Focus industries
Glasgow’s new Economic Strategy 2016-2023 was launched with the prime objective of making Glasgow the most productive major city economy in the UK. Alongside this, the strategy has set an ambitious new jobs target of 50,000 by 2023. Glasgow is among the fastest growing cities in the UK and the key to this success is the diversity of its business and industry base and its highly skilled workforce.
Digital Technology
Glasgow’s digital economy is one of the fastest growing in the UK and is certainly the largest in Scotland; a leader in digital technology and innovation.
Key subsectors:
- software engineering,
- internet of things,
- Big Data
Number employed: 25,992
GVA: £591m
Financial & Business Services
Glasgow is the UK’s third largest financial center and second-largest city for insurance and long-term savings investment, clustered around a thriving international Financial Services District.
Key subsectors
- Asset management
- Banking
- General insurance
- Fintech
Number of companies: 3,355
Number employed: 55,000
Total GVA: £1.6bn
GVA per employee: £51,384
Total Turnover: £2.1bn
Health & Life Sciences
The Glasgow Bio Corridor is the powerhouse of the Scottish life sciences sector. With Glasgow at the center, it offers the very best universities, research, talent and facilities.
Key subsectors
- Precision medicine
- Medical technology
- Clinical and translational medicine
- Pharmaceutical services
Number of Life Science companies: 230
Number employed in Life Sciences industry: 10,000
GVA per employee in Life Sciences industry: £41,628
Low Carbon
A leading city for renewable technology by using its historic strengths in engineering and education to deliver alow carbon economy that will deliver a greener environment for its residents and visitors.
Key subsectors
- Renewable energy
- Circular economy
- Smart city
Number of companies in Energy (including renewables) sector: 220
Number employed in Energy (including renewables) sector: 4,000
Total GVA in Energy (including renewables) sector: £822m
GVA per employee in Energy(including renewables) sector: £195,636
Creative Industries
The city that inspired Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Alexander “Greek” Thomson is now a creative hub of the 21stcentury. Glasgow has a nationally renowned performing arts scene, is a center of excellence for visual arts and a leader in digital technology.
Key subsectors
- Film and T.V. production
- Music
- Creative design
- Marketing
Number of companies: 2,420
Number employed: 22,150
Total GVA: £881.3m
GVA per employee: £51,287
Total Turnover: £1.6bn
Engineering, Design & Advanced Manufacturing
Glasgow has refocused its engineering and shipbuilding know how to the challenges of the 21st century and now builds more satellites than any city outside of Silicon Valley.
Key subsectors
- Aerospace
- Space
- Quantumand photonics
Number of manufacturing units: 800
Number employed in manufacturing industry: 17,800
Total Manufacturing GVA: £1.1bnGVA per head in manufacturing industry: £60,304
Tourism & Events
Voted the Rough Guides ‘Friendliest City in the World’, Glasgow’s reputation as a tourism hub is now well established. Major events, business tourism and short breaks are all reasons to visit Glasgow.
Key subsectors
- Sport
- Conferences/conventions
- Retail
Number of companies: 855
Number employed: 29,000
Total GVA: £576.2m
GVA per employee: £20,582
Total Turnover: £1.1bn
Higher & Further Education
Glasgow is home to the largest student population in Scotland and proud of its long tradition of education and award-winning institutions of higher and further education.
- 5 institutions of higher education: University of Strathclyde, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow School of Art, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- 3 super colleges: City of Glasgow College, Glasgow Kelvin College, and Glasgow ClydeCollege
- Over 130,000 students
- £8 generated for the Scottish economy for every £1 received for the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde
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