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Digital, Data and AI Strategy

The early phases of our three-year plan focused on strengthening data foundations through clearer standards, stronger governance and better access to trusted management information. We also enabled organisation-wide adoption of Microsoft 365 Copilot, supported by benefits tracking and targeted enablement, helping turn early use into practical productivity gains. This was reinforced by a new AI Action Plan to support responsible AI adoption and organisational readiness. Efficiency-focused work continued to simplify our systems environment, with several legacy solutions retired and cumulative savings of more than £11 million delivered. This also supported successful business cases for future Enterprise Resource Planning capability and a digital customer platform.

Financial Strategy

In line with our financial priorities, we secured greater flexibilities through partnership with the Scottish Government, improving medium-term planning and budget management. This created further opportunities to increase business income, which will be taken forward in the coming year. This period also saw stronger engagement with key funders, including the Scottish National Investment Bank, the British Business Bank, Office for Investment and Innovate UK, focused on mission-aligned opportunities arising from the UK Modern Industrial Strategy. We agreed a strategic property acquisition approach and refreshed our investment strategy to begin rebalancing the portfolio towards more stable, income-generating assets, reducing reliance on more volatile equity returns.

Future Developments

We are making significant progress through our mission approach, sharpening our focus on a narrower set of high-impact activities, building stronger partnerships and tightening the connections between our priorities, our resources and delivery.

During 2026/27, we will continue to deliver against our mission objectives, building on progress made in 2025/26 and focusing firmly on delivery - progressing fewer, clearer priorities, strengthening alignment around what matters most, and advancing activity that is ready to scale and deliver real economic impact.

Our focus on regional economic development is stronger, and in areas such as Grangemouth and the North-East, we will bring our innovation, international and investment capabilities together to support companies from the earliest stages to trading globally in a more sustained, coherent and regionally relevant way. We will also work with new partners to attract game-changing investors, building strategic collaborations around innovation and connecting Scottish businesses to global opportunities.