Physics is making big bucks in the Scottish economy

IOP

13 September 2007

Institute of Physics Report

From telecommunications and aerospace to pharmacology and IT systems, a range of industries in Scotland are dependant on the application of advanced physics. A report, Physics and the Scottish Economy, released on Thursday, 13 September, by the Institute of Physics in Scotland (IOP), shows that more than £8 billion of Scottish economic output is contingent upon physics.

The report quantifies the scope of physics in the Scottish economy but also calculates its value. While just over four per cent of Scottish workers are involved in industries that depend on physics, the sector punches far above its weight by contributing ten per cent to the nation’s economic output.

Alison McLure, National Officer for IOP in Scotland, said, “Physics teachers in our schools and researchers in our universities provide a vital role advancing the education of physics in Scotland. The relevance and applications of physics however go far beyond the classroom or the laboratory and are used to enhance some of the key sectors in our economy, such as manufacturing and telecommunications.

Click here to read the press release.

For further information, contact IOP Press Officer, Joseph Winters, at joseph.winters@iop.org or call 020 7470 4815.

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