Critical Technologies “Enabling Scotland’s Future” - Parliamentary Reception
I was delighted to sponsor a very well attended Parliamentary reception for Technology Scotland, the representative body for the “Enabling Technology Sector” in Scotland.
Scotland has longstanding and world leading capabilities in the fields of photonics, quantum, semiconductors, and sensing & connectivity which are unparalleled in the UK. Aggregated they become what is known as the Critical Technologies Supercluster.
In all, 227 guests from business and academia - including 25 Canadian delegates to a joint UK-Canada collaborative funding call on semiconductors - attended, along with dozens of MSP colleagues.
I even took the Canadians on a tour of Holyrood Debating Chamber.
Other than me, Minister for Business Richard Lochhead MSP, CEO of Technology Scotland Alastair McInroy and Director of Strategy at the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (Glasgow University) gave speeches highlighting the potential of Scotland’s Supercluster initiative.
The aim is to grow Scottish revenues in these key fields from £4.2 billion this year – including £3.4 billion in exports – to £10 billion by 2035, whilst creating 7,200 additional jobs and contributing to Scotland's ambitions in other key sectors such as Space, Robotics and Healthcare.
Some of the most exciting technologies were showcased at eight fascinating exhibition stalls including six interactive demonstrators showing critical technologies in key application areas - Health, Space, Communications, Robotics, Sustainability and Quantum Technologies.
More information on the Supercluster can be found here:
