Scotland's Technology Council 2025-26 Report

Conclusion and Next Steps

Scotland is home to a new generation of high-potential technology companies with the ambition and capability to scale globally. The challenge ahead is not the creation of more programmes, but the removal of friction — ensuring founders can access talent, customers, capital, and markets at the speed required to compete internationally.

Across key sectors, the Council has highlighted the enablers that matter most: inward investment, clear planning pathways, and an infrastructure framework that gives investors the confidence to choose Scotland as the place to build and scale. These foundations will be critical for unlocking the next phase of growth.

Throughout its discussions, the Council has reiterated the importance of maintaining a sharp focus on scale-up companies — the segment where the greatest economic return, job creation, and global visibility can be achieved. Scotland’s future prosperity will be shaped not only by the number of startups created, but by how effectively the country supports those with real momentum to scale.

Success, therefore, should be measured by reductions in friction. By whether companies can hire in weeks rather than months. By whether Scottish firms can win early domestic contracts before expanding globally. By whether founders can access growth stage capital without relocating. And by whether international expansion is supported by a system that accelerates, rather than complicates, their journey.

The Council believes the next ten months represent a critical window. This period should be used to define what success looks like, assess system gaps, and prioritise the interventions that will deliver the highest impact.

Finally, delivering the ambition set out in this report will require substantial external investment. Scotland must be clear-eyed about the scale of capital required and deliberate in creating the conditions that attract it.

The Council have outlined the following steps:

1. Continue Horizon‑Scanning for Emerging Technologies

The Council should maintain an active role in reviewing emerging technology opportunities, ensuring Scotland remains aligned with global trends and positioned to lead in high-growth sectors.

2. Support the Development and Oversight of a Delivery Plan

The Council should advise on the creation of a clear delivery plan and monitor progress against key goals, ensuring strategic ambitions translate into measurable outcomes.

3. Add Timelines and Infrastructure Requirements

Future planning should incorporate indicative timelines and the infrastructure required to achieve national ambitions — such as becoming Europe’s leading AI‑ready nation.

3. Establish Baseline Data to Contextualise Change

Future iterations of this work would benefit from robust baseline data to quantify the scale of change required and provide a foundation for long-term evaluation.

4. Agree Priority Government Interventions

The Council and Government should identify and agree the interventions needed to deliver the report’s themes, from infrastructure enablement to targeted support for scale‑ups and strategic sectors.

5. Define Measurable Indicators of a Tech‑Driven Economic Future

Adding clear, quantifiable indicators of what a “tech‑driven economic future” entails will be essential for future monitoring and evaluation.

6. Set Out Quantifiable Outcomes Post–Scottish Election

Beyond May 2026, the Council will work with the new Government to shape clear, measurable outcomes that define what success looks like for Scotland’s technology economy.

7. Establish KPIs for Global Leadership Ambitions

To support ongoing monitoring, Scotland should define measurable Key Performance Indicators that indicate progress toward achieving “global leader” status in priority technology domains.

8. Clarify Scotland’s Semiconductor Positioning

As part of the wider critical technologies’ agenda, Scotland should articulate a clear national position on semiconductor development and identify where it can lead, participate, or partner globally.

9. Develop a Detailed Skills and Talent Retention Strategy

A comprehensive strategy — supported by a national skills roadmap — is required to ensure Scotland can train, attract, and retain the talent needed to sustain long-term economic growth.

10. Strengthen Coordination of Ambassadorial Activity

Roles, responsibilities, and success measures for Council members’ ambassadorial activity should be clarified to ensure a coherent, coordinated approach to promoting Scotland internationally.