How to ensure we scale up Scotland’s startups, guest blog by Shane Corstorphine, Chair, Scottish Scale-Up Panel

Scotland has always punched above its weight when it comes to ideas. From the Enlightenment to fintech, from engines to AI, innovation is woven into who we are. But once again, we’re at a turning point - one that will decide whether Scotland remains a nation of inventors or becomes a nation of scale.

Over the past several months, I’ve had the privilege of chairing an independent panel exploring what it really takes to turn Scotland from a strong startup nation into a true scaleup economy.

We held more than 75 conversations with founders, investors and advisers who are building and backing ambitious companies.  Those discussions have shaped the report: Scaling Scotland – Building the Engine for the Next 50 Years of Prosperity.

Scotland has exceptional startup talent, world-class universities, and a new generation of globally-minded founders.  But the system around them - the infrastructure that helps companies move from early success to sustained growth  - is not yet fit for purpose.  We’re good at starting up, but we need to get better at scaling.

Rapid scaling requires experience and the ability to make big, informed strategic bets. Two critical enablers are venture capital and talent. Capital will flow if we create more great businesses - but that requires scale up experience.

In turn, scaling requires specific talent in three areas: a leadership team with ideally two executives who have significantly scaled before; a committed team ready for the intensity of building something significant; and operationally experienced board members. Scale-ups aren’t 9 to 5 - they’re all-consuming, and for those with the hunger and ambition, it can be a magical experience.

The 15 recommendations in the report aim to unlock talent and funding while helping businesses to excel at execution and market expansion. They’re practical, measurable, and grounded in what works. More importantly, they call for private sector leadership, backed by a public sector that enables rather than directs. This is not about more programmes or bureaucracy - it’s about focus: removing friction, improving coordination, and aligning incentives so ambition can flourish.

If we get this right, scaleups will become Scotland’s growth engine - creating high-value jobs, driving exports, and strengthening communities across the country. The opportunity is real and urgent. Other nations are moving fast, and Scotland cannot afford to watch from the sidelines while our most promising businesses look elsewhere for capital, talent, or markets. We have everything we need to compete globally - if we make bold choices now.

I’m deeply grateful to every founder, investor, and ecosystem partner who contributed to this work, and to the panel for their dedication in reaching the right recommendations for Scotland’s scaleup ecosystem.

This report is a beginning, not an end. Implementation now matters most - alignment across founders, investors, government, academia, and corporates; measuring progress, learning quickly, and staying focused on outcomes. Our shared vision is simple: to make Scotland the best place in the world to start, scale, and stay.

If we deliver on that, the impact will be transformational - for companies, for communities, and for Scotland’s future.