The objective is “to ensure that a vibrant and competitive chemicals industry exists in Scotland in 20 years time”.
The aims of the strategy will be achieved by implementing a 10-point plan covering five topics – sustainability, innovation, skills, reputation and investment. 80 high-level industrialists and academics are actively involved in the delivery of the industry strategy through these five topic groups.
Download the Chemical Sciences Scotland strategy document (PDF, 1.9Mb)- Download the progress to date leaflet (PDF, 309kb)
- Watch a video introduction to the industry by Dr Sandy Dobbie, Chairman of Chemical Sciences Scotland
(Please note that it may take some time to access the video stream, depending on the speed of your internet connection.)
View a transcript of the video
The chemicals sector and the Scottish economy
The chemicals industry in Scotland is designated by Scottish Enterprise as a ‘priority industry’, deemed of essential importance to the Scottish economy and is supported by a dedicated industry team. Chemical sciences are vital to the Scottish economy because:
- Scotland contributes more to the UK chemicals industry than its population ration; almost 10 per cent (£3.4billion) of the UK output.
- It’s Scotland’s second biggest export earner, responsible for 8 per cent (£1.3billion) of manufacturing exports.
- It’s one of Scotland’s highest value industries, employing 13,500 skilled staff, many of them graduates with a Gross Value Added (GVA) per employee of £76,300.
- Around 70,000 jobs in Scotland are directly dependent upon it.
- Scotland’s highly-rated universities (in both chemical science and engineering disciplines) produce around 1000 graduates per annum. Further education colleges also produce high-calibre technical staff and ongoing professional training for chemicals businesses.
- ScotCHEM, the university collaborative research body, has attracted additional funding of £23million to assist its development and attract new chairs of chemistry.
- There are over 100 chemical companies in Scotland, with significant concentrations in the Forth Valley, Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Fife and Dumfries and Galloway areas.
*Image courtesy of P.Tuffy. University of Edinburgh