Scotland

The Scottish experience of cluster development policy is one of the most famous in Europe. Given the strong agricultural and fishing tradition of the Scottish economy, it is not surprising that the food and drink sector has traditionally been one of the most significant industries in the Scottish economy. The cluster approach in Scotland was originally and has consistently been identified with Scottish Enterprise. Scottish cluster policy has been clearly-defined, detailed and costed. Considerable efforts have gone into building consensus around its priorities and securing commitment to its actions with relevant actors in both the public and private sectors. The strategic framework of the policy has been designed to realise the possibilities of the cluster approach while recognising the realities of the existing policy structure in Scotland. The Scottish economy continues to suffer from a series of more systemic problems. Relatively low productivity performance and levels of entrepreneurship have been continuing sources of concern to policymakers.