Blueprints for doubling the size of the enabling technologies sector in Scotland have been set out in a report involving the Universities of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and Heriot Watt. The Science and Innovation Audit (SIA), led by Glasgow Economic Leadership, identifies vast potential in Scotland for growth in enabling technologies, covering fields including electronics, sensors, photonics, industrial biochemistry and quantum technologies.

The report sets out a vision for:

• Doubling the region’s enabling technology asset base over the next 10 years
• Increasing productivity by 3% per annum in the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, initially in the Central Belt but with scope to replicate the gains across Scotland and the UK
• Creating an internationally recognised cluster of enabling technology growth companies in the central belt.

Sir Jim McDonald, Strathyclyde Principal Professor and chair of Glasgow Economic Leadership, said: “The Central Belt is home to some of the UK’s most research-active universities and to a growing translational infrastructure, focused on responding to market demand and anticipating disruptive change. Our regional innovation system has developed remarkably over the last 15 years, from research pooling to innovation centres, Fraunhofer and Catapults.

“With investment, this system can build a vibrant, internationally competitive photonics and quantum sensing cluster. Through technology integration, our enabling technology sector can help the digital transition of manufacturing in highly specialised application areas – including forming and forging and industrial biotechnology – creating thousands of jobs. And it can support our infrastructure sectors, particularly energy, to make big performance improvements through sophisticated sensing and control systems.”

Proposals for achieving the aims of the audit’s vision include:

• Co-investment by the UK and Scottish Governments in the proposed National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland, as part of the UK High Value Manufacturing Network, in which Strathclyde is a partner
• Establishing headquarters and/or nodes of UK Catapult centres in the Central Belt
• Investment in the creation of a new, large-scale systems and integration centre, or ’virtual foundry, to facilitate the rapid combination and testing of quantum and photonics technologies
• Expansion of apprenticeships and work-based learning programmes
• Strategic investment to extend the scope and linkages of Strathclyde’s Power Networks Demonstration Centre, based in Cumbernauld.

The audit was sponsored by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. 

Business Minister Lord Prior said: “The Science and Innovation Audits we are publishing today highlight the innovative strengths in regions across the UK and the significant growth and investment opportunities they present.

“Together with our record investment of an additional £4.7b for research and development to 2020/21, we are working closely with regional businesses and partners to ensure the ambitions set out in these reports are delivered to maintain our status as a science powerhouse.”