Due to a new agreement between Scottish Enterprise and Innovate UK, Scots businesses are set to benefit from increased support and easier access to funding.

Scotland’s national economic development agency and the UK’s innovation agency have entered a Memorandum of Understanding which aims to deliver “further and faster” assistance to Scottish businesses.

Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, and Indro Mukerjee, his counterpart at Innovate UK, both signed the agreement that will leverage additional innovation and investment into Scotland at the CAN DO Innovation Summit in Glasgow Science Centre.

They were joined by Susan Aitken, the chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and leader of Glasgow City Council, who also revealed an Innovation Action Plan for the region, developed in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and Innovate UK.

On the agreement, Gillespie remarked: “Our collaboration with Innovate UK means business support that’s easier to access and navigate. Companies will also benefit from our greater combined focus on place-based innovation support for stronger innovation infrastructure, clusters and regions throughout Scotland.

“This will start in Glasgow City Region with the Innovation Action Plan, but the impact will be felt much wider, across Scotland’s unique assets and hubs – from energy transition in Aberdeen to tech clusters in Edinburgh.

“Working alongside Innovate UK and local authorities allows us to work smarter on transformational projects in future industries that create jobs, wellbeing and prosperity.”

This activity supports the Scottish Government’s recently launched innovation strategy ambition to become a leading innovation nation.

Mukerjee commented, saying: “I am pleased to launch our collaborative innovation action plan, which is the result of a strong and close partnerships with Glasgow City Region and Scottish Enterprise.

“It is a significant opportunity to build stronger links with Scottish regions, giving businesses greater access to our innovation ecosystem, helping them grow and succeed.”

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The Glasgow City Region’s Innovation Action Plan is the first in Scotland and sets the scene for a Scottish Action Plan due to be released next year, which is to align with Scotland’s Innovation Strategy. The action plan for the region will cover six major themes: inclusive economy, ecosystem, identity, skills, investment, and infrastructure.

Specific actions include establishing innovation fellowships, creating entrepreneurial campuses, and creating an investor roadmap of Glasgow’s assets. In addition, the activities are set to complement an agreement from partners to work more closely to enhance the region’s identity as a cluster for innovation.

Aitken added: “Metropolitan Glasgow is already recognised as an innovation hub of international standing, a City Region forging a dynamic and diverse new economy.

“The Action Plan builds on our existing strengths and assets, allowing partners across all tiers of government, academia and industry to nurture a world-leading culture of creativity and invention.

“It’s a huge opportunity to generate the employment, training, and productivity outcomes our citizens need and our economy demands, the start of a new phase in our journey to become the most productive, innovative, and resilient economy across these islands by 2030.”

Header photo shows: Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise; Susan Aitken, chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet and leader of Glasgow City Council; and Indro Mukerjee, chief executive officer of Innovate UK.