Strengths
Research base
Scottish education
Pooling
Scottish HEIs are much more internationalised than our companies
There are some very innovative and lively SMEs.
English is generally the language of science.
Cost effective to locate in Scotland
Good quality of life
Diversity - applies to HEIs niches, international engagement,
geography
But compact - centres of population, concentration of unis, clusters.
SG more accessible
Historical links eg US homecoming, EU, UK
Green energy (infrastructure) - potential
Use Scotland as a base for Europe - legacy of industries eg. Defence
Highly skilled skills base
Part of the UK - plays into all SWOT dynamics.
70% of Scottish exports are stem dependent. | Weaknesses
Migration
Demographics
High percentage of SMEs
Low interaction SMEs with universities
Low local BERD - links with HEIs
BERD predominantly international
GDP low relative to skills base
More modest, lack of ambition
Transport issues and silo mentality Edinburgh/Glasgow
Are we flattering ourselves relative to competitors?
Low entrepreneurship
Good KT from HEIs but not to large scale.
HEI structure - competition for students but collaboration on
research - enough "Scotland plc" behavior?
Language skills.
Outward mobility
Are we doing enough to target EU funding?
Part of UK/not part of UK - does lack of self governance affect
graduate retention rates? |
Opportunities
Exploit ethnic base
Contribute more (policy/funding) to Europe, ERA etc
What support can we provide SMEs to grow?
Entrepreneurship is an opportunity. Explain how easy it is. eg. Iceland.
Ireland R&D advocates - More proactive than Interface.
Vouchers for SMEs to access HEIs research.
Rapid response - Capacity to Change funding structures - Government/institutions with funding and scientifically informed staff) to really big investment opportunities
Making science more overt within branding.
HEIs refocus on commercialisation side?
Pooling - international pooling? CoEs
SDI - each account managed company will be encouraged to take up full range of services.
Greater outward focus - companies, students, support.
Networks of small companies getting together to bid for big projects.
Emerging economies - trade and HE links - China, India.
SCQF well regarded - selling our education sector.
Africa as a trade not just charity opportunity for Scotland eg. Malawi.
USPs - Green power, environmental science, agriculture (collections, heritage - food, biodiversity), health and life sciences.(drug discovery, clinical trials, stem cells) Rural skills/ ICT, hi tech but within the communities inc distance learning
Part of UK/devolution model is interesting for externals.
International expansion - teaching, research, influencing aspirations
Constitutional reform
Knowledge legacy
Skilled people
Available land/facilities | Threats
Not being able to grow the economy - SME complacency or resistance.
Lost opportunities eg. in emerging markets - our competitors beat us
VC (esp US) funding decrease will have large negative effect in Scotland - need to diversify our FDI base
Reduction in public funding - Westminster
Brain drain?
Ageing population
Is pooling sustainable? Evaluation this year.
Further EU expansion in membership negatively affects Scotland
Inward investment - mobility
Mismatch - policy/investment
Government seeing science funding as a priority
Less people studying science.
Having unsustainable short term partnerships eg international students as cash cow - what happens when China has capacity to train its students?
RSA - UK/ EU - boundary changes
Being silent - not selling Scotland enough.
Investors may withdraw if full independence but others may come in.
UK competition. |