Meeting of the Parliament 18 March 2026 [Draft]
Bill Kidd has raised an important point about the fact that Scotland’s business confidence is continuing its upward trend on that measure. Although cost pressures remain, the fact that businesses plan to adjust shows a growing sense of confidence and a firmer footing for future investment.
Business confidence in Scotland is closely linked to firms’ ability to adopt new technologies and innovate, and the Scottish Government is actively working to ensure that that positive trend continues. A key part of that is the Techscaler programme—now in its fourth year—which provides a national platform that supports the creation, development and scaling of tech start-ups across Scotland.
We have also transformed the investment landscape in Scotland to make Scotland more attractive to investment, thus creating jobs in our communities.