10 Jun 2025
On Friday 6 June, Former Prime Minister The Rt Hon Gordon Brown lead a landmark conference at the University of Glasgow, aimed at tackling one of Scotland’s most pressing challenges: how to create the good jobs of the future.
The conference, titled ‘Scotland: Creating the Jobs of Tomorrow’ was hosted by think tank Our Scottish Future in association with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and the University of Glasgow, and will brought together top thinkers, policy makers and politicians from Scotland and internationally to discuss the innovative ideas and products that can build Scotland’s prosperity and the good jobs of the future.
Opening the conference, Rt Hon Gordon Brown said that Scotland’s current economic model is not delivering as it should for the Scottish people - and that while Scotland hosts world-class universities and leading research capabilities, these strengths are failing to be converted into business investment, productivity and prosperity.
A top bill of keynote speakers, including former Science and Innovation Minister David Sainsbury, Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Michael Spence and Dame Kate Bingham, chair for the UK Covid Vaccine Task Force, examined how Scotland can harness its strengths - from advanced manufacturing and green technologies to education and entrepreneurship - to build a fairer, more dynamic economy.
The UK Government Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander MP provided a political response alongside Anas Sarwar MSP, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
The conference came as Our Scottish Future launched a major new report titled ‘Innovation Nation: Good Jobs for Scotland’s Future’ which analyses in detail Scotland’s successes across advanced manufacturing, life sciences and clean energy and sets out a plan for economic prosperity, including a single, coherent Scottish industrial strategy; physical campuses to anchor global innovation investment; new, empowered authorities to lead local transformation; and a reformed ecosystem that backs scale-ups, retains talent and ties innovation to inclusion.
Our Scottish Future was launched by Rt Hon Gordon Brown to campaign for a prosperous and inclusive Scotland in the UK, supported by both UK and Scottish policies, and for change to make people’s lives better.
Professor Jim Gallagher, Chair of Our Scottish Future said: “This is a moment to bring together the best minds to ensure Scotland isn’t just prepared for the future - but leading it. The discussions today show how we can unlock prosperity and opportunity in every part of the country.”
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce said: “Scotland stands at a pivotal moment in its economic development, and events like this are vital for uniting business leaders with political decision-makers. Glasgow is a city brimming with potential, and we have a unique opportunity to shape a lasting legacy that will benefit both our businesses and our communities.”
The report ‘Innovation Nation: Good Jobs for Scotland’s Future’ can be downloaded here: https://ourscottishfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Innovation-Nation.pdf
