Scottish Government unveils refreshed digital strategy

The Scottish Government has published a refreshed Digital Strategy for Scotland, setting out a renewed ambition to use technology and data to transform how the public sector works internally and delivers services to citizens. 

It emphasises collaboration, interoperability and ethical innovation as central pillars of modern public service reform.

Ministers say the strategy responds to rapid technological change - particularly the growth of artificial intelligence - and reflects lessons learned since the original 2021 strategy was launched during the pandemic. While its core aims remain, the government argues that the expectations of citizens, public servants and businesses have changed significantly, requiring a bolder shift in digital capability and data use.

At the heart of the refreshed plan is a commitment to “smarter, faster and fairer” public services, redesigned around people rather than organisational boundaries. The document frames digital transformation as a key driver of Scotland’s wider Public Service Reform Strategy, with shared digital infrastructure, reusable solutions and improved data quality enabling services that are more efficient and financially sustainable.

A central theme of the strategy is building the workforce capability required to modernise the public sector from within. The government has pledged to expand digital, data and technology skills across public bodies, arguing that leaders and frontline staff must become confident users of digital tools and data insights if Scotland is to keep pace with innovation.

The strategy also highlights practical applications of emerging technologies already improving outcomes. These include AI tools used to support early cancer diagnosis, improving treatment prospects, and sensor technology deployed by councils to detect damp and mould in social housing, allowing preventative action before problems escalate. 

Ethical use of data is another core of the refreshed vision. The government commits to ensuring that data and AI are deployed in ways that protect privacy, build public trust and reduce cyber risk, alongside strengthening cyber-resilience across Scotland’s public sector.

Robust security, it stresses, is fundamental if citizens are to rely on increasingly digital services for healthcare, benefits, education and local support.

Collaboration is another major emphasis. The strategy has been “co-owned, co-designed and will be co-delivered” by the Scottish Government and local authorities through COSLA and the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, reflecting commitments under the Verity House agreement. Joint digital programmes and shared platforms are expected to reduce duplication and deliver better value across the sector.

While technology underpins the strategy, ministers stress that digital transformation is ultimately about better outcomes. The vision aims to create a public sector where data-informed decisions drive prevention, services adapt to changing needs quickly, and citizens experience simple, user-centred interactions across government.

In their foreword, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee and COSLA’s Katie Hagmann describe digital as “a key driver of change… enabling more efficient and sustainable services”. They argue that success will depend on collective effort across national and local government, industry and communities.