Scotland’s first National Innovation Week will take place this autumn, including renewed health and life sciences goals — a move welcomed by formal NHS partner InnoScot Health

The organisation believes the announcement is “bold, ambitious, and potentially transformative for inward investment aspirations” as the country aims to showcase its many world-leading capabilities to global investors.

The gathering, taking place from Monday 22 September to Friday 26 September, will throw the spotlight on the country’s life sciences breakthroughs, leading data and digital technologies, advanced manufacturing, and energy transition, as well as Scotland’s key role in developing industries of the future.

Innovation Commercialisation Manager at InnoScot Health, Frances Ramsay said: “The announcement of Scotland’s first ever National Innovation Week isn’t just the rollout of an annual event — instead, it represents the start of an exciting push for a new type of collective national ambition with sights set higher.

“It is bold, ambitious, and potentially transformative for inward investment aspirations.

“Following on from the country’s recent successful trade mission to Japan, the week’s focus is firmly on fostering international engagement, capitalising on competitive advantage in key areas of national strength — as set out in Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy — and encouraging cross-sector collaboration for expansion of global presence.

“We are particularly pleased to note that health and life sciences are high on the week’s progressive agenda for knowledge exchange and relationship building.

“It is our belief that accelerating innovation identified by NHS Scotland staff, in tandem with the right support, can be key to unlocking vital health service improvements while placing our country on the map as a world-class hub of clinical creativity.”

Featuring a centrepiece summit taking place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on Thursday 25 September, the National Innovation Week will celebrate Scotland’s rich heritage of world-leading breakthroughs.

It will also showcase the country’s global leadership in pioneering the transformative technologies as well as its role in driving the industries of the future.

Frances continued: “We are particularly looking forward to the summit and its build-up which will no doubt have many international eyes on it. We must take full advantage of the opportunity to drive home the unique skills which Scotland can offer in abundance.”

During a recent visit to visit to ONE BioHub, a focal point for life sciences in Aberdeen, Business Minister Richard Lochhead — an InnoScot Health webinar guest speaker last year — said: “Scotland’s first National Innovation Week marks a pivotal moment to turn ambition into action and cement our place as a truly global innovation nation.

“Today we stand at the forefront of the next wave of transformative technologies which not only offer immense potential for economic growth but also powerful tools to tackle the global challenges of our time — from healthcare and energy to climate change.

“Companies across Scotland are speeding up the development of new drugs and medicines through automation, pioneering the energy systems of the future and developing the space and satellite technology to help tackle climate change — to give just a few examples.

“It is essential that we seize these opportunities to benefit both our economy and society.”