South of Scotland Enterprise is pleased to share the first ever report specifically focussed on the digital position of South of Scotland businesses.

Read the DEBS report

Read the DEBS infographic summary

Commissioned by SOSE alongside a range of partners including the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland, the Digital Economic Business Survey (DEBS) aims to provide an understanding of the level of digitisation of Scotland’s businesses.

Previous DEBS were undertaken in 2014 and 2017 for Scotland but this is the first time the report has included such a focus on the South of Scotland.

Over 600 businesses in the South of Scotland were interviewed as part of the DEBS, with businesses recognising the positive impact digital technologies have on creating a thriving digital and NetZero economy.

Partner reports

• 2021 DEBS reports from Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are available

What is SOSE doing to improve digital technologies and skills?

Supporting businesses to adopt and benefit from digital technologies is key priority for SOSE, highlighted by the variety of activities we are taking forward with partners including:

• South of Scotland Digital Strategy and bold ambitions for the region.
• SOSE’s role as key partner in the launch of Scotland’s first rural 5G Hub in Dumfries
• Sponsorship of two CivTech Challenges within the South
• Co-hosting a series of digital focussed webinars with the Scottish Government, including an Introducing 5G event in September.

What support is available?

• We would encourage any South of Scotland business wishing to improve their digital technologies and skills to get in touch with us
• Businesses can also contact DigitalBoost, the national digital training programme for businesses.