Whisky and bagpipes, yes, but the modern Highlands are humming to the high-tech drone of IT expertise.

	Area:	30,167 sq km
	Population:	5.1m
	Regional GDP³	£64.0bn
	Exports to EU³	£12.6bn
	Exports outside EU³	£5.7bn
	Unemployment‡	5.7%
	Industrial property cost*	71.9
	Office rental cost**	103.3
	% of exports to Asia/Oceania³	9.2%
	Foreign manufacturing investment²	£682m
	UK manufacturing investment²	£1212m
	R&D expenditure³	£393m
	Gross Value Added per employee¹	£40,200
	Export value per employee³	£8501
	Average earnings per hour³	£9.60
	³=2000; ‡=Q1,2001; ²=1997; *index: UK=100 (type 3 industrial property Q1 2001); ¹=manufacturing; ** index: UK=100 (type 1 office accommodation Q1 2001)

From its depiction in cinema and television, you might be forgiven for picturing Scotland either as a mountain landscape dotted with freedom-loving bagpipers, or as an Irvine Welsh inner-city nightmare.

So for many it comes as a surprise to learn that Scotland has been at the front of the worldwide silicon revolution for more than 40 years, a powerhouse of research and innovation. Silicon Glen, as the high-tech Glasgow-to-Edinburgh corridor has become known, is one of the most concentrated areas of electronics and software activity in Europe. It produces 80% of the EU’s workstations, 50% of its notebooks and 28% of its branded PCs. Scotland’s maturing biotechnology cluster includes global research institutions, biotechnology companies and a support network.

Such modern strengths and clusters of high-tech businesses characterise Scottish industry today. Building on strong traditions of academic excellence, backed by an educated, trained and willing workforce, Scotland has significant strengths in the manufacture and development of information systems, semiconductors, electronics, software, computer hardware, telecommunications, biotechnology, healthcare and medical devices.

Many world-class companies have chosen to locate in the country – among them names such as Agilent, Alcatel, Cadence, Cisco, Compaq, Kymata, Microsoft, Motorola, NCR, NEC, NV Organon, Roche, Siemens, Sulzer, SmithKline Beecham, ST Microelectronics and Sun Microsystems – to name but a few. Hutchison 3G UK, holder of the UK’s largest third-generation licence, announced in November 2001 its intention to create more than 600 jobs in Glasgow with a customer care centre that will support customers throughout the UK.

Education and research
Scotland’s 13 universities, nine specialist higher education institutions and 46 further education colleges produce one of the highest levels of graduates anywhere in Europe. They also conduct world-class research and development in a wide range of fields including artificial intelligence, optoelectronics, biotechnology, electronics and precision engineering.

There are equally powerful research and development teams in the commercial sector. Scotland’s established strengths in electronics, software, opto-electronics, medical devices, biotechnology and semiconductors continue to be at the leading edge, thanks to world-class research and development within companies that have based operations in Scotland. Scottish Development International, a joint venture between the Scottish Executive and Scottish Enterprise, is spearheading continued development under the banners ‘Global Connection’ and ‘Smart Successful Scotland’.

The new Scotland
In 1999, the Scottish Parliament reconvened after 300 years, and this has given Scotland a renewed sense of direction and purpose. An exciting, modern, vibrant country in which to live and work, it offers leading companies from around the world a high-quality business location, together with an exceptional quality of life and an environment known throughout the world for its history, spectacular landscapes and great open spaces. Edinburgh and Glasgow are major UK centres for the arts, the country’s transport infrastructure is mature, the air is clean, health care is excellent, and its economy is in good shape.

For a country of just 5m people, Scotland punches above its weight as an international high-tech performer.

Websites:
Scottish Development International www.scottishdevelopmentinternational.com
Locate in Scotland (investment) www.lis.org.uk
Scottish Trade International www.sti.org.uk
Clan Search www.tartans.com