Business facts
Scotland was named 'UK Region of the Future 2006/7' by the Financial Times FDI magazine. Scotland came top in economic performance, human resources, IT/Telecoms, transport links, and quality of life
Scotland is home to 590 life sciences organisations employing 29,500 people. Life Sciences is a thriving industry in Scotland with a recent £50 Million investment to create the Scottish Translational Medicine Research Collaboration
Scotland is the fifth largest financial services centre in Europe. Four of the world's clearing banks have their HQ's in Scotland: including the Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS. (Halifax Bank of Scotland)
Scotland's aerospace industry has a turnover of £2.1billion (2005) and is home to around 10% of the UK's aerospace industry. (Scottish Survey Report). Prestwick is regarded as a centre of excellence in MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) and companies such as GE Caledonian and Goodrich have substantially expanded their Prestwick-based operations throughout 2006-7
The Scottish Executive has set a target to generate 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable means by 2020 and onshore wind generation supports almost 3000 jobs in Scotland. The Scottish oil and gas industry supports 100,000 jobs, with more than 2,000 service and supply companies active in more than 40 countries worldwide
Scotland is also a world leader for contact centre operations, having some of the largest and most sophisticated international call centres. There are over 60,000 people employed within 300 contact centres in Scotland and companies such as Direct Line, 02 and Dell have chosen Scotland to locate.
Lifestyle facts
Glasgow is one of the UK’s most visited cities and a top shopping destination for both high-steet stores and chic boutiques. It is also a strong contender in the bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games
The Scottish capital city Edinburgh recently hosted the MTV Awards and is home to the celebrated Edinburgh Festival, Hogmanay Party and Military Tattoo
Scotland has a number of world-famous culture and heritage sites including the Burrell Collection, National Gallery of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle.
Thinking about bringing your business to Scotland, want to find out more?
Scotland has a diverse population and welcomes new talent to its shores. For a comprehensive guide on relocating to Scotland, visit the Talent Scotland website.
Read an overview of business opportunities in Scotland covering skills, innovation and lifestyle.
Find out more about Scotland's key sectors on the Scottish Development International website:
Need further information?
Scottish Development International (SDI) is focused on helping inward investors come to Scotland and Scottish firms develop trade activities globally. It provides a wide range of support services, including advice, selective business mentoring and development, market information, financial assistance, business location information, investor aftercare and specific services for each phase of international trade activity. Find out more about how SDI can help you.
Printable Version
Email this page