Business Links
Business links
Biotechnology
Growing at an astonishing rate of 30% a year, Scotland's biotechnology industry is one of the most vibrant in Europe. Over 400 organisations and 20,000 people are already involved in projects ranging from finding a cure for cancer to treatments for acne.
For specific information on Scotland's biotechnology industry, try the following links:
The BioIndustry Association: www.bioindustry.org
Scottish Network Partnership for the Biotechnology Industry: www.biosolutions.co.uk
Communication technologies
The country that invented the phone, fax, television and video recorder is today home to two out of the world's top ten companies involved in telecommunications equipment manufacturing, including Cisco and Lucent Technologies. In all, some 150 companies are involved in the sector employing more than 15,000 people.
For specific information on communication technologies, try:
Electronics Scotland: www.electronics-scotland.com
Scotland IS Scottish Software Federation: www.scotsoft.org.uk
Scottish Embedded Software Centre: www.embedded-software.org.uk
Creative industries
Scotland's creative industries are held in universal acclaim and attract some of the best talent from around the world. Encompassing architecture, advertising, arts and cultural industries, design, film, games, music, new media, publishing, radio and television, they employ 100,000 people and boast an annual turnover of £5 billion.
To provide a focus for the creative industries, Pacific Quay, a 60-acre development site in Glasgow has been earmarked as a "digital media campus" and business park.
For more information on Pacific Quay, visit: www.pacificquay.com
Electronics
Scotland's role on the electronics world stage spans over 50 years. And it was the major growth area in Scottish manufacturing last decade. Home to some of the world's leading companies, including IBM and Sun Microsystems, Scotland today produces 30% of Europe's branded PCs, nearly 80% of its workstations, 65% of its ATMs and more than half of its notebook computers.
One of the most exciting areas to emerge from the global electronics industry in recent times has been optoelectronics – which uses light to process and transfer data. With countless commercial, medical and military applications, the potential for further expansion within the industry is huge. Scotland is already home to the UK's largest concentration of optoelectronics research, employing nearly 5000 people.
For general information on Scotland's electronics industry, try:
Scottish Electronics: www.scottishelectronics.co.uk
Electronics Scotland: www.electronics-scotland.com
For more specific information on the different disciplines, try:
Microelectronics in Scotland: www.microelectronics.org.uk
Scottish Optoelectronics Association: www.optoelectronics.org.uk
Institute for System Level Integration: www.sli-institute.ac.uk
Scottish Microelectronics Centre: www.scotmicrocentre.co.uk
And to find out about The Alba Centre, which is leading the world in electronic design development, visit: www.albacentre.com
Financial services
With its traditional strengths in insurance, banking and finance, Scotland is now one of Europe's top ten financial centres. Currently ranked 6th in Europe and 15th in the world, based on funds under management, the industry employs some 97,000 people directly and a similar number in the larger supply chain.
For general information on the financial services sector, visit: Scottish Financial Enterprise: www.financescotland.com
Food & Drink
Scotland's food & drink industry employs some 17% of its manufacturing workforce, with total annual sales of £7.3 billion. £3 billion of this comes from whisky which last year enjoyed record breaking exports – topping a billion bottles for the first time ever. Scotland's 'water of life' is now appreciated in more than 200 countries worldwide.
For more information, try:
Scottish Food & Drink: www.scottishfoodanddrink.com
The Scotch Whisky Association: www.scotch-whisky.org.uk
Oil and gas
Ever since the mid-60s, oil and gas have played a major part in Scotland's economy. Today, it is estimated that the industry employs around 116,000 people (roughly 6% of the Scottish workforce) in some 2000 companies. Roughly 75,000 of these jobs are in the Grampian region, making the north east of Scotland the most prosperous UK region outside the south east of England.
In 2000, North Sea oil and gas production reached new heights with oil production exceeding six million barrels a day for the first time. And there's no reason why these peak levels shouldn't continue. Remaining proven oil reserves in the UK North Sea stand at 630 million tonnes with additional probable reserves of 1-1.5 thousand million tonnes.
For more information, try:
The Scottish Enterprise Energy Group: www.se-energy.co.uk
DTI Oil/Gas Group: www.og.dti.gov.uk
Oil & Gas Industry Taskforce: www.pilottaskforce.co.uk
Textiles
With so many new industries coming to the fore, it's encouraging to see one of Scotland's traditional crafts making a comeback … and how! Using a combination of proactive marketing and industry-wide initiatives, Scottish textile companies have managed to make cashmere cool again, so that it's worn by Robbie Williams, Madonna and David Beckham amongst others.
For specific information on Scotland's textiles industry, try:
Scottish Textiles: www.scottish-textiles.co.uk
The Scottish Cashmere Club: www.cashmeremadeinscotland.com
Harris Tweed Authority: www.harristweed.org
Scottish Borders Textiles: www.scottishtextiles.com