We commissioned London Economics in 2022 to assess the economic and social impact of research
activities delivered by Scottish higher education institutions on the United Kingdom economy,
focusing on the 2019-20 academic year.

London Economics found that the estimated impact of Scottish universities’ research activities in 2019-20 stood at £5.794 billion.

Comparing the £713 million of publicly funded research income received by Scottish universities in
2019-20 to the £5,794 million impact from research activities, this suggests that for each £1 million
of publicly funded research income, Scottish universities’ research activities generated an
estimated total of £8.1 million in economic impact across the UK.

Read the full report: The economic impact of Scotland’s university research activity.