Scottish chemicals sector to broaden horizons with mission to New Orleans
Representatives from Grangemouth-based Kemfine, East Kilbride-based NiTech Solutions, and Edinburgh-based Aptuit will join Scottish Development International officials and members from the Scottish Enterprise Chemical Sciences team at Informex 2008 in New Orleans.
Informex is widely recognised as one of the leading, influential events for the chemical sector worldwide. It is hailed as the world’s most sophisticated meeting point for buyers and sellers of higher value chemistry and draws over 4000 customers from 500 companies worldwide.
With inward investment as a key focus it is hoped that Scotland’s first ever attendance at Informex will help highlight the country’s key sector and company strengths to an international customer base and raise the prospect of new business for the chemical industry in Scotland.
The mission comes hot on the heels of the recent launch of an ambitious strategy for the industry, Chemical Sciences Scotland. Unveiled in the autumn of 2007, the plan is being driven by the industry in Scotland with support from the government’s enterprise agency, Scottish Enterprise, and aims to ensure that a vibrant and competitive chemical industry exists in Scotland in 20 years time.
The chemical industry in Scotland is the country’s second largest exporter, generating revenue from exports at £1.3 billion per annum. It is widely recognised as one of the most valuable industries to Scotland in terms of GVA per employee at £76,000 per annum, and employs some 14,000 people directly.
Caroline Strain, head of chemicals at Scottish Enterprise, commented: "The chemical sector is a major employer in Scotland and a sector which has the potential to create even more economic impact in the Scottish economy.
“A trade mission like this gives us the opportunity not only to share our knowledge and expertise in the chemical sector with other parts of the global chemical community but provides the ideal forum for raising the profile of the industry in Scotland, with the potential of attracting investment to our shores.”
- The UK has the sixth biggest chemicals industry in the world; Scotland contributes more than its relative population share of the UK industry
- The chemicals industry is one of Scotland’s top export earners generating around £1.3 billion (12 per cent of manufacturing exports)
- Chemicals is one of Scotland’s highest value industries providing employment for 14,000 people directly and 70,000 in total through dependent services.
- The average salary is high at £27,500 per annum
- Gross Value Added (GVA) per employee is £74,000. More than 120 chemical companies operate in Scotland with significant concentrations in the Forth Valley, Ayrshire, Fife and Dumfries and Galloway
- Many global players have chemicals operations in Scotland; examples include Ineos, Ciba, FujiFilm, Syngenta, Kemfine, ISP, SASOL, Rohm and Haas, SABIC, Exxon Chemicals, GlaxoSmithKline, DSM
- ScotCHEM, the research pooling initiative pioneered by the Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Heriot Watt – has expanded the scope of academic research in Scotland
About Chemical Sciences Scotland
Carefully developed by the industry with support from Scottish Enterprise, the strategic plan for the chemical sciences in Scotland, aims to specifically tackle the challenges and opportunities that face the country’s chemical sciences sector in a mercilessly global 21st century economy. Scotland boasts a long and distinguished history and reputation in the sector which Chemical Sciences Scotland hopes to build on by helping to drive sector improvements through five main themes of sustainability, innovation, skills, reputation and investment. The launch of the Chemical Sciences Scotland can be hailed as the beginning of a long term, sector-led plan which will continue to see a vibrant and competitive chemicals industry thriving in Scotland in 20 years time.