Over the last five to six weeks various members of the team have spoken to many of you. We’ve asked you to complete surveys, to help with various campaigns and initiatives, to feedback what’s happening in your businesses and met many of you online at our frequent events.
The intelligence, insights and feedback you’ve been giving us has helped us to shape our industry’s ask and have our voice heard at both a Scottish and UK Government level.
Below we’ve detailed some of the work that we’ve undertaken to ensure that Scotland’s digital ecosystem will not just survive the pandemic but is resilient and able to thrive going forward.
The list is not exhaustive, but we hope it gives you an insight into some of the work we’ve been doing on your behalf.
We have:
- The Deputy Director of DCMS (Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport) is joining us for a roundtable to allow high growth companies and those who directly support the start-up community in Scotland the opportunity to feed into the delivery mechanisms of the recently announced £250m Future Fund.
- At the outset of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown wrote to the Scottish Government on behalf of the sector to offer our support, and to act as a channel to access industry expertise.
- Lobbied both the Scottish and UK government on behalf of the industry in Scotland using data and insights gathered from our surveys. Written to Scottish Government to extend our support for the Scottish Government’s actions to set up the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery, however noted that we were disappointed and dismayed that there is as yet no representation on the Group for Scottish Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
- Weekly calls and briefings with DCMS, feeding in the Scottish perspective and telling UK Government what the Scottish tech community needs.
- Met with Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Trade, Investment and Infrastructure to discuss government support for the sector and international trade in a post COVID-19 world.
- Spoken with Scottish Government, ensuring that the voice of the sector was heard when packages of industry support were created.
- Written to UK Government asking for additional support for start-ups, scale ups, for self-employed and additional regional funding.
- Joined UK Tech Cluster (UKTG) Board representing Scotland.
- Worked with Scottish Government to triage offers of industry support to the country to help stand up our digital infrastructure and services throughout the pandemic.
- Created and then worked with partner organisations, Chambers of Commerce and others to promote the Tech Hub and offers contained therein. We know digital underpins everything and thank you all for the support shown to the wider economy in Scotland.
- On behalf of the Scottish Government, launched and continue to work on the No One Left Behind initiative, making Scotland a digitally inclusive nation to ensure everyone who needs to can access basic digital services. The first pilot is going live in the next week, with much involvement of our members.
We will continue to act as the voice of the ecosystem in Scotland and welcome any input, thoughts or insights you may have, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of ScotlandIS.
If you have any questions relating to any of the activities we have undertaken please contact Karen Meechan, COO, ScotlandIS in the first instance.
Thank you,
Jane
Jane Morrison-Ross
CEO, ScotlandIS