Scotland’s Place in Europe

SCOTLAND’S PLACE IN EUROPE | 15
52. Scotland’s universities lie at the heart of Scotland’s innovation system. Research
and development (R&D) by higher education institutes in Scotland stood at almost
£1.1 billion in 2014, representing one of the highest levels of R&D intensity in the
Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 31 . Strong
relationships with other EU countries, including the free movement of world-class
researchers, is a central part of this research and innovation system.
53. Over a quarter of all research staff at Scottish universities are from the EU 32 . The
ability for researchers to collaborate with and work at Scottish institutions is
integral both to the development of new ideas and to the dissemination of
innovations. By facilitating the free movement of people, Scotland’s continued
membership of the European Single Market within the EEA would ensure that
universities faced no impediment to continuing to recruit and retain the strongest
researchers from across Europe. In addition, EU students add to the diversity of our
communities, enrich the learning experience and contribute to our economic
prosperity. We are concerned about the level of uncertainty for current and future
EU students created by the decision to leave the EU, particularly over issues such
as tuition fees.
54. More broadly, membership of the EEA would allow Scottish institutions to continue
to participate in the Erasmus programme and other exchange schemes. By
providing opportunities for Scottish students to study at other institutions, and vice
versa, such programmes facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and allow
Scottish students and institutions to establish links with counterparts across
Europe.
55. It is essential to recognise that the free movement of services that Scotland
presently benefits from within the European Single Market is in many senses
inseparable from the free movement of people. Many services exported from
Scotland, including the diverse range of professional services that represent an
increasing share of our total exports, are dependent on the ability of service
providers – such as architects, lawyers, accountants, artists and academics – to
move within the European Single Market and provide their service free from any
discrimination on the basis of nationality. This is simply one example of the
benefits of free movement of persons, and one reason why the Scottish
Government cannot support a UK Government policy that will bring this to an end.
56. It is clear that exiting the European Single Market and the EU Customs Union would
have a significant and highly adverse impact on our economy and economic
prospects. These effects are likely to be felt over both the short term, as the costs
of accessing the European Single Market increase, and the long term, as
consequences for reduced domestic and foreign investment in the economy, and
hence jobs and growth, become clear.
31 http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0049/00498541.pdf
32 HESA staff returns 2014-15.