Industrial biotechnology economic contributions recognised in the Scottish Parliament
Kenneth Gibson MSP SNP member for Cunninghame North put forward a motion in the Scottish Parliament in support of industrial biotechnology and its economic impact.
Scotland’s Industrial Biotechnology Sector Exceeds Growth Expectations
That the Parliament welcomes reports that Scotland’s industrial biotechnology companies are exceeding growth expectations; recognises that, according to the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, the sector turnover is now worth £747 million; notes that this is an increase from £189 million on 2012, almost 300%, while the number of biotech companies has grown from 24 in 2012 to 130, creating and sustaining well-paid and highly-skilled employment; believes that this is far greater than the ambitions set out in the 2013 National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology to reach a £400 million turnover by 2020; understands that industrial biotechnology is a set of technologies that create materials and products that have traditionally been made from fossil fuels, with sustainable ingredients in order to maximise re-use and reduce waste in the process; believes that the industry will play an important part in Scotland’s transition to a bioeconomy and in achieving its net-zero targets; congratulates all of the businesses and employees involved in industrial biotechnology on this milestone achievement, and wishes them all the best in their current and future endeavours.
Kenneth Gibson’s motion was supported by a wide range of cross party MSPs in the Scottish Parliament: Annabelle Ewing, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Ruth Maguire, Gillian Martin, John Mason, Joan McAlpine, Stuart McMillan, Gil Paterson, Stewart Stevenson, David Torrance, Maureen Watt, and Sandra White. The Motion reference number is S5M-24142 and can be found on the Scottish Parliament’s website.
For more information, or to discuss further, please contact IBioIC’s Public Affairs Manager Debbie McCreath at debbie.mccreath@ibioic.com.