10 March 2016
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited two of the biggest technology start-ups in Scotland when she went with the Deputy First Minister to Codebase and Administrate in Edinburgh.
During the visit, she met some of the companies based there including crowdfunding organisation ShareIn, environmental analysis company Topolytics and Make it Social, an organisation that makes group travel and entertainment bookings easier.
The visit came on the same day as the Scottish Government published its Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland 2014-15 (GERS), which shows Scotland’s businesses, including the thriving technology sector, are contributing to an economic growth of more than £6 billion over the last five years.
The statistics showed the impact of the declining oil and gas sector in Scotland, with a drop in North Sea revenue. However the First Minister also highlighted other figures that illustrate the Scottish Government’s priority in investing in economic growth – with spending per head on economic development in Scotland more than twice the UK average.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
It was fantastic to visit Codebase and Administrate today. This is where a really exciting revolution in our digital technology and digital economy is taking place and Scotland is at the forefront of that – not just in the UK, but right across the world.
The figures published today reflect the ongoing challenges with the oil and gas sector in Scotland, but show that our onshore economy is doing well – our estimated onshore revenue is growing and tax receipts are broadly comparable to the rest of the UK.
Taken in the context of the wider economic environment, which has been impacted by muted global demand, falling oil prices and more difficult conditions for manufacturers, the economy has remained resilient with record levels of employment, positive economic growth and growing exports.
This shows the foundations of Scotland’s economy are strong and that we have a strong base to build our future progress upon.”
