First Minister to visit New York to promote business during Tartan Week

John Swinney is set to undertake a series of engagements in New York next month as part of Tartan Week, the annual celebration of Scottish heritage and culture in the United States.

The First Minister is expected to meet a number of high-profile current and potential investors to promote the economic opportunities on offer in Scotland.

The Tartan Week celebration of Scottish arts and culture emerged after the US Senate officially declared April 6 Tartan Day in 1998, to honour the contributions that American Scots have made to the US.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Mr Swinney said: “Scotland enjoys deep and enduring links with the US, which is both our largest inward investor and second largest export market after the European Union.

“In 2023, exports of Scottish goods to the US were worth £4 billion. And here in Scotland, more than 700 US-owned enterprises provide employment to more than 115,000 people.

“Scotland is open for business and is one of the best places in the world to invest.

“We have a reputation as a world-class entrepreneurial nation, with the number of start-ups, spinouts, and scale-up companies growing at pace.

“We also have the potential to become a strategic hub for future renewable energy investments, specifically by developing and scaling projects in offshore wind, green hydrogen, and energy storage.

“Tartan Week in April is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Scottish culture and promote economic opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic.

“I am looking forward to attending this week’s Tartan Week events, meeting our dynamic diaspora, and engaging with some of our biggest current and potential investors.

“I want to showcase Scotland’s progressive international outlook, and our focus on innovation, sustainability and growth.”