More than 80 events will take place across the country during Scotland’s National Innovation Week, with more than 200 delegates expected to attend an Innovation Summit in Edinburgh on Thursday.

Activity across the week will focus on four key areas of strength, identified in Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy:

• advanced manufacturing
• energy transition
• health and life sciences
• data and digital technologies

To mark the start of National Innovation Week, the Minister is expected to announce a multi-million package for advanced manufacturing.

Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “From the steam engine to the television, from penicillin to the MRI scanner, Scottish innovators and inventors have been at the forefront of technological change throughout history.

“But we must not rest on this legacy. And we are not resting on this legacy. Across the country, Scottish businesses and academia and are at the vanguard of many of the world’s greatest products and solutions.

“I want Innovation Week to be an opportunity not just to celebrate these incredible achievements, but to make sure that the compelling story that we have to tell is amplified. We must ensure innovation remains Scotland’s greatest export.

“I also want to build greater collaboration – across business, across academia, across the private and public sectors – to ensure the bedrock of our economy flourishes. My goal is clear: to position Scotland as one of the most innovative small nations in the world.”