Scottish Government to outline proposals to boost Scotland’s Tech Ecosystem

The Scottish Government has welcomed the recommendations of a review carried out by Mark Logan, ex-COO of Skyscanner, into how Scotland's tech sector can contribute to Scotland's economic recovery, following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review was published on Tuesday and made 34 specific recommendations to stimulate and accelerate the maturity of Scotland’s technology ecosystem.

Amongst the recommendations the following are particularly interesting:

• a call for schools to treat Computing Science like Maths or Physics;
• the introduction of a Scottish Tech-Visa (noting the Scottish Government's limited powers on immigration policy);
• the establishment of a Series A fund in a partnership between Scottish VCs and the Scottish Government; and
• the creation of a grant to to support the costs that Scottish start-ups incur in seeking investment outside of Scotland.

The Scottish Government has been keen to align itself as a supporter of its country's tech ecosystem and it is encouraging to see it embrace non-traditional sectors to help the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Buy in from the investment community will be key and figures such as Tom Hunter and ScotlandIS CEO Jane Morrison-Ross have already pledged their support.

The Scottish Government’s response will be included in the 2020-21 Programme for Government.

This report provides an industry-led blueprint for the Scottish tech industry, outlining the actions necessary to elevate the sector to a world-class level. Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance

https://digit.fyi/new-report-explores-potential-of-scottish-tech-sector/