Scotland CAN DO action framework: building on our vision to become a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation

HIE, SE and the SFC will work together to boost the role of digital innovation within our SMEs, by helping companies to adopt and exploit digital technologies and opportunities in the development of new products, processes and services.

• Scottish Enterprise
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Scottish Funding Council

Greater adoption and exploitation of digital technologies by SMEs, resulting in greater opportunities for growth.

SE, HIE and the SFC have the ambition to substantially increase Scotland's Business Innovation performance over the next five years through a focus on the following activities:

• Customer led innovation
• Supporting more companies to access innovation support
• Deeper Company Innovation Engagement - working with existing innovative firms with the potential to significantly increase their turnover and international sales; and
• Developing a more joined-up sector innovation approach to maximise the impacts from new market opportunities.

• Scottish Enterprise
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Scottish Funding Council

These activities aim to:

• boost the development and exploitation of new products and services by SMEs in international markets;
• support more companies to access innovation support;
• help existing innovative firms who have the capacity to significantly increase their turnover and international sales; and
• maximise the impacts from new market opportunities.

We will explore the opportunities to run a Small Business Research Initiative ( SBRI) challenge-based project to stimulate innovative ideas by working with industry and other partners to help address real life public sector challenges.

• Scottish Government

Through innovative procurement we will encourage creative approaches to public sector challenges. This will lead to improved services, greater efficiency and the development of innovative products.

Through implementing an Innovation Scotland strategy developed with input from industry, academia and the public sector, the SFC, SE and HIE will deliver the following actions:

• Working with businesses, universities and colleges, the SFC, HIE and SE will support and develop the network of Innovation Centres to deliver a significant improvement in Scotland's innovation performance.
• The SFC, SE and HIE will enhance the role of Interface to link businesses, particularly SMEs, to universities and colleges.
• The three partners will also develop and implement new programmes to promote business skills and entrepreneurial education within further education and to create high growth entrepreneurial spin-outs from our academic research base.

• Scottish Enterprise
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Scottish Funding Council

The aim is to simplify and improve the effectiveness of university-business engagement, resulting in improved innovation performance.

We are working with the Technology Strategy Board to identify opportunities where Scottish organisations can collaborate and compete for funding.

• Scottish Government
• Technology Strategy Board
• Scottish Enterprise
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Scottish Funding Council

Better engagement of Scottish organisations in Technology Strategy Board competitions, resulting in boosting the competitiveness and growth of our companies.