Innovation must remain “Scotland’s greatest export,” Business Minister Richard Lochhead has said, marking the launch of the country’s first National Innovation Week.
More than 80 events are taking place across Scotland over the next five days, with over 200 delegates expected to attend an Innovation Summit in Edinburgh on Thursday.
Lochhead called on businesses and organisations to use the week as a platform to build on the legacy of Scotland’s innovators and inventors, describing them as having been at the forefront of technological change throughout history.
Activities during the week will centre on four “areas of strength” identified in Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy: advanced manufacturing, energy transition, health and life sciences, and data and digital technologies. To mark the start of the week, the Business Secretary is also expected to unveil a multi-million pound funding package for advanced manufacturing.
Lochhead pointed to a long line of Scottish breakthroughs — from the steam engine to the television, and from penicillin to the MRI scanner — as evidence of the country’s historic role at the forefront of technological change. He stressed, however, that Scotland cannot afford to rest on that legacy, noting that Scottish businesses and academic institutions remain at the forefront of many of the world’s leading products and solutions today.
He said he wants Innovation Week to serve as an opportunity not just to celebrate these achievements, but to amplify the story Scotland has to tell more widely, adding that ensuring innovation remains the country’s greatest export is a key priority. Lochhead also spoke of his ambition to foster greater collaboration across business, academia, and the private and public sectors, in order to strengthen the foundations of the wider economy. His stated goal, he said, is clear: to position Scotland as one of the most innovative small nations in the world.
National Innovation Week runs from 22 to 26 September, with events taking place both in person across the country and virtually.
