Scottish Government Debate: Scottish Innovation Strategy

Richard Lochhead S6M-09594 That the Parliament welcomes the publication of Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy; recognises its vision for Scotland to become one of the most innovative small nations in the world over the next decade as a key part of delivering a greener, fairer, wellbeing economy; recognises Scotland’s potential to become a world leader in four key areas of the economy, which are energy to address the climate emergency, health and life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and data and digital technologies; welcomes the strategy’s four programmes, which are a national network of clusters in key sectors, a renewed investment and support offer for businesses, a new framework for realising the commercial and community benefits of research, and a new programme focused on supporting businesses to become active in innovation and improve their productivity; recognises that the Scottish Government will measure and evaluate Scotland’s innovation performance and compare this to similar nations on an annual basis; welcomes the extensive engagement, consultation and joint working with industry, academia, entrepreneurs, investors and the public sector that helped develop the strategy; notes the successful examples of innovation taking place across the country; recognises the important role of enhanced employee engagement and alternative ownership models in fostering innovation, and understands the significant opportunities for Scotland, and its businesses, entrepreneurs, workers, communities and universities, to grow and scale its excellence in innovation and technology to become recognised globally as a world-leading innovation nation. Jamie Halcro Johnston S6M-09594.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-09594 in the name of Richard Lochhead (Scottish Innovation Strategy), leave out from first "welcomes" to end and insert "recognises the importance of driving innovation in Scotland, both within the public and private sectors, but believes that the current direction of the Scottish Government is creating barriers to growth and inhibiting innovation; further recognises that high taxes on individuals and businesses risk impacting on growth; regrets the reduction in the 2023-24 budget settlement to the enterprise agencies, which will reduce their ability to support Scottish businesses; acknowledges the challenges faced in the university sector for Scottish students due to high levels of competition and the resulting impact that has on the ability to train, in the numbers required, sufficiently skilled workers to drive and support innovation; believes that leaving the United Kingdom would severely damage Scotland’s ability to succeed by creating a border across the vital UK single market, creating significant challenges for businesses to trade and operate across the United Kingdom, and would cost the Scottish economy billions of pounds, reducing the ability to foster a strong, vibrant and innovative economy, and believes that Scotland’s success lies in cooperation across the United Kingdom, economic policies which provide Scotland with a competitive advantage, proper investment in infrastructure to benefit businesses and communities, and a Scottish Government with a firm grasp on public finances to build business confidence and drive innovation." Daniel Johnson S6M-09594.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-09594 in the name of Richard Lochhead (Scottish Innovation Strategy), insert at end "; recognises that ambition alone will not be enough to realise the potential of Scotland’s people, businesses and communities; believes that a genuine coordinated industrial strategy, built on investment, skills and infrastructure, will be central to driving innovation; welcomes the identification of the energy sector as a sector with high potential, and believes that the best chance of realising the potential in Scotland’s energy sector is through the Labour Party’s plan to create a new publicly-owned energy company, which will be headquartered in Scotland and will deliver lower bills, energy security and good jobs for Scotland."