Scotland is one of the world’s top centres for electronics, and this is why many top electronics companies establish and retain operations here. With a highly skilled workforce, high-quality graduate pool, innovative research and world-class facilities, Scotland is hard to match.
The electronics companies who have begun life in Scotland, or who have moved here, can testify to the country’s attractiveness. Some of the leading figures from companies operating in the electronics industry in Scotland take up the story:
“Nallatech has been operating in Scotland since 1993, and our headquarters in Cumbernauld remain our centre of excellence for research and development. We have strong links with both industry and academia, and we will continue to focus our efforts on recruiting skilled talent in Scotland”. Craig Anderson, CEO, Nallatech
"50% of the Integrated Circuit Design and 100% of the final production test activity for the Atmel Secure Product ICs business is currently conducted in Scotland. We originally located in Scotland due to the presence of existing expertise. We have continued to expand due to the availability of the right skills and the success of the business based in Scotland. For our market sector, which is based on a combination of advanced technology, security and competitive manufacturing, we find Scotland to be an ideal base." Andy Bear, Operations Director, Atmel
“As a venture capitalist, I keep a close eye on leading opto research right across the globe and I have to say that Scotland is high on my list when it comes to the one to watch.” Andrew Davison, Investment Director, 3i plc
“Freescale has been operating in Scotland (East Kilbride) since 1969, originally as Motorola's Semiconductor Products Division. Our Scottish operation has developed a reputation for high customer focus and responsiveness. In over 35 years here we have shipped literally billions of units of semiconductor devices, with a very large proportion of these going into the automotive sector. This is a demanding high quality, high technology business and we have found Scotland to be an ideal base for sourcing the skills, talent and infrastructure necessary to sustain and grow our business. Several of our local recruits have progressed over the years to the highest levels in our US headquarters.” Ron Dickinson, General Manager of Freescale East Kilbride
“More than 25% of all National Semiconductor’s products by revenue come from our Greenock Wafer Fabrication facility, so clearly we make a major contribution to operations globally. We also place a lot of emphasis on Design and Development. Our Design Centre has been established in Greenock for over 30 years. It is National’s longest serving design centre outside the USA.”
Gerry Edwards, Manager, National Semiconductor, Scotland
"Our Scottish research and development team has developed a powerful international reputation exporting our ideas, knowledge and products to our Headquarters in the States and ultimately to 7500 customers worldwide. These are exciting times for Xilinx. We now need to expand across the globe to meet the fast-growing international demand for PLDs, with a total market expected to be worth some £6.8 billion by 2008. Our Scottish operation has a crucial part to play in increasing our global market share, and we look forward to achieving this at Edinburgh Technopole, continuing to access talent and expertise.” Colin Carruthers, Senior Manager, Xilinx, Scotland
“We’ve been in Scotland for 58 years, so have a great legacy of strong relationships. The majority of our R&D staff are experienced graduate engineers, and we have strong and formal links with universities. We’ve developed a huge amount of skill and experience in Scotland and have access to a talented and creative workforce. That is why Scotland remains such an important focus for our business.”
Ken Munro, Vice President Global Marketing, NCR
Continuing success of electronics companies in Scotland
Despite the changes facing the industry worldwide, electronics companies in Scotland continue to innovate and prosper. The Scottish electronics industry is extremely diverse, comprising companies, research groups and organisation across a range of sectors.
Your company can be part of this success story by investing in electronics in Scotland and this is something that SDI can help you with.
Contact us to discover the breadth of services we offer to electronics companies in Scotland.