AI and ML Adoption in the Scottish Tech Sector: A 2025 Data Snapshot

Category: Blog

By Janice

09/06/2025

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are everywhere — in headlines, funding rounds, and company taglines. But what’s the reality behind the buzz in Scotland’s tech sector?

At Company Connecting, we analysed 2,497 active Scottish tech companies across IT, engineering, biotech, recruitment, and digital platforms. From that group, we identified 591 companies that reference AI or ML in their core skills or focus areas.

That’s nearly 1 in 4 — a strong signal that AI has become a widespread theme in Scottish tech.

What Kind of AI Are We Talking About?

We broke down the 591 AI/ML-active companies into three types:

Integrators (79%) – Companies using AI tools such as chatbots, predictive analytics, or automation within their products or services.
Developers (16%) – Companies actively building AI capabilities in-house, such as machine learning models, NLP tools, or AI platforms.
Unclear (5%) – Companies referencing AI or ML vaguely, without enough information to determine how they use it.

The majority are tool users — not model builders — which is a crucial distinction when it comes to investment, capability, and innovation.

More Infographics

Innovation: Foundational or Cutting Edge?

We used Company Connecting’s Innovation Rating to categorise companies by how clearly and deeply they engage with technology:

Innov-1 (Foundational) – 310 companies
Innov-2 (Advanced) – 157 companies
Innov-3 (Cutting Edge) – 89 companies

Many companies referencing AI fall into the Foundational category — often because their use of AI is not clearly described or appears to be surface-level. Only a small subset of firms are pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Company Size: AI at a Small Scale

It’s not just large firms exploring AI:

77% of the AI/ML-active companies have fewer than 10 employees
Most are micro or small businesses integrating third-party tools

This shows that AI is now accessible even to the smallest players in the ecosystem.

Company Age: Mature Firms Getting Involved

AI isn’t just for startups:

55% of the companies are over 10 years old
Just 23% are younger than five

This suggests many AI adopters are established businesses adapting to change, rather than born-digital disruptors.

Sectors: Broad Reach, SME Focus

The SME sector dominates, with 276 AI/ML companies offering horizontal solutions across business functions.

Other highly represented sectors include:

Financial Services
Education
Oil & Gas
Healthcare

Emerging uses also appear in law, government, and manufacturing — showing that AI adoption is no longer limited to a single domain.

Final Thought

Scotland’s AI/ML activity is driven by small, often mature companies — some of which are pushing the boundaries of innovation.

The challenge now is to support those companies who are genuinely innovating, while helping others move from foundational capability to something more ambitious.

We’ve visualised the data to give a clear snapshot of AI and machine learning adoption across Scotland’s tech sector. From company size to innovation levels and the sectors served, the infographic below offers a quick overview of who’s really doing what — and where the opportunities lie.

About Company Connecting

With over 7,000 companies of which there are 2,497 active businesses headquartered in Scotland, Company Connecting has the most comprehensive repository of Scottish Tech and IT enterprises. Additionally, we maintain records of more than 1,700 dissolved companies since October 2014, offering unparalleled insights into the region's technological landscape. Our primary objective is to champion Scottish tech and facilitate collaboration among businesses, recognizing it as a cornerstone for success .To xeplore our full database or discover how we can support your tech initiatives please get in touch via email at support@companyconnecting.com.

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e-mail us on support@companyconnecting.com

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