Digital Economy Minister visits two Edinburgh success stories

The Minister for the Digital Economy and Online Safety, Baroness Maggie Jones visited two tech firms in Edinburgh on Wednesday – Skyscanner and Codebase.

The Minister said she came to the Scottish capital believing it is important to support tech companies in Scotland, and she also wanted to learn from their success.

She said: “This is a two way process. These companies have expertise and we want to take that expertise and translate it into other up and coming companies. We have more unicorns than France, Germany put together but we need to create more – and the government needs to create an environment where more of them can thrive. Part of that is streamlining regulation.

“We also need to make sure that the companies have a very clear growth pattern that isn’t held back by outdated rules about what they can and can’t do. Part of it is encouraging investment, bringing in new venture capitalist support for them, and making sure the government provides the right support when it’s necessary.

“There are other issues as well around things like digital skills. One of the things that we’ve identified is that a lot of companies get held back because they just don’t have the staff, and the technology to provide the digital skills. So for any young people, then I’ve got to say there are great jobs out there, and there are lots of vacancies in this world. So make sure that your digital skills are up to speed.”

Codebase

Speaking about Codebase which offers courses in computer coding from their premises on Castle Terrace, the Minister said there are a few UK companies which offer this kind of education. She regards it as a positive that getting into this sphere does not need a university education. She pointed out that “a short six or twelve week course can give you a grounding that can help you get jobs in this sector”.

The Minister said: “I think increasingly the government are recognising that we need to break out of the old fashioned model where you did GCSEs and then A levels and a university degree.

“We need to be more fleet of foot, and the companies themselves have to step up to the plate. Companies have to give people the training at work to make sure that they keep their skills up to date.”

Codebase also says that it “supports founders and startups as they build, grow and scale their businesses, through tailored support including education programmes, mentorship, and a diverse and supportive community”. It says that the capital raised by CodeBase cohort companies before 2020 amounts to $4.5 billion.

Level playing field

Asked about any problems raised by either of the two companies, the Minister said that they did not mention any – not even the rise in employer’s national insurance contributions which came into effect at the beginning of the month.

She said that the issues the companies did raise with her were their competitiveness and ways of ensuring that there is a “fair playing field” within which they can operate.

While at Skyscanner the Minister was shown some of the work they are doing on providing more accessible services in their Empathy Labs – for example to make it easier for those with vision loss or other disabilities using travel websites. She commented that this kind of innovation is “inspiring”.

Skyscanner is a unicorn – a start up which is valued at more than £1 billion. It is a travel search aggregator and agency founded in Edinburgh in 2003 which now has 100 million users each month and employs more than 1,000 people across the world.

CodeBase is the country’s largest startup incubator and is home to more than 100 tech companies.  

• Founded in Edinburgh in 2014, it connects startups with government, investors, corporates, and academia to drive business success. CodeBase deliver programmes and mentorship across sectors like AI, law, health, cyber, and energy.

• Baroness Jones was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade, and Baroness in Waiting (Government Whip) on 9 July 2024.
• Previously a trade union official, including as Director of Policy and Public Affairs for UNISON from 1994 to 2006, Baroness Jones is preparing to take the Employment Bill through the House of Lords from next week. She said it is long overdue that workplace practices are modernised and that there are more child friendly policies in place.