A YEAR ago I recall reading an article in a Scottish newspaper - not this one - which asked: “Manufacturing: what do we still make?”
What struck me as especially odd was the almost complete absence of any reference to Glasgow or the West of Scotland. It was all gaming in Dundee, software development in Edinburgh or craft brewing in Aberdeen. All very important to the Scottish economy, but nothing explicitly about Glasgow.
The shipyards were mentioned, but entirely in the past tense with no reference to the sophisticated work being delivered at Govan and Scotstoun by BAE Systems or to Jim McColl’s remarkable achievements at Ferguson.
There was passing reference to the whisky industry, but again no suggestion of the dominant role Glasgow City Region plays in its bottling and distribution.
So it was encouraging to see the references last week to Scotland as a hub for space technology and the growing appreciation of Glasgow as a centre for the design and manufacturing of satellites. Companies like ClydeSpace, Alba Orbital and Spire are making Glasgow one of the most important cities for creating satellites in the world.
But this is just one example of a technology-rich industry where Glasgow is prominent. Precision medicine, medical devices, quantum imaging and renewable energy all feature in the current story of Glasgow’s industrial base.
When the first Tech Nation report on the digital economy was published by Tech City UK and Nesta in 2016, Glasgow appeared as the sixth biggest centre for digital industries in the UK.
There was little commentary on that at the time, although Glasgow City Council was swift to grasp its importance, especially given the growing demand there is for the skills the industry cannot easily find.
In a year’s time Glasgow will be jointly hosting the very first European Championships with Berlin. The German capital will host athletics at the former Olympic Stadium whilst here in Glasgow tickets are on sale for the seven other sports, including swimming, cycling and gymnastics.
Traditionally events like these are opportunities to encourage trade and investment, and one theme we are exploring with our colleagues in Berlin Chamber of Commerce is the importance of manufacturing to both of our cities.
We want to show our European markets just how good the products are that we design or manufacture in our city.
It’s time to show what 21st Century Clydebuilt is all about.
Stuart Patrick is chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
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