Could Aberdeen Become Scotland’s Next Tech Hub?

Looking back now, this post captured a moment when Aberdeen was starting to think seriously about what might come after oil and gas.

At the time, Scotland’s tech industry felt exciting, fast-growing, and heavily concentrated around Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow.

I remember wondering whether Aberdeen could reinvent itself as part of that technology shift.

So is Aberdeen missing out on the tech industry boom?

Scotland’s Growing Tech Industry

The tech industry in Scotland is reported to be worth £5 Billion! The bulk of this is scooped up by Edinburgh, Dundee, and Glasgow... Skyscanner, FanDuel, and FreeAgent plus more in Edinburgh, the Thriving Games industry in Dundee, and a new Tech hub in Glasgow.

There is a real buzz right now around tech companies and startups.

Is Aberdeen being left behind and missing out? Aberdeen could do with a boost at this time. In 2016 Scotland employed 84,000 people in tech. And this year there is even more demand. There was huge demand for developers and digital skills at the time, especially around web and mobile technologies.

Could Aberdeen Compete?

What does Aberdeen need to do to get more of a share? It doesn't need any natural resources (sorry oil!) it doesn't need to be geographically located anywhere. It doesn't need a huge investment, It doesn't even need good weather and sun.

It needs clever people, space, and ideas. We have the people, We have plenty of space (the shiny new Aberdeen International Business Park is two-thirds empty), And ideas that are free.

So what is being done in Aberdeen to get more into this tech boom.

We have the Business Gateway and its elevator program. A brilliant scheme. There is also talk of a Grey Matters program to get business folk together and identify and create new businesses. There are tech meetups including the Entrepreneurs Club.

CodeClan, Startups, and New Opportunities

I met this week with the guys from CodeClan who were up north on a jolly to Aberdeen to see if there is a demand for people wanting to learn to code. They met with potential employee partners (who need coding graduates) and potential students (skilled people let down by oil looking to retrain). Putting the two together makes so much sense.

I mentioned CivTech North, something I'm eagerly awaiting to find out more about and what the 8 tech challenges will be from the public sector.

Early Signs of Digital Transformation

I mentioned in my blog last week I have started with Aberdeen City Council. And two weeks in and there is lots of talk of tech there. ACC seems very tech-savvy. I've been in meetings and presentations where Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 3D printing, and even robots have been discussed. (Count me in...)

ACC also rolled out last week its new (free) city wifi which covers Union Street and other parts of the city center. A real boost for tech buzz and I am happily uploading this free via the city center scheme as I type.

Imagining a Different Future for Aberdeen

So it would be good to see a CodeClan office opening in Aberdeen city, and possibly a CodeBase like Edinburgh. CodeBase Edinburgh is an old council building filled with tech startups. Aberdeens Code Base needs to be in the center of the city rather than the outskirts. It will give the pubs, restaurants, and shops an added boost of more people in the center, and as the startups flourish (Skyscanner-like) additional premises in the city center can be occupied boosting business further.

I think Aberdeen needs more though.

So come on Aberdeen let's bring some of the £5 billion to the northeast and give Aberdeen an additional business beyond oil and tourism. I for one am trying to be part of it.

Looking Back at Those Predictions

Reading this back now is interesting because many of the themes discussed here did gradually become reality.

Aberdeen has continued investing in digital services, technology, innovation, and diversification beyond oil and gas, although probably more slowly and unevenly than many people hoped in 2017.

What stands out most to me now is the optimism around technology, learning, and the idea that entirely new industries could emerge from periods of uncertainty.

In other news, the first website I created through Udny Solutions went live that week. It was bright, colourful, and aimed at a local playgroup, and at the time I was incredibly proud simply to have built something real for a client.

Another week and ACC's newest Web Developer is finishing his second week and is settling in well

This was all happening shortly after my own decision to retrain and change career through CodeClan.

At the same time I was also rediscovering how much I enjoyed meaningful technical work again in From Meetings Back to Meaningful Work.

Looking back, I was fascinated by how technology, digital services, and new ideas could reshape both careers and entire cities.

Nearly a decade later, I still find myself thinking about many of the same themes — civic technology, digital transformation, automation, accessibility, and how systems can genuinely improve people’s lives.

You can explore more of those reflections and projects throughout the blog here.