Profile of the PCB Industry in Scotland

What it may lack in numbers, Scotland has always made up for in the independence and enterprise of its inhabitants. While Scotland cannot claim much part in the earliest stages of printed circuit development, it should come as no surprise that the land which bore Alexander Graham Bell and John Logie Baird should have seized the opportunity of exploiting this other aspect of innovative technology, and that, for its mere 5 million inhabitants, it should boast a disproportionately large share of involvement in the printed circuit board industry. The total number of people involved in the PCB manufacturing industry (non‐captive market only) in England has been estimated at approximately 9,000—the numbers involved in Scotland total approximately 2,000, not far off 25% of the English figure. Wales and Ireland trail behind with about 300 and 400 respectively, while the Isle of Man, putting up a good show, numbers 16. Michael Hannon, of Michael Hannon Marketing (Ayr), comments, ‘Scottish PCB manufacturers have a disproportionate share of the UK rigid PCB home and export markets, as well as including in their number one of the largest flexible manufacturers in the UK. Out of the top five UK/Republic of Ireland PCB manufacturers’ production, the Scottish manufacturers represent about 55%. This is quite surprising when one considers that Scotland's population represents less than 10% of the total.’ Narrowing the focus from country to specific area, the Borders region is host to a number of PCB companies which together account for 55% of PCBs manufactured in Scotland, and 10% of the UK total.