The chemical sciences sector in Scotland is designated by the Scottish Government as a ‘priority sector’ deemed of essential importance to the Scottish economy.
The chemicals sector in Scotland spans three main areas:
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Basic chemicals
These are the primary building blocks supplied to other chemical industries and include the production and supply of basic organics/inorganics, fertilisers, industrial gases, plastic, rubber and man-made fibres.
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Pharmaceuticals
The pharmaceuticals industry has strong links with Scottish universities and courses such as the Drug Design course at Napier ensure that talented graduates enter the industry.
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Speciality chemicals
Speciality chemicals include performance products and fine chemicals. Growth areas in this sector include specialist organics and inorganics, additives, pesticides, paints and dyes.
Chemical sciences are vital to the Scottish economy. Here are some key facts about the sector in Scotland:
£9.3 billion
Chemical sciences companies in Scotland generate £9.3 billion of revenue
200
There are more more than 200 chemical sciences companies in Scotland, many of them SMEs
25%
Chemical sciences accounts for 25 percent of Scottish manufacturing by turnover and six percent of Scottish manufacturing employment
40%
Chemical sciences accounts for 40 percent of all industrial R&D in Scotland
£4 billion
The chemical sciences sector is one of Scotland's top exporters, winning overseas manufacturing exports valued at £3 billion a year
15%
The Scottish chemicals industry accounts for 15 percent of the UK sector by turnover
13
In Scotland there are 13 universities and five colleges which have research and teaching excellence in chemistry and engineering
26
The basic chemicals sector in Scotland comprises 26 manufacturers
£22.3 billion
Total UK basic chemicals exports reached £22.3 billion in 2008
72%
Basic chemicals contributed 72 percent of the chemical industry’s GVA in 2008
£25.5 billion
Total UK basic chemicals imports reached £25.5 billion in 2008
Scotland's largest refinery
INEOS's refinery and petrochemical plant at Grangemouth is their largest manufacturing site and Scotland's largest refinery, producing 10 million tonnes of fuels (equivalent to around 9m litres per day)
45%
Basic chemicals represented nearly 45 percent of total EU chemicals sales in 2007
£16.6 billion
Total UK pharmaceuticals exports were over £16.6 billion in 2008
11%
Pharmaceuticals contributed 11 percent to the chemical industry's GVA in 2008
£10.7 billion
Total UK pharmaceuticals imports were over £10.7 billion in 2008
18
The pharmaceuticals industry in Scotland comprises 18 manufacturers
£800 billion
The global pharmaceutical market is set to double in value close to £800 billion by 2020
27%
Pharmaceuticals represented 27 percent of total EU chemicals sales in 2007
£5.9 billion
UK pharmaceuticals trade surplus was £5.9 billion in 2008
EastCHEM is UK's best
The nationwide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) gave EastCHEM research collaboration between the universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews, the best power rating of any chemistry unit in Britain
WestCHEM in top 10
WestCHEM research collaboration, which brings together Glasgow and Strathclyde, was ranked eighth by the nationwide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)
78
The speciality chemicals sector comprises 78 manufacturers producing a wide array of goods for use in a number of industries across the globe
Leading distribution companies
Scotland has leading distribution companies with knowledge and experience of transporting hazardous and other chemical substances
70%
Seventy percent of fine chemicals are sold to the chemicals industry
17%
Speciality chemicals sector contributed 17 percent to the industry’s GVA in 2008
10%
Speciality chemicals represents over 10 percent of the UK sector and their high value and high margin makes the sector vital to Scotland’s chemicals industry
World leader
FujiFilm’s Scottish business is the world leader in inkjet dyes
£161,000
Chemical sciences has the second highest GVA per employee of any industry in Scotland with each employee contributing on average £161,000 to the economy
6.7%
Chemical sciences accounts for 6.7 percent of Scottish manufacturing employment
14,000
Chemical sciences is one of Scotland’s highest value industries — employing 14,000 skilled staff, many of them graduates
70,000
Around 70,000 jobs in Scotland are directly dependent on the chemical sciences sector
World-leading companies
The world's leading chemical/pharma companies have businesses located in Scotland, including INEOS, DSM, BASF, GSK, Syngenta and DOW
1,000
Scotland's highly-rated universities (in both chemical science and engineering disciplines) produce around 1,000 graduates per year. Further education colleges also produce high-calibre technical staff and ongoing professional training for chemical businesses.
Lowest corporation tax
Scotland’s 26 percent corporation tax is the lowest of the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States) making Scotland attractive to business investors
42%
Scotland attracts significant inward investment with overseas-owned chemical companies making up around 42 percent of Scotland’s chemicals industry
Top research facilities
The nationwide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) recognised that four of the UK’s top 10 research departments are in Scotland, including WestCHEM and EastCHEM collaborations