1,721,157 research outputs found
The development, rationale, organisation and future management of public sector tourism in Scotland
Full text linkScotland is a small country, part of a small island on the edge of Western Europe, yet it has a very large tourist organisation (with about 750 staff) relative to other countries - how can this be? Scotland is different from the rest of the UK; it has its own education system, separate judicial and legal systems, and these, along with the Church, have helped to mould Scotland’s identity. Scotland is not an independent state so does not have direct membership of the United Nation nor its affiliated organisations. In 1999, the UK government devolved limited authority and power to the new Scottish Parliament, including judicial authority, education, health and industrial development – including tourism. Scotland, with a population of just over five million, has always looked outwards and innovation has long been part of Scottish culture. So can Scotland also take a lead in developing a new management structure for delivering tourism in Scotland in the 21st century
Economic growth : past trends and future prospects of advanced economies
No full textThe main purpose of this article is to consider the future prospects for economic growth in advanced economies, including the UK and Scotland, in the light of recent past trends. In general, the data used throughout this article is shown in terms of GDP per capita (in constant price terms). Both academic economists (eg. Nick Crafts1) and economic institutions (eg. OECD2) consider that changes in GDP per capita are more relevant than simple GDP growth, in terms of judging the shifts in real living standards. However, in most of the following discussion, the same general conclusions would also be valid in a GDP growth context. Part One looks at how slow any bounce-back in economic growth has been, following the latest recession, especially in comparison to other recessions. Part Two looks at changes to economic growth rates over the past four decades for advanced economies and what this might imply for future growth rates. Part Three looks at sources of economic growth and what areas of economic policy need to re-considered in order to improve future prospects. Part Four provides a brief summary
The Scottish public finances 2010-11 : surplus or deficit?
No full textThe annual publication of the Government Expenditure and Revenues in Scotland Report (known as GERS), which is compiled by professional economists in the Scottish Government, is a highly political event. [...] Arguments over GERS accuracy have generally been between the SNP and the other political parties, rather than between experts. Whilst GERS is based on estimating techniques and the UK’s public expenditure statistics, researchers in the area have accepted that it maps out the broad magnitude of Scotland’s fiscal position (Heald et al, 1998; MacKay and Wood, 1999; Bell and Christie, 2002), and therefore "the kind of fiscal position from which an independent Scotland would start" (Murkens, Jones and Keating, 2002)
Scotland's business innovation performance 2008-10
No full textThis paper examines Scotland's innovation performance relative the UK, using the latest 2011 UK Innovation Survey. The analysis shows that Scotland has a smaller proportion of businesses that are 'innovation active' than the UK average and lies in the bottom quartile compared to other European countries. The data highlight some key differences between Scotland and UK innovation performance in areas such as markets, motivation for innovation and investment. The analysis helps identify some areas where further research should focus
Innovation in Scotland : analysis of the community innovation survey 2009
No full textStrengthening levels of innovation is one of the cornerstones of the Scottish Government‟s Economic Strategy. Innovation is a key catalyst for productivity growth as new ideas drive enterprise, create new products and markets and improve efficiency, delivering benefits to firms, customers and society. It is a crucial factor in determining competitiveness and national progress. Until recently, the most common and well known measure of innovation has been the ratio of national expenditure on R&D to GDP. Data shows that there has been a significant gap in business research and development (R&D) expenditure between Scotland and the UK, EU and OECD averages in recent years. Scottish Business Enterprise R&D (BERD) expenditure was 0.56% of Scottish GDP in 2009, lower than the rate for the UK as a whole (1.11%) and the EU (1.17%). Compared to other UK Government regions, Scotland ranked in 10th place out of the 12 regions. However, while R&D is useful for measuring technology-based activities, it is increasingly recognised that this is only one element of the broader concept of innovation and is frequently more relevant for manufacturing than for services. Evidence shows that firms introduce new products and services onto the market without necessarily performing R&D. A lot of innovation activity is based on (or embodied in) advanced machinery and computer systems purchased to implement new or improved processes and deliver new products and services. Innovation can also be purchased through rights to use patents, licences, trademarks and software. Innovation can also encompass training and new design and marketing processes. Evidence also shows that many firms adopt multiple, complementary innovation strategies, with the most innovative firms introducing both product and process innovations as well as marketing or organisational innovations. Therefore, productivity growth can be achieved through advances in technology combined with new approaches to creating and delivering of goods and services. There is now a solid body of evidence describing the relationship between research, innovation and economic development. The evidence suggests that investment in „intangible assets‟ that give rise to innovation (R&D, software, human capital and new organisational structures) now accounts for up to 12% of GDP in some countries and contributes as much to labour productivity growth as investment in tangible assets such as machinery and equipment. According to OECD estimates, investment in intangible assets accounted for around a quarter of labour productivity growth in the UK and other countries between 1995 and 2006. The Community Innovation Survey (CIS) allows an assessment of business innovation performance, wider than just R&D expenditure, across European Union countries. CIS collects a range of information from businesses on the types of innovation they are involved in, motivation for innovation, spending on a range of innovation activities beyond R&D, collaboration and linkages between businesses or with public research organisations, as well as data on sales from product innovations. In light of the growing recognition that innovation encompasses a wider range of activities, and that broader metrics are required to reflect this, the Innovation Survey provides a key data set to measure innovation within businesses
Foreword from the Principal [June 2009]
No full textAs Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde I am very pleased to introduce this special issue of the Fraser Commentary which, in addition to the regular forecast and review of the Scottish economy, is focussed on the role of higher education and training in Scotland
The technology company development journey : from concept to commercialisation
No full textIt is widely recognised that Scotland has competitive advantage in key areas of science and technology within its research and company base. However, the nation performs relatively poorly in terms of numbers of active entrepreneurs, business start-ups and creation of high-growth technology businesses within knowledge intensive industries. Scotland needs to rapidly commercialise those technologies where there is both a strong market opportunity and an ambition to create or grow a company of scale. The Scottish Government's Economic Strategy (Scottish Government, 2011) highlights the role that commercialisation can play in contributing to economic growth and Scottish Enterprise (SE) has built a clear strategic commitment to commercialisation: developing and investing in a number of initiatives and programmes to support the conversion of science and technology based ideas into products or services which deliver value to a particular market. With the ambition of converting the country's wealth of research assets into economic assets, a better understanding of the mechanics and transitions by which technology based ideas are transformed into marketable goods and services across the 'concept to commercialisation' paradigm is key to improving success rates and economic benefits for Scotland. This paper sets out the key findings from primary research that gives a unique insight into the experience of 32 companies that have been supported by SE. The research evidence highlights the challenges involved in the commercialisation process and path to market for Scottish-based technology companies, whose origins may be existing technology businesses, university spin-outs or start-up companies, and is the first in-depth analysis of its kind in Scotland
Glasgow defined : a business perspective
No full textCommerce, trade and business together with education have been the heart of Glasgow over the centuries. Glasgow played a central role in developing Scotland's trans-Atlantic commerce and trade- based economy with the development of the tobacco trade. As the 'second city of the empire' in the late 1800s it was, as Findlay (2011) notes, a central player in the first industrial revolution with its textile, mining, iron and shipping industries. Glasgow's leadership in the manufacture of ships, locomotives and heavy engineering reflected not only a highly skilled workforce, but equally a strong tradition of technological innovation and invention together allied to a strong financial and business services base. Through much of the 20th century Glasgow, along with many other industrial cities, had to confront the problems of industrial change and rising social deprivation and experienced several cycles of decline, renewal and regeneration. However, the traditions of innovation, together with a strong higher education sector, and a vibrant culture and dynamism have enabled Glasgow to change and to renew its economy. Since the 1980s, Glasgow has been rebuilding itself through a series regeneration programmes including: the 'Glasgow Miles Better' campaign, the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival, being European City of Culture in 1990 and, looking forward, hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014. These, together with a series of development strategies, most notably the private-sector led Glasgow Action which led the implementation of a services-led McKinsey strategy from the mid-1980’s to the Joint Economic Strategy of Glasgow City Council and Scottish Enterprise set out in 2006 'Step Change' strategy programme and – even more recently - the creation of the Glasgow Economic Commission and the private sector-led Glasgow Economic Leadership all illustrate the innovation and strength of commitment of civic, business and academic partners to continuing and strengthening Glasgow's economic growth and renewal
The effect of PFI commitments on local authority finances
No full textThis article looks at the question of how the unitary charge payments of PFI contracts are indexed to allow for inflation over the 25 to 30 year life of the contract. This follows a number of articles and reports in which we have considered other aspects of PFI
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