PROGRAMME 7

DEVELOP AI INVESTMENT PLAN

Strategy Actions

1.5 Develop horizon-scanning capability to identify high growth companies, opportunities and key international benchmarks 

2.4 Develop a national and international engagement plan targeting future talent, businesses and potential investors. 

2.5 Develop a plan to better leverage investment, research and development funding 

3.3 Building on the success of our AI Climate Emergency Challenge, establish an AI for Good Programme to help solve some of the most significant challenges facing our society 

Year 2 Progress

Scottish Government Innovation Strategy 

The Scottish Government will publish in the next few months a new National Innovation Strategy. The Strategy will set out our vision that over the next ten years Scotland will become one of the most innovative small nations in the world, to grow our economy, create jobs and deliver priority outcomes. It will address the challenges and actions we need to take to ensure we deliver across the entire range of innovation activity in Scotland, ensuring that our businesses, people and institutions are ready to meet global economic challenges and opportunities. The Innovation Strategy will align with our overarching National Strategy for Economic Transformation and with our Export and Investment Plans, and will adopt an investor mindset to innovation funding support for Scotland’s businesses. 

Review of Innovation Centres

A review of the current Innovation Centres, including the Data Lab, and their suitability for further infrastructure investment by the Scottish Funding Council is currently underway. The review will make recommendations to the Council’s Board in summer 2023. An Assessment Panel has been formed to support this process with the current seven Innovation Centres being invited to submit plans. Further updates will be shared once this work is complete.

AI Landscape Mapping Study 

Scottish Enterprise, in partnership with the Scottish AI Alliance, has commissioned from Optimat Consulting an in-depth mapping study and database of the Scottish AI landscape, to ensure the delivery of the actions from Scotland’s AI Strategy and the Scottish Tech Ecosystem review remains informed by comprehensive and up-to-date evidence. The initial findings from the study show the breadth of micro and small businesses at the core of Scotland’s AI ecosystem, and our strengths in machine learning and sectors such as health financial services. Stakeholder engagement is ongoing, and Scottish Enterprise and Alliance will use the findings to identify and strengthen industry networks to support the growth of the AI sector in Scotland. 

AI for Good / CivTech

As mentioned in the State of AI report 21/22, AI for Good is not a standalone programme (all of the AI work we support is “good”), but rather a way of prioritising investments and resources to deliver impact in key areas using the type of AI we want to see in Scotland.  

This year, our CivTech Challenge on public trust and agency in the use of AI by the public sector, with a focus on children’s rights has reached a critical milestone, with the launch of the AI Register and as a first use case, an initial exploration by the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration of the use of AI to fight child sexual exploitation.  

In addition, we ran a CivTech challenge on using AI for inclusive access to public services, starting with disabled people. The prototype developed during the accelerator stage was presented at Demo Day in February, and a Pre-Commercial Agreement has been concluded with Insights Driven to continue development and go live later in 2023.