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Science and innovation
29/09/2009
Leading scientists and business leaders from around the world joined First Minister Alex Salmond for a special Homecoming celebration of Scotland's achievements in science and innovation tonight.
More than 120 guests gathered at Edinburgh Castle to recognise the achievements of homegrown talents who have changed the world through science, innovation and enterprise.
Professor Kathy Sykes, Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, Professor Sir Michael Atiyah, Professor Sir Philip Cohen, Anne Budge, Anne Glover and Sir Tom Hunter will attend the reception devoted to world-leading technologies and projects developed in Scotland.
2009 is Scotland's Year of Homecoming, which marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and celebrates many of Scotland's greatest contributions to the world. One of the five key themes of Homecoming is 'great Scottish minds and innovations', recognising the world-changing work of Scots including James Watt, John Logie Baird, James Clerk Maxwell, Adam Smith and David Hume.
The event will showcase Scotland as a 'science nation' and as the best place in the world to invest in technology and innovation.
The FM said:
"Homecoming 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth and the immense contribution that Scotland has made to the world, including great Scottish minds and innovation, our rich culture and heritage, Burns, whisky and golf.
"Scotland has made an immense contribution in shaping the modern world - our record of science and engineering research and innovation is nothing short of astonishing for a country of our size.
"The television, telephone and the Scottish enlightenment are amongst the most famous contributions of our great scientists and innovators. More recently Scottish scientists have been responsible for Dolly the sheep, keyhole surgery, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and renewable energy technologies, which all continue to make a hugely positive impact on the world.
"Earlier this year, Scotland set a global challenge to compete for the single, greatest prize in the world for marine energy innovation - the £10 million Saltire Prize.
"This challenge is part of the Government's work to strengthen Scotland's role as a leader in researching and developing renewable energy, which has the potential to produce significant amounts of sustainable energy and many highly-skilled green jobs.
"Scotland is a modern, knowledge-based economy with first-rate science infrastructure, and outstanding skills. The Scottish Government is working to capitalise on these competitive advantages to increase sustainable economic growth and create a smarter, greener, wealthier country. We want Scotland to attract new talent and investment and be a global powerhouse of technology, innovation and enterprise."
Professor Anne Glover, Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland, said:
"Scotland's international currency is Science, Engineering and Technology. We are helping to deliver solutions for improved health, sustainable energy, better communication and protecting the future for humans on our planet.
"There has always been an excitement about science in Scotland and, as proud as we might be about our past, we have never been more active and inventive as we are now. As well as the sheer pleasure of discovery, this offers great opportunities for our young people, our businesses and our overseas partners to use this knowledge to make a great difference in the world."
Kathy Sykes, Professor of Sciences and Society at the University of Bristol, said:
"Scotland is known for its amazing thinkers and innovators, whether in science or engineering, or literature, philosophy and philanthropy.
"It has long been a cradle for world business, and it's smart enough, joined up enough, and fast enough to act to continue to shape our future world."
Guests include: Sir Tom Hunter - one of Scotland's leading entrepreneur and philanthropist; Professor Kathy Sykes - one of the UK's leading science communicators; Anne Glover - founder and CEO of Amadeus venture capitalists; Ann Budge - founder and former CEO of the IT company Sopra Group; Sir Philip Cohen - one of the world's most highly cited scientists in the fields of biology and biochemistry; Sir Michael Atiyah - one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th and 21st century; and Sir Ian Wilmut - Dolly the sheep pioneer, and director of the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine.