Current status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14985 by Ivan McKee on 21 February 2023, what (a) action it is taking and (b) (i) research and (ii) industrial capacity currently exists in Scotland, to take advantage of any industrial opportunity presented by flexible and transparent electronics fabricated using two-dimensional semiconductors.
Scotland is home to several vibrant, growing and dynamic technology sectors, and the Scottish Government recognises their importance to our current and future economy. Our 10-year National Strategy for Economic Transformation seeks to strengthen Scotland’s position in new market opportunities, and specifically cites enabling technologies, like photonics and quantum, that have close links to the semiconductor industry. Our Technology Sector Export Plan will also develop the export capacity and capability of our enabling technologies sectors.
Scotland has considerable photonics expertise, being home to approximately 60 companies, and the only Fraunhofer Research Centre in the UK - the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics. In December 2021, I announced £6.5m of funding to support the next phase of its applied photonics research and innovation activities. The development of our quantum sector is supported through institutions such as the University of Glasgow’s Quantum Technology Hub, while Technology Scotland have also established a Quantum Special Interest Group. The Group is currently drafting a paper, due to be published this year, setting out quantum technology ambitions for Scotland over the next decade.