Scotland will become a world leader in science and research if the Scottish Liberal Democrats are elected to government pledged Tavish Scott.
This would be realised by ushering in a £250 million fund for science jobs and by creating a science minister post within the Scottish Government.
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, leader Tavish Scott claimed the party rose above its political adversaries with its plans to “boost Scotland’s reputation in science and research”.
He said: “We compete at the highest levels but we want to go even further. We will create a £250 million Science Nation Fund to create jobs in science and maintain the international competitiveness of our university-based research and science – life sciences alone contribute £3 billion to the Scottish economy.
“We will create a Minister for Science, Innovation and the Digital Economy to drive through our plans in science and research. We want Scotland’s research to help Scotland’s services.
“We will foster links between the Scottish life sciences industries and NHS Scotland to ensure that there are appropriate opportunities for the development and introduction of new products in Scotland.
“Our plans will encourage young people to study science to create the next generation of Scottish scientists.”
The party revealed its science vision last week in its manifesto, which stated: “We will encourage more people to study science. We will encourage more women to make it their career. And we will help to turn great research into world-beating business opportunities.”{jcomments on}