Metrics
Physics in the Scottish economy
In 2005 there were around 102,000 employee jobs in Scotland in sectors where the use of physics based technologies or expertise was critical to the existence of the sector. This is equivalent to 4.3 per cent of all jobs in Scotland and ten per cent of jobs in physics based sectors in the United Kingdom.
The decline in the number of jobs in physics based sectors in Scotland mirrors the trend in falling employment in physics based sectors in the United Kingdom.
In 2005 levels of gross value added of the physics based sectors were around £8 billion – making up 9.4 per cent of the Scottish economic output.
Productivity levels in physics based sectors in Scotland in 2005 were almost twice as large as the United Kingdom average
Source: Physics in the Scottish Economy report, Institute of Physics.
Electronics
- More than 1000 companies involved in designing, developing, and supplying electronic products and/or services are located in Scotland.
- Over 45,000 people are employed directly and approximately 29,000 indirectly.
- Electronics contributes 14 per cent to Scotland’s GDP.
- Scottish universities have a higher Research Assessment Exercise rating per capita than the rest of the UK.
- The supply base is recognised globally for its ability to meet the demands of blue chip companies.
- Scotland makes 28 per cent of Europe’s PCs; more than seven per cent of the world’s PCs; and 29 per cent of Europe’s notebooks.
- Electronics accounts for 12 per cent of Scotland’s total manufacturing employment and for more than half of Scottish exports.
- Biggest export products are PCs and peripherals such as printers.
Opto-electronics
- 4,200 employed
- £800Million turnover
- 65% exported.
- Scotland accounts for 34% of UK Government spend in optoelectronics research (with only 10% of the UK's population).
Microelectronics
2,300 employed in semiconductor fabrication, 1,000 in electronics design and a further 1,800 in supply and support industries.
Source: Scottish Enterprise
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