International offices: strategic objectives

Our external network of offices are located in:

• Belgium (Brussels)
• Copenhagen (Denmark)
• Canada (Ottawa)
• China (Beijing)
• France (Paris)
• Germany (Berlin)
• Ireland (Dublin)
• UK (London)
• USA (Washington DC)

These offices deliver and support our activity, agencies and public and private partners in key locations outside Scotland, building on established expertise. The network provides a focus for Scottish partners needing presence in a country, capital or continent and play a critical role in supporting international collaboration which delivers economic benefits and helps address societal and global challenges.

The scale, scope and focus of this activity varies depending on the specific opportunities in a particular location. However, as a whole, the network will make connections in the development of policy priorities for us to exchange good practice. 

Specifically the network is tasked with:

• improving Scotland’s international profile
• attracting investment to Scotland
• helping businesses to trade internationally
• promoting and securing Scottish research and innovation capability, partnerships and funding
• protecting and enhancing Scotland’s interests in the EU and beyond

Business planning

These strategic objectives form the basis of the network’s business planning processes and their local objectives will be drawn from these themes, which themselves are grounded in Scotland’s International Framework, Economic Strategy and the National Performance Framework, in particular the national outcomes of:

• we have a globally competitive entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy
• we are open, connected and make a positive contribution internationally