ScotlandIS have created our Manifesto to help inform government, industry and academic strategy and planning with insights gleaned through collaboration with our members and partners across Scotland’s tech ecosystem. We consider our Manifesto to be a complimentary piece of work alongside all other activity taking place in Scotland ranging from Scotland’s AI Strategy, the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan and a number of other key documents. Our earlier Manifesto in 2016 led to the creation of the ScotlandIS Cyber and Data clusters, as well as an ongoing coordinated effort to bridge the Digital Inclusion gap In Scotland.
In 2020, around 11,240 digital technologies businesses were registered in Scotland which makes up 6.3% of the Scottish business base. 97,000 people were in employment in the sector, making up 3.7% of Scotland’s total employment. In the coming years, this figure is expected to continue to grow, which also presents several challenges to the sector when it comes to recruitment and attracting the right skills for Scotland.
The document offers a series of recommendations for stakeholders across Scotland to embrace digital transformation, to upskill our workforce and citizens. ScotlandIS have developed these recommendations through consultation with our members, clusters and partners across the tech ecosystem in Scotland. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have an opportunity to build back better, to reshape our society, to deliver highly skilled and fulfilling jobs and to drive efficiencies and productivity gains in our public services and established businesses.