Editor’s note (15 October 2026): This article was published in September 2025, ahead of Scotland’s first National Innovation Week (22 to 26 September 2025). The event has now taken place, so the dates and calls to action below are kept for the record.
In short: Scotland’s first National Innovation Week took place from 22 to 26 September 2025, announced by Business Minister Richard Lochhead. It featured events across the country and an Innovation Summit at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre alongside ScotSoft 2025, with ScotlandIS as delivery partner, to promote Scottish technology and invention.
Key takeaways
- Scotland’s first National Innovation Week ran from Monday 22 to Friday 26 September 2025, with events expected across Scotland, from the central belt to the Highlands and Islands.
- The centrepiece was an Innovation Summit at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Thursday 25 September, delivered with ScotlandIS and running in parallel with ScotSoft 2025.
- ScotlandIS, the digital technologies trade body, was appointed delivery partner for National Innovation Week and the Summit.
- The National Innovation Strategy names four high-growth priority areas: Advanced Manufacturing, Energy Transition, Health and Life Sciences, and Data and Digital Technologies.
- Organisations were encouraged to host their own events, panels, workshops, open labs or demo days during the week and to submit them through the National Innovation Week website.
This September, Scotland will mark a significant milestone in its innovation journey. From Monday 22nd to Friday 26th, the country will host its first-ever National Innovation Week, a coordinated nationwide celebration of Scotland’s past, present and future as a global leader in technology, invention and transformative industry.
Announced by Business Minister Richard Lochhead, the week will feature events, roundtables and showcases across the country. From artificial intelligence and fintech to climate tech and life sciences, it will highlight the bold ideas and frontier technologies that are already shaping Scotland’s future and contributing to global progress.
But this week is not just a celebration. It is a call to action. For entrepreneurs, researchers, students, corporates, public sector leaders, and global partners, National Innovation Week is a rallying point to get involved, build connections, and accelerate the work already underway in Scotland’s high-potential innovation ecosystem.
Why is Scotland well placed to lead on innovation?
Scotland’s identity as a nation of inventors and innovators is well known. It has given the world the steam engine, the telephone, penicillin, radar and more. That legacy of ingenuity continues today, not as nostalgia, but as the foundation of Scotland’s ambitions to lead in the technologies and industries of tomorrow.
National Innovation Week arrives at a time of renewed strategic focus. The Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy sets out four high-growth priority areas where Scotland already holds competitive advantage:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Energy Transition
- Health and Life Sciences
- Data and Digital Technologies
Across these areas, Scottish companies and institutions are pioneering real-world solutions to the world’s most urgent problems. Whether it is using AI to fast-track drug discovery, deploying digital twins to accelerate green energy transitions, or applying data science to climate resilience, these are not abstract concepts. They are initiatives being built and delivered today by people across Scotland.
Where did National Innovation Week take place?
National Innovation Week is designed to be inclusive and outward-facing. Events are expected to take place in every part of Scotland, from the central belt to the Highlands and Islands. It is an opportunity to showcase regional strengths, foster local partnerships and celebrate the diversity of Scotland’s innovation economy.
The centrepiece of the week will be a major Innovation Summit at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Thursday 25th September. Delivered in partnership with ScotlandIS, the event will run in parallel with ScotSoft 2025, one of the country’s largest and most influential tech conferences.
This co-location is a strategic choice. By aligning the Innovation Summit with ScotSoft, Scotland is connecting its national innovation mission with one of its most dynamic communities of technologists, digital leaders, investors and entrepreneurs. It is an opportunity to bring together industry and academia, startups and institutions, policy and product, all focused on the shared goal of turning Scotland’s innovation potential into global impact.
Who delivered National Innovation Week?
ScotlandIS, the digital technologies trade body, has been appointed as delivery partner for National Innovation Week and the Summit. Their leadership and network play a critical role in ensuring the week delivers real momentum, visibility and collaboration opportunities across the ecosystem.
ScotlandIS has a track record of working across sectors to build bridges between industry, government and academia. Their support ensures that the innovation week does not become just a showcase but a practical platform for building capability, attracting investment and inspiring the next generation of talent.
This approach aligns with a wider theme that runs through Scotland’s innovation strategy: collaboration is key. No single sector, region or institution can address complex global challenges alone. Scotland’s strength lies in how its ecosystem connects deep academic research, dynamic startup energy, responsive public institutions and committed international partners.
Why did National Innovation Week matter?
The world is facing unprecedented challenges and equally unprecedented opportunities. The rapid development of AI, synthetic biology, net-zero technologies, and space-based observation systems all represent global shifts in how economies and societies will evolve.
Scotland is not just responding to these shifts; it is helping shape them. Across life sciences, clean energy, and data-driven public services, Scottish organisations are building scalable innovations with global relevance. But there is also an urgent need to move faster, invest more, and scale ideas beyond pilot stages.
National Innovation Week is an opportunity to bring visibility to this work and to accelerate progress. It is a platform to connect Scottish innovation with international demand, to build new coalitions, and to energise a wider movement of people who believe in the power of technology to create a better future.
How could organisations get involved?
National Innovation Week is designed to be open, participatory and co-created. Organisations across the country are encouraged to host their own events, panels, workshops, open labs, or demo days during the week. Whether you are a local council running a schools outreach programme or a global company opening your R&D centre to the public, your contribution is welcome.
You can submit your event or find out how to participate by visiting the National Innovation Week website. Details of the Summit and ScotSoft 2025, including registration and partnership opportunities, are also available online.
This is your chance to put your organisation on the innovation map, to align with national priorities, and to be part of something that goes beyond individual projects or programmes.
A Moment Worth Marking
Scotland’s first National Innovation Week is more than a diary date. It is a chance to stand up and show what Scotland can do when ideas, ambition and capability come together. It is a time to champion the technologies, companies, researchers and public sector teams already driving impact, and to build the partnerships that will sustain innovation for years to come.
Innovation does not happen in isolation. It happens when people come together with a shared sense of purpose and possibility. That is what this week is about.
Get involved. Be visible. Help shape the future.
Frequently asked questions
When was Scotland’s first National Innovation Week?
Scotland’s first National Innovation Week ran from Monday 22 to Friday 26 September 2025. It was announced by Business Minister Richard Lochhead and featured events, roundtables and showcases across the country, covering artificial intelligence, fintech, climate tech and life sciences, with a major Innovation Summit on Thursday 25 September.
Where was the National Innovation Week Summit held?
The Innovation Summit took place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Thursday 25 September 2025. It was delivered in partnership with ScotlandIS and ran in parallel with ScotSoft 2025, one of Scotland’s largest tech conferences, bringing together technologists, digital leaders, investors, academics and public sector representatives.
What are the priority areas in Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy?
The Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy sets out four high-growth priority areas where Scotland already holds competitive advantage: Advanced Manufacturing, Energy Transition, Health and Life Sciences, and Data and Digital Technologies. National Innovation Week was designed to showcase work across these areas and connect it with international demand.
Who delivered National Innovation Week in Scotland?
ScotlandIS, the digital technologies trade body, was appointed delivery partner for National Innovation Week and the Innovation Summit. The post describes its role as building bridges between industry, government and academia, so the week became a practical platform for capability, investment and talent rather than a showcase alone.
How could Scottish organisations take part in National Innovation Week?
Organisations across Scotland were encouraged to host their own events, panels, workshops, open labs or demo days during the week. Examples ranged from a local council running a schools outreach programme to a global company opening its R&D centre to the public. Events could be submitted through the National Innovation Week website.