Scotland at Expo 2020 Dubai: evaluation report

Section 4: Stakeholder Engagement

Following extensive stakeholder engagement, delivery of the Scottish programme mainly involved the following stakeholders: Universities and their Alumni, Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) who supported the programme through their own trade missions running in tandem with our events, Innovation Centres (all seven Scottish Centres engaged) and GlobalScots (from across the Middle East region supporting participating companies and attending evening events).

Scottish Universities and Alumni

We engaged Scotland's Universities at the earliest stages aiming to make best use of their international and domestic academic expertise in key research areas linked to our Activation Themes. As the programme focus became clearer we approached specific academic research groups and representative bodies - University Scotland and international partner body Connected Scotland – to support and promote University engagement. Table below maps out our University engagement:

Direct Individual Engagement

• Glasgow Univ
• Strathclyde Univ
• Edinburgh Univ
• Stirling Univ
• Aberdeen Univ
• St Andrews Univ
• Dundee Univ
• Univ of Highland and Islands
• Abertay Univ
• Heriot Watt Univ
• Glasgow Cal Univ
• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)
• Napier Univ
• University of the West of Scotland (UCWS)
• Al Maktoum College

Space Activation

• Scottish Space Leadership Council (SLLC):-
• Glasgow Univ
• Strathclyde Univ
• Edinburgh Univ
• Stirling Univ
• St Andrews Univ
• Heriot Watt Univ
• Napier Univ"

Race to Net Zero Activation

• Energy Technology Partnership (ETP):-
• Glasgow Univ
• Strathclyde Univ
• Edinburgh Univ
• Aberdeen Univ
• St Andrews Univ
• Dundee Univ
• Univ of Highland and Islands
• Heriot Watt Univ
• Glasgow Cal Univ
• Napier Univ
• Robert Gordon University
• University of the West of Scotland (UCWS)
• Glasgow School of Art

Digital Health and Wellness Activation

• Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHIC):-
• Glasgow School of Art
• Strathclyde Univ
• Precision Medicine Innovation Centre (PMIC):-
• Glasgow Univ
• Edinburgh Univ
• Aberdeen Univ
• Dundee Univ

Dubai Campus

• Heriot Watt Univ
• Strathclyde Univ

Overall involvement for Universities across the three Activation themes was mainly showcased through the expertise of leading academic speakers and panellist's participation in specific focused sessions for each event.

University Alumni

Focus of Alumni engagement was mainly to extend invitations across their networks to attend each of the Activation programme events and evening receptions. However, in some cases, Alumni departments also helped to promote our events to their faculty and existing students. Alumni leads provided invaluable support to identify and engage senior level representation for our Activation themes and engagement by the Alumni themselves was a definite asset to the Scotland programme.

Heriot Watt University

As a key sponsorship partner of the UK Pavilion, Heriot Watt represented Scottish interests through their own Expo activity and we maintained regular engagement to sight each other on our respective activities. This provided opportunities for mutual input and support and identified potential synergies.

Scottish Universities in Dubai

We also supported and delivered engagement with Scottish Universities with Dubai campuses – Heriot Watt University and Strathclyde University Business School.

As part of the Net Zero Activation week Ministerial engagement with Heriot Watt University Leadership Team helped to understand their ongoing research and development work within their recently established enterprise and innovation hub.

Engagement with Strathclyde University Business School took place in November 2021 around the St Andrews Event, with senior Scottish Government officials supporting their Low Carbon event and as part of the Net Zero Activation programme week in March 2022 Ministerial engagement supported an event with senior faculty heads and selected Alumni to promote GlobalScots recruitment.

Overall engagement with Universities in Scotland and in Dubai helped to showcase their expertise and innovation to a global audience as part of our Expo programme and to highlight the strengths and important role they play for Scotland internationally.

Scottish Chambers of Commerce

We worked with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) to reach a wider cohort of Scottish businesses looking to engage with the opportunities of EXPO 2020 Dubai. As a result, the SCC undertook a multi-faceted role during the course of the event:

• co-ordinated in-market Business Visits;
• Collaborative communications partner supporting Scottish Expo comms activity;
• joint promotional activities with DITI to support events, business connections and in-market opportunities

Overall SCC's engagement with the Expo event itself provided access to multiple international markets, business connections and enhanced collaboration between business, government and partners. SCC used the Scottish Activation programme as an anchor to secure specific business engagements that helped make wider connections and establish potential trading alliances.

Innovation Centres

Engagement was invited and accepted from all seven of Scotland's Innovation Centres; CENSIS (Centre for Sensor and Imaging Systems); CSIC (Construction Scotland Innovation Centre); DHIC (Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre); IBioIC (Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre); SAIC (Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre); PMS-IC (Precision Medicine Innovation Centre); and The Data Lab.

Engagement with the Centres was as a collective entity providing each with an opportunity to feed into the programme development, specifically the Digital Health and Wellness Activation where they had a key role in delivering programme content and bespoke breakout sessions.

GlobalScots

The GlobalScots network and individual GlobalScots were heavily involved in supporting the Scottish Expo programme; promoting through the digital platform, hosting and moderation support at evening receptions and Activation events as well as more business focused mentoring support to Scottish companies pitching at the Space and Net Zero Activation events.

Most significant contribution of all came from the Scottish Government Trade Envoy to the UAE and GlobalScot, Nicholas Maclean for the wide variety of support in moderating and hosting as well as in his in market expert advisory role on the Steering Group.