based in Livingston, West Lothian, are already using wireless sensors in the energy sectors to enable condition monitoring, lower costs and optimise operational efficiency.
Did you know the Personal Identification Number (PIN) you use with your credit or debit card was invented by a Scot in the 1960s? We’ve a long history of innovation and today Scotland remains one of Europe's most important financial and global business centres.
We’re the perfect blend of technological and financial expertise. Our workforce is constantly adapting. Inward investors from around the globe are coming to Scotland to explore new and emerging opportunities in artificial intelligence in finance, data analytics, fintech and cyber security, alongside more traditional functions.
Companies such as J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley already have technology operations located here, as well as Barclays Wealth who recently invested in Glasgow with the creation of a new multi-million pound financial hub which will house its global technology team.
TranSwap and GC Exchange Limited (GCEX) are the latest international technology firms to come to Scotland. TranSwap, the cross-border payment platform headquartered in Singapore is setting up a fintech R&D centre in Edinburgh to continue its international growth.
Hong Kong financial services tech specialist Actelligent Company Limited (Actelligent) has chosen Edinburgh for its new UK and European technology base. Actelligent is currently developing an online platform that will act as a hub between investors, private fund managers and retail investors and connect investors with new opportunities in overseas investment markets.
Actelligent will build a team of software engineers and architects in Edinburgh to support the continuing technical development of its online platform, plus technical compliance and financial experts to support analytical and research services.
"We’re delighted to be the first fintech company from Hong Kong landing in Scotland with the help of SDI, and we have been overwhelmed by the level of support we’ve received. Edinburgh has a huge capital base and has always been one of the largest fund management hubs. This, combined with the availability of a skilled workforce and our ability to partner with the University of Edinburgh, one of the best universities in natural language processing and machine learning, made Edinburgh the natural choice for our new UK base."
Charmaine Lo, CEO of Actelligent
Setting up your software and IT business in Scotland gives you access to a dynamic and supportive ecosystem including the best tech talent and creative minds - all the right ingredients to produce world-changing digital unicorns (think Skyscanner and FanDuel) and attract tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft.
US software firm Cherwell is benefiting from top talent coming out of Scotland's universities to expand its operations in the heart of Europe.
"Scotland was on our list of various opportunities around the world. But it quickly rose to the top because of the high level of technology there, its knowledge economy and culture and the backing from educational institutions."
Helen Duckett, Cherwell’s VP of Operations
Now is an exciting time for the new space industry in Scotland. With the planned spaceport in the Scottish Highlands, Scotland will become the only location in Europe with end-to-end launch capability.
At the heart of Scotland’s success is proven small satellite technology, which has exploded the use of downstream satellite data and its associated applications.
From agriculture and marine to construction and humanitarian efforts, Scottish tech companies are using geospatial earth observation data collected from satellites to commercialise real time applications.
In September 2019, Glasgow-based satellite company Spire Global received a £14.7 million investment from Scottish Enterprise which will help the satellite firm generate over 260 jobs in Scotland’s space sector. It operates one of the largest constellations of private nanosatellites and ground station networks in the world.
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon said: "Spire Global's expansion sends a strong message that even in these uncertain times, Scotland remains open for business and has the potential to be Europe's leading space nation."
“Glasgow has been a fantastic location for us, with exceptional talent and people with a phenomenal ‘can-do’ attitude and true grit. We are excited to substantially expand our presence here and look forward to the continuation of strong partnerships within Scotland, the UK Space Agency, and the wider UK space ecosystems.”
Peter Platzer, CEO of Spire Global
Got a question about trade with or investment in Scotland? We’re always ready to help.
Scotland's tech news and insights
Cherwell
Think of the perfect location for tech talent to grow your business. That's why US software firm chose Dundee in Scotland for its first international centre for R&D outside the US.
pureLiFi
Think of a world where every light could connect you to the internet. Scottish company pureLiFi is redefining technology with a new method of wireless communication that will change how we access the internet.
Renovite
Think of the seemingly impossible as possible. People said it couldn’t be done, but Renovite Technologies did it anyway. The first ever cloud-native ATM solution is now well on its way, thanks to the work of its team based in Dunfermline, Scotland.