Showcasing Scotland’s Science & Technology Excellence to a Global Network
12 February 2026
A rare and excellent opportunity to promote the Saltire Star of research and innovation to a truly global audience.
Showcasing Scotland’s Science & Technology Excellence to a Global Network
On Thursday 12 February 2026, Connected Scotland was delighted to support the Stakeholder Networking Exhibition at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Science & Technology (S&T) Conference, held at the John McIntyre Conference Centre.
Bringing together around 180 delegates from across the FCDO’s and DSIT’s global Science and Technology Network (STN) and Research & Innovation Hubs, the conference theme — ‘Positioning Science & Technology for Strategic Impact’ — set the tone for two days of strategic discussion, collaboration and international ambition.
A Global Network with Local Impact
The FCDO’s Science & Technology Network brings together over 130 staff across more than 50 countries, promoting UK science and technology excellence, sharing global insights, and enabling international collaboration. Their work spans key priority areas including health, climate and nature, and emerging technologies — all areas where Scotland has strong global expertise. The conference’s ‘market stall exhibition’ offered a dedicated opportunity to connect this influential network directly with Scotland’s S&T strengths.
The Stakeholder Networking Exhibition adopted a market stall format, creating an energetic, open environment for dialogue between Scottish stakeholders and FCDO representatives stationed across the globe.
Connected Scotland supported the organisation of the event, helping to bring together a diverse group of Scottish research, innovation and ecosystem leaders. With animated conversations filling the hall, the session created meaningful connections between Scotland’s S&T ecosystem and the UK’s overseas science network.
Scotland on Show
Among those hosting 22 stalls were:
Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance (SULSA)
Scottish Partnerships in Energy and Engineering Research & Innovation (SPEERI)
Edinburgh Infectious Disease Network
Edinburgh Climate Change Institute
Dundee Drug Discovery Unit
IBioIC - Scotland’s industrial biotechnology innovation centre
Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes (SEFARI)
The Data Lab - Scotland’s innovation centre for data sciences and AI
Universities Scotland - representative body for Scotland’s 19 higher education institutes
Together, they represented the breadth of Scotland’s strengths — from life sciences and infectious diseases to climate leadership, industrial biotechnology, data and AI, energy systems, and cross-sector innovation.
The exhibition was followed by an evening reception at the Playfair Library (University of Edinburgh), further strengthening relationships between conference delegates and Scottish partners, in a more formal setting.
Reflecting on the event, Ally Hughes, Executive Director of SULSA, Research Innovation Scotland SULSA, said:
“Welcoming the Science and Technology Network (STN) to Scotland was a genuine privilege as opportunities like this can be few and far between. It was a joy to see the hall filled with chatter about exciting projects from around the globe and opportunities for strategic collaborations. It’s clear the Network is well-connected and truly passionate about the work they are doing on behalf of the UK science and technology community. SULSA got to meet colleagues from the Italian STN, through which we secured funding from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology to build Horizon Europe consortia with partners from Italy, Ireland, and Germany. We met several other STN representatives interested in joining as partners for future rounds of funding which will further grow the UK’s participation and return from Horizon Europe and future iterations of the scheme. It was an unparalleled opportunity for Scotland to showcase our state-of-the-art research facilities, innovation centres, and ecosystem connectors with a charm unique to the Scots. In a time of massive economic and geopolitical uncertainty, it was truly wonderful to escape into a bubble with diverse and passionate people to explore the art of the possible.”
For Scottish organisations, the market stall session provided direct access to those shaping and delivering the UK’s international S&T engagement on the ground in dozens of countries. For the STN delegates, it offered insight into the scale, depth and collaborative spirit of Scotland’s research and innovation ecosystem.
Connected Scotland was proud to help create this platform — strengthening international connections, supporting UK strategic interests, and ensuring Scotland’s science and technology excellence continues to shine on the global stage.