South of Scotland
Our South of Scotland region covers South Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Borders.
Key industries
Through Techscaler and other programmes at CodeBase we support tech startups in every sector, however we’ve highlighted below some key industries that are significant in this region and have an existing foundation here which are areas of opportunity for tech activity.
Agriculture
Agriculture is a primary industry of the South of Scotland. In 2019, Scotland's agriculture industry contributed around £1.3 billion to the Scottish economy and employed 67,000 people. Scottish Dairy accounts for 9% of UK milk production and in 2019, there were 843 dairy farms in Scotland with a herd of 50 or more dairy cattle. Over 65% of dairy herds in Scotland are based in SW Scotland, and the industry contributes a total value of £800m to the Scottish economy.[1] The Digital Dairy Chain project is supporting innovation and the digital transformation of the sector, and the Digital Growth Grant, delivered by Barclays Eagle Labs and CodeBase is supporting innovation in the agricultural sector.
[1] https://www.gov.scot/publications/dairy-sector-climate-change-group-report-2/pages/5/
Food, Drink & Hospitality
North East Scotland’s food, drink and wider agriculture sector are an integral part of the North East Economy and account for 20% of Scotland’s food and drink production, in a region that accounts for 10% of Scotland’s population. The primary products are beef, pork, lamb and malting barley. Agritech is a significant opportunity as the sector strives to double output and exports by 2030, as well as increasing productivity.
TravelTech
Fishing has played a significant role in the history of the North East of Scotland. The two largest commercial fishing ports in Scotland and indeed the UK are in Peterhead and Fraserburgh and with half of Scotland’s fish landings being made in the North East it is another sector that makes a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy.Peterhead is Europe’s largest fishing port with over 151 million tonnes of fish landed there in 2021, over 50% of the total tonnage landed in Scotland.Technological applications in fishing revolve around more efficient location of stocks as well as trading landed stock more effectively in order to reduce waste.
Creative Industries
The North East is home to leading life sciences research in biologics and a distinct cluster of clinical-stage biotech companies. The region’s goal is to harness these strengths and related asset base to develop one of the most exciting commercial life sciences clusters in the world. ONE BioHub Aberdeen is the new home for life sciences in North East Scotland. The intention is for it to be the place for researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to translate world-leading science to the marketplace.
Space
NHS Grampian is one of the fourteen regional health boards of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services to Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray Health & Social Care Partnerships. With 17,000 staff across multiple locations and an ageing population in the region the health board faces multiple challenges particularly around recruitment and retention of staff. Technology will play a crucial role in improving the efficient delivery of care, maximising productivity and improving preventative and responsive care for people in the region.
What support is available to you in South of Scotland?
The Team
Head of Regional Engagement, Sarah-Jane Burns, is your first point of contact for the region. They’re here to help you find the right support through joining the Techscaler community and becoming a Techscaler member, and grow regional participation in the Techscaler programme.
Contact The Regional Team
Workspace
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CSO & Techscaler Partnership Webinar
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Community Support
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Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Techscaler. If you can’t find the answer to your question here please get in touch.
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Join Techscaler
If our education courses are of interest to you, apply for Techscaler membership. Membership is for people working in startups who are at all stages of the startup journey, from ideation through to scaling phase, based in Scotland, and with ambitions to grow their business. Fill in the application form and Team Techscaler will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know your suitability for Techscaler membership and benefits available to you.
You can also keep up to date with our tech events and sign up to receive the latest news from Techscaler and the Scottish tech ecosystem.
