Overview

The collaborative economy connects individuals or communities via online platforms enabling the sharing or provision of goods and services, assets and resources without the need for ownership.

We set up the Scottish Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy in April 2017. Its purpose is to:

• provide advice, expertise and experience for policy development on the collaborative economy
• to make recommendations to Scottish Ministers on how Scotland can position itself to take advantage of the opportunities of the collaborative economy and overcome any regulatory, economic and social challenges

In conjunction with the Scottish Government, the panel has identified that the key considerations are how to:

• ensure that regulation is fit for purpose and that an appropriate balance is struck to allow competition to flourish;
• protect and empower consumers and identify clear routes to redress;
• develop digital leadership skills to enable Scotland's business base to digitally transform and compete in the evolving market place;
• prepare Scotland's current and future workforce for the digital workplace by ensuring they can access courses to gain or update skills; and
• ensure that the wider economic, social and community impacts, including taxation, social inclusion and employment conditions are taken into account and embedded into the final recommendations.

Call for evidence

To help inform the work of the panel a call for evidence was open between 24 April – 29 May. The Collaborative economy evidence analysis was published on 22 August 2017.

Members

• Helen Goulden, Chief Executive at The Young Foundation – Chair
• Airbnb
• Codebase
• PriceWaterhouseCooper
• Regulatory Review Group
• ScotlandIS
• Scottish Council for Development and Industry
• Scottish Trades Union Congress
• Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP
• Social Value Lab
• Uber
• VisitScotland

Documents

• Scottish expert advisory panel on the collaborative economy: report
• Scottish expert advisory panel on the collaborative economy: evidence paper
• Collaborative economy: evidence analysis
• Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy: November 2017
• Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy: October 2017
• Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy: September 2017
• Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy: August 2017
• Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy: July 2017
• Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy: June 2017
• Expert Advisory Panel on the Collaborative Economy: May 2017