Technology ecosystem review - Towards the Tipping Point: progress report

Introduction

The Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review (STER) is structured around three areas that will enable our tech ecosystem to reach its ‘tipping point’: education, infrastructure, and investment.

This report provides a summary of the key developments in each of these areas to date.

1. Education

STER recognises that high-quality education at the right stage of the ecosystem funnel is key to success. Recommendations in this area tackle the foundational talent pipeline, including the way Computing Science is taught in schools and universities, the role of ‘funnel wideners’ and extra-curricular organisations, and the attraction of external talent and experience into the ecosystem. Section one of this report provides an overview of activity to improve the foundational talent pipeline.

2. Infrastructure

Section two covers interventions which support the physical and social infrastructure our ecosystem needs. STER explains there are broadly two meanings to infrastructure – the physical realm which includes support like our TechScaler network and co-location, and the social ‘market square’ realm. The latter helps hone a sense of community, collaboration, confidence and identity.

This section covers why and how we established our TechScaler network, and the success of, and learnings from, our Ecosystem Fund.

3. Investment

This chapter covers funding and investment and the steps being taken to increase the quantum of early-stage and Series A investment, to smooth the path for start-ups and venture capital firms to access funding, and to better align grant funding with the needs of start-ups.

We are working with a range of partners including Scottish Enterprise, Scottish National Investment Bank and others to ensure the financial investment landscape is fit for purpose and fair.