A Science Strategy for Scotland
The Scottish Executive published its first Science Strategy - A Science Strategy for Scotland - in August 2001. The strategy provides a framework of policies to guide the detailed development of policy for the support and use of science to achieve the Scottish Executive's objectives. A progress report was produced in February 2006. A consultation on a Science and Innovation Strategy for Scotland was completed in January and a report on this was published in September 2007.
The Science Strategy was the result of a wide consultation process based on the report of the Science Strategy Review Group, commissioned by the Scottish Executive in 2000, to identify the questions to be addressed by a science strategy. (A copy of the consultation documents is available on request.)
The five main objectives of the 2001 strategy:
- to maintain a strong science base fully connected to UK and international activity and funding sources
- to increase the effective exploitation of scientific research to grow strong Scottish businesses and provide cutting edge science to meet the needs of the people of Scotland
- to ensure that enough people study science to a standard which will enable the future needs of the country to be met
- to promote the awareness, appreciation and understanding of science across society
- to ensure the effective use of scientific evidence in policy formulation and resource allocation by Government