Scottish innovation agency mooted

John Swinney, Scotland's finance secretary, has said he wants a Scottish Agency for Innovation to be created if the nation becomes independent.

Speaking at the University of Edinburgh, Swinney said the country could look at Finland for advice on "how to create the best environment" for business-academia collaboration.

"Finland is an excellent example of a country that has already achieved this. Its innovation agency Tekes leads on the delivery of innovation policy and we want to learn from that approach," he said. “We can follow Finland’s lead but, more importantly, develop our own model that suits the needs of Scottish people. By establishing a Scottish Agency for Innovation we will be able to drive forward business innovation growth in Scotland."