Aberdeen may be best known for its pioneering role in energy, but the Granite City has long been at the cutting-edge of innovation in many other fields. In the 1970s the world’s first MRI scanner was built by Prof John Mallard and his team at the University of Aberdeen and, if you travel back to the early 19th century, you can find inventor Robert Davidson building the world’s first known electric vehicle.
Enterprise is part of the city’s DNA, something that is very evident today as Aberdeen, and Scotland more widely, become increasingly seen as the place to create and grow the technology businesses of the future. A mix of deep technical expertise and a quiet determination to try new things, even when the route isn’t obvious, is typical of Scotland’s wider digital story.
Aberdeen boasts a thriving technology sector, with several major global firms maintaining significant operations in the city. Equally celebrated is the growing startup ecosystem, centred on the city centre’s ONE Tech Hub. Opened in 2019 in the former Gray’s School of Art building, this historic site now hosts more than a dozen tech businesses and serves as the nucleus of the city’s vibrant tech scene.
Aberdeen is not developing in isolation but is plugged into a much bigger picture: across Scotland, from Edinburgh’s fintech firms to Dundee’s games and data companies, similar hubs mean founders are part of a connected national ecosystem.
So what makes Aberdeen such a great place to build a business? “You need knowledgable people. You need people who are focused and you want to make sure that your environment is suitable for business. And I think that’s what Scotland is about,” says tech expert Timi Adegunwa.
Born in Nigeria, Adegunwa made the move to London two decades ago, and in 2012 headed north to Scotland and founded Black and Scot, a consultancy that specialises in connecting black tech talent with Scotland’s digital businesses. Her journey is an example of how Scotland’s openness to global talent, and its focus on fairness and inclusion, are helping to reshape the country’s tech sector.
Given Adegunwa’s background in cybersecurity, and a decade working at organisations in the oil and gas industry, setting up Black and Scot was a real passion project for her. Today, the company has more than 3,000 individuals registered with it, and has worked with dozens of companies, big and small, to help them embrace a more diverse workforce through mentorship, internships, apprenticeships and day visits.
In her time in Aberdeen, Adegunwa has seen with her own eyes how perceptions have changed over what the city is all about. “Historically there was a dependency on oil, but that’s shifting,” she says. “We’re now looking at sustainability. We’re looking at tech. We’re looking at innovation.”
The power of the network
So what tips does Adegunwa have for doing business in Scotland? For founders taking their first steps, she points to the wealth of business support available across Scotland as an invaluable resource. Entrepreneurs can access guides on everything from intellectual property to marketing – as well as practical help with paperwork, employee holiday entitlements, tax registrations and HR policies.
“If you are starting up, they are there to guide you from the beginning to the end,” she says. “At every point the business gateway is there for you.” However, what really makes the difference, in Adegunwa’s view, is not the government, the bricks and mortar, the server racks – but the Scottish people themselves.
“You need the network. You need the community to work with you,” she says. And that’s why places such as Aberdeen’s ONE Tech Hub are invaluable.
But support for the entrepreneurs she has encountered goes further – even beyond Scotland’s borders. If you’re looking to grow your business, you can connect with influential and experienced business professionals in markets all around the world for advice, coaching, contacts and more via the GlobalScot network, which is free to Scottish businesses.
“All over the world there are Scots,” Adegunwa says. “If you need someone that is experienced in tech, business, or the creative industries, you just need to go to the website and look through the catalogue of people who can help mentor and guide you. It’s fantastic.”
And, she argues, there is no one better to help your business grow than a proud Scot. “They are very, very strong and confident people,” says Adegunwa. “You need all of that. You need resilience to survive in the tech world.”
In 2026, Adegunwa plans to grow Black and Scot even further, using ambitious events to reach more people, and build on her success. “Start small, scale, scale, scale, grow, hand it over to some other capable people then grow, grow, grow again. We’re going to be doing that in 2026,” she says.
So, from early electric cars and MRI scanners, what’s clear is that Aberdeen and Scotland have always punched above their weight when it comes to ideas that change the world. Today’s digital founders are part of that same story of entrepreneurship, innovation and hard work.
For Adegunwa, Aberdeen isn’t just reinventing itself, it’s a testbed for what a more innovative, more inclusive Scottish tech economy can look like, and that’s why she says: “Let the businesses come. We will have people for them to work with.”
Find out more about opportunities to live and work, study, visit or do business in Scotland at Scotland.org
