If you need proof that Scotland’s cities are at the centre of exciting developments in the technology sector, then just look at what’s happening right now in Glasgow and Dundee.
In Glasgow, the data centre firm Datavita is opening a new £6million base in the city’s biggest office building at 177 Bothwell Street.
The new facility, which is at the heart of the city’s International Financial Services District, will provide services for businesses located in the building as well as other firms in Glasgow’s finance district and beyond. And its workers will be busy as they support the city’s technology, financial services and fintech sectors, along with city centre projects such as the roll-out of 5G and internet of things (IoT) networks.
This new development, which is set to open later this year, will support 177 Bothwell Street’s ambition to be the most advanced office building in Scotland.
A big part of the development is pre-let to Virgin Money for its new headquarters, while Aecom, BNP Paribas, CBRE, Transport Scotland and HFD Group will also take space in the building.
Elsewhere in Glasgow’s city centre, Bruntwood SciTech has made its first acquisition in Scotland – Glasgow’s iconic Met Tower – and plans are in place for a £30 million transformation programme for the building, which is located in the Glasgow City Innovation District. A joint venture between investor and developer Bruntwood and Legal & General, Bruntwood SciTech is the UK’s leading property and innovation services provider dedicated to driving the growth of the science and technology sector. Its plans for the Grade B listed, old City of Glasgow College building, will transform it into a hub where university spinouts, startups, scaleups, and large leading tech businesses can co-locate together and benefit from being in an innovative, collaborative tech cluster.
And if that sounds exciting, there’s more good news breaking on the east coast.
In Dundee, Scotland’s new home for cybersecurity research, innovation, and industry growth, Abertay cyberQuarter, has officially opened at Abertay University. The cyberQuarter centre, which is the first of its kind in Scotland, covers four floors for use by businesses, academics, and students to help solve global cybersecurity challenges.
The £18 million hub has been jointly funded by the University and the UK Government (£5.7m) and Scottish Government (£6m) through the Tay Cities Region Deal, providing a new model for supporting the rapidly growing cyber sector in a facility that’s the first of its kind in Scotland
In addition to a physical space for collaboration and experimentation between industry and academia, the Abertay cyberQuarter has a secure cloud-computing infrastructure that will be used for specialist online teaching including courses on ethical hacking, computing and cyber-security, with students learning directly from industry professionals.
While Scotland’s cities were built on traditional industries, with such developments taking shape in Glasgow, Dundee and across the other cities, it’s clear to see our cities are moving with the times.
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