Please download full pdf version of the report. A html version will follow but Executive Summary noted below:
Executive Summary
Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC) has produced this report in response to the Scottish Government’s strategic initiative to establish Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster (SCTS)1. This supercluster aims to harness the potential of four key technologies – photonics, quantum, semiconductors, and connectivity and sensing – to drive economic growth, innovation, and national resilience. These technologies already support nearly 11,000 highly skilled jobs and generate over £4 billion a year in revenue, with ambitions to grow to £10 billion and 18,000 jobs by 2035.
The report outlines the opportunities, challenges, and strategic actions required to realise the full potential of SCTS, drawing on stakeholder engagement, questionnaires, roundtables, and desk research.
Strategic Context
Scotland’s innovation ecosystem is well-positioned to support and grow its critical technologies. It benefits from:
- world-class research institutions
- a strong pipeline of graduates and skilled workers
- established industry networks and supply chains
- a mix of small, medium, and large firms, many with global reach
Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster is intended to build synergies across these technologies, enabling collaborative growth that exceeds the sum of individual efforts. The concept of a supercluster emphasises coordinated, cross-sectoral collaboration supported by government policy, infrastructure, and investment.
Governance and Coordination
The establishment of the SCTS Advisory Board in 2025 marks a foundational step in providing leadership and strategic direction. Our key recommendations include:
- co-creating a shared vision and brand for SCTS that aligns with Scottish and UK policy goals
- developing a promotional strategy to raise the supercluster’s profile nationally and internationally
- acting as a single point of contact for stakeholders, including investors, regulators, and collaborators
- providing specialist support in areas such as regulation, intellectual property, and business development
- creating a ‘sandbox’ to enable innovation around business models and policies
- expanding leadership to include financial expertise, such as representatives from the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB)
The Advisory Board should consider evolving into an Industry Leadership Group (ILG) to formalise its representative role.
Investment and Incentives
Access to finance remains a critical barrier for scaling innovation. Key issues include:
- the “Valley of Death” between early-stage grants and growth capital
- limited access to venture capital, especially for investments over £10 million
- geographic disadvantages compared to the UK’s Golden Triangle of London, Oxford and Cambridge
Recommendations include:
- prioritising patient capital through public sector support
- creating a Critical Technologies Growth Capital Fund, co-invested by public and private sectors
- developing a shared spin-out support portal to streamline commercialisation
- implementing a spin-out terms template to reduce equity stakes of higher education institutions and attract investors
- launching an international investor attraction programme, showcasing Scotland’s talent, infrastructure, and cost advantages
Technological Opportunities and Challenges
Scotland’s CT industries are well-placed to scale, but face challenges in moving innovations to market. Key barriers include:
- difficulty advancing technologies to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)
- lack of environments for early testing compliant with international standards
- limited access to capital equipment and shared facilities
Strategic actions could include:
- investing in shared R&D infrastructure, such as labs and clean rooms
- creating a national facilities hub
- pooling intellectual property portfolios and developing digital platforms for collaboration
- strengthening links to adjacent sectors, including space, defence, and life sciences
- engaging with UKRI and Innovate UK to ensure Scottish representation in funding and policy
Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster must seek to balance investment in emerging innovations with support for market-ready technologies to ensure resilience and economic benefit
Talent Attraction, Development and Retention
Skills shortages are a pressing concern across all CT sectors. Challenges include:
- gaps in technician-level and mid-skilled roles
- under-representation of women and workers from rural communities
- visa restrictions affecting international talent recruitment
- limited vocational and non-university pathways into the industries
Recommendations include:
- developing a short-term skills plan with Skills Development Scotland
- creating a long-term workforce strategy, aligned with industry needs
- embedding practical knowledge through apprenticeships, dual-training schemes, and modular qualifications
- supporting cross-sector mobility through bridge programmes and retraining initiatives
- promoting business skills within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and through supercluster-led training
- launching targeted campaigns to attract underrepresented groups and international talent
Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster can act as a translator between academia, industry, and government to support talent development and retention.
There is a consensus on the need for sustained strategic focus and investment in critical technologies. Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster represents a transformative opportunity for Scotland to lead in innovation, economic growth, and global competitiveness. Success will depend on coordinated action across governance, investment, infrastructure, and skills.