Scottish tech businesses – including games companies – are being asked to help build Scotland’s future as a digital nation.
ScotlandIS, in partnership with The Scottish Government, today launched the ScotlandIS Challenge to help increase the pace of Scotland’s digital progress and develop the critical national digital and data infrastructure the country needs.
Companies of all sizes are being asked to submit ideas by Tuesday 16th June.
ScotlandIS and The Scottish Government are looking for ground-breaking ideas and potential solutions to challenges that display technical expertise and results-based thinking. The ScotlandIS Challenge is open and inclusive, and encourages firms to consider the following:
- What are the key components of a new digital and data infrastructure and why they are a priority?
- How can the national digital and data assets of Scotland be protected?
- What are the technical solutions to build these components and how can they be applied?
- How could more essential public services be delivered online – be that healthcare, education, or the way we carry out financial transactions?
- How could The Scottish Government work more closely with the private sector to speed delivery, innovate and maximise benefits and investment to the Scottish economy?
The games industry in Scotland has a huge amount to offer this project. Games are phenomenal at building engagement, delivering information, and creating passion in their users. The games industry has pioneered new ways of using data, building an active audience and making things a little more FUN.
As the world realises it needs new ways to work, meet, learn, play and talk, the games sector could be at the forefront of our new normal.
(Let’s face it, people. They need us…)
Successful projects will be taken forward as part of The Scottish Government’s pioneering CivTech programme, which has established an enviable track record of bringing public and private sectors together to solve problems, deliver innovative solutions and create new commercial opportunities for issues facing Scottish society.
Jane Morrison-Ross, the CEO of ScotlandIS, told Scottish Games Network:
“Through this challenge, Scotland has the opportunity to become a Digital Nation, a true digital democracy. Digital underpins everything and is critical to our economy. The rapid digital transformation of business and society would not have been possible without the infrastructure, products and services created by our digital ecosystem.
“But we can do more. And we can do it better. We want to harness technology and innovation to evolve current business models, drive efficiencies and productivity gains across the economy. To create a country known for innovation, for an ethical approach to data and an integrated approach to public services. By building the right transformational infrastructure and working collaboratively, we can create a Digital Scotland that is good for the people, the economy, the environment and the government.”
Ben Macpherson MSP, Minister for Public Finance and Migration said:
“I am really keen to hear the views of Scotland’s tech businesses on how we can work together through and beyond the Covid-19 crisis to create a more productive economy, tackle climate change and build a healthy and more equal society. I hope that many of you take this opportunity to share your thoughts on how we can build an innovative and inclusive Digital Nation to be proud of.”
An expert multi-disciplinary team formed from Scottish Government and ScotlandIS will review the submissions, identify common themes, make the results available across Government, agree the priority actions to take and communicate back the findings and recommendations to the sector.
More information can be found on the ScotlandIS Digital Nation page.
Responses should be submitted by email to digitalnation@gov.scot by Tuesday 16th June 2020.