Annual survey of Scots digital tech industry launched

Digital tech firms are being urged to complete an annual survey which takes the pulse of the industry in Scotland.

Polly Purvis, chief executive of ScotlandIS. Picture: Lisa Ferguson/TSPL

The online questionnaire aims to provide a measure of the sector’s current size, performance and development, allowing firms access to up-to-date statistics which can inform their business decisions.

The Scottish Technology Industry Survey is organised by trade body ScotlandIS.

The survey is designed to be completed in around 10 minutes and includes questions on company details and business performance such as sales, profit margins, exports, skills requirements.

All information provided is confidential.

Last year’s results found 68 per cent of firms had achieved sales growth in 2015, with more than a quarter reporting an increase in turnover of 20 per cent or more.

The proportion of companies selling their products or services overseas continued to increase, with some 60 per cent reporting some international sales in 2015, up from 57 per cent the previous year.

Looking ahead, 81 per cent of businesses expected sales to increase over the next 12 months and 70 per cent are either optimistic or very optimistic about the coming year.

Tech sector enterprises in Scotland grew 43.3 per cent between 2010 and 2015, second only to London, where the increase was 54.6 per cent.