ScotlandIS launches 2025 tech industry survey for insights

ScotlandIS has launched its annual Technology Industry survey to gather insights from both members and non-members of Scotland's technology sector.

The survey is supported by Techscaler, a programme funded by the Scottish Government and operated by CodeBase, which is dedicated to the creation, development, and scaling of tech startups. Responses are being solicited from the Scottish tech sector until 23 February 2025, contributing to ScotlandIS's 2025 report.

This forthcoming report marks the 17th edition since the survey's inception in 2008. Previous reports have acted as a barometer for the health of Scotland's technology industry and provide valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges anticipated for the sector.

The CEO of ScotlandIS, Karen Meechan, commented: "It was incredibly encouraging to see so much optimism last year and all eyes will be on the 2025 report to see whether that sense of positivity has continued. However, with a series of challenges along the way, including increased costs, skills shortages, and changes to the tax regime, it would be disingenuous to say the last 12 months have been clear sailing. Despite this, the resilience and innovation present in our sector has, as ever, been inspiring, and we've seen some incredible success stories both emerge and grow."

Highlighting the significance of the survey, Meechan added, "Our annual survey, and subsequent report, not only gives us a better understanding of what challenges and opportunities the next year could bring, but it also highlights where our members might need our support most. For example, since the last survey we hosted a series of dinners with Anas Sarwar, Douglas Ross, and Kate Forbes as well as roundtable discussions to help provide feedback from the sector directly to the Scottish Government. As the membership organisation for the sector, it's a vital part of our role to ensure all sections of the industry are getting the right support at the right time. The information we receive from the survey each year is key to helping us achieve this."

Meechan emphasised the importance of participation from a diverse range of voices, saying, "We want as wide a spread of viewpoints as possible, so I'd encourage anybody working in the technology space to take a few minutes to give us their feedback. We hope that, by working closely with Techscaler, we will also be able to reach an audience that may not previously have engaged with the survey."

Yasmin Sulaiman, SVP Ecosystems at CodeBase, expressed support for the initiative, stating, "We're pleased to be supporting ScotlandIS's annual tech industry survey for 2025. 2024 has been a pivotal year in tech, with advances in AI, challenges in the investment landscape, and major geopolitical changes all having a meaningful impact on the industry."

Sulaiman added, "ScotlandIS's survey has been a consistently strong barometer of the state of the sector, and we're excited to work with the team to uncover trends and identify barriers to growth so we can target support where it's needed most."

The 2024 survey results highlighted significant confidence within the sector, with nearly 80% of respondents expressing optimism for the coming year. Other findings included 90% of respondents expecting sales growth and 98% planning to maintain or increase headcount, with a notable percentage intending to hire recent graduates.

ScotlandIS continues to provide invaluable data and insights that inform discussions with policymakers and aid in directing support to the technology sector where it is most needed.