Questions on Innovative Technology
(Motherwell and Wishaw)
(SNP):...The minister will be aware of areas in which Scotland is
leading in innovation and technology, such as vertical farming, at
the James Hutton Institute. Is not it the case that that is
important for Scotland’s future economy, and that it has the
potential to tackle food shortage and to help to work towards
achieving the United Nations’ global sustainable development goals?
(Minister for Trade, Investment
and Innovation):
Indeed. World-leading projects such as the vertical farming
demonstrator building at the James Hutton Institute have the
potential to contribute to global challenges such as food
security. My colleague, the Deputy First Minister, was pleased to
open the facility officially in August. The demonstrator, which
was developed by Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd, is arguably
the world’s most technically advanced indoor farm. It will assist
with the research into, and development of, new crop varieties
and technologies that are suited to vertical growth systems.
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Green Economy (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)
(East Kilbride) (SNP):
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports small and
medium-sized enterprises to contribute to the green economy.
(S5O-02516)
The Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills (Jamie
Hepburn):
Through our resource efficient Scotland programme, the Scottish
Government offers a full package of support to small and
medium-sized enterprises. That helps them to implement energy,
resource and water efficiency measures that cut their carbon
emissions and running costs.
We also help businesses to understand the opportunities that are
available to them in the green economy supply chain. Through the
Energy Saving Trust, we help businesses to participate in the
supply chain for energy efficiency and microgeneration by
providing training, capacity building and networking events.
:
Does the minister recognise that former new towns in Scotland,
such as East Kilbride, are well placed to contribute to the green
economy? They have many small and medium-sized enterprises at the
heart of innovation in the field.
I also ask the minister to visit EK with me to meet and learn
from many such relevant businesses, and to hear from them about
how they can contribute to Scotland’s green aspirations.
:
As a representative of a new town, I concur entirely with Ms
Fabiani’s point. New towns such as East Kilbride and
Cumbernauld— is here, so I had better
mention Irvine, too—are well placed to benefit from the measures
that we put in place. We rightly think of the green economy in
terms of the measures that we are taking on energy efficiency and
climate change, but we should also think of it in terms of
natural capital. New towns have a lot of green space in them, so
they are well placed in that regard.
Debate: Safeguarding Research Collaborations and Scientific
Excellence
:...We must take time to
reflect on all the comments that have come in on the immigration
system from the Confederation of British Industry and NFU Scotland
because the issues do not exist in isolation.
