According to a new report, Scotland could add up to £12bn to its economy and create nearly 20,000 jobs if it embraces digital technologies and follows in the steps of the rest of the UK’s eCommerce industry.
ScotlandIS, the trade body for the industry, has claimed that the country could be amongst the best digital economies in the world if it makes the most of technology and online retailing. However, it also warned that unless urgent action is taken soon, Scotland could fall even further behind other economies.
The report states that despite the opportunity e-commerce offers to level the geographic playing field, Scotland was under-performing in relation to the rest of the UK.
David Cairns, chairman of ScotlandIS, warned the country it would be “left in the dark ages” if it did not invest in digital technology in the near future. He says ”Many other comparable countries are leapfrogging us. In turn these tech-savvy countries are enjoying greater economic benefits, including productivity gains, improved competitiveness and a greater ability to export through increased e-commerce.”
The report shows that whilst some companies had transformed their business by trading on the internet, others could do a lot more, which would result in another £4bn of income for the country. Currently, the IT and telecoms industry employs 108,000 people and contributes £3.4bn to the Scottish economy. In late 2010, eCommerce was worth a staggering £220bn to the UK economy, and is growing at a staggering 36% a year, even in the recession
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