The performance of Scotland's high growth companies

The process of establishing and growing a strong business base is an important hallmark of any successful economy. The pace of business start-ups and their subsequent growth has challenged policymakers for decades. While there has been a major research focus on entrepreneurship in Scotland, less attention has been focused on how Scotland is doing at the top end of SMEs. This article examines key data on new high-growth companies in Scotland. It first examines the age profile of Scotland's Top 100 companies, especially the extent to which
these are new or well-established, and compares this UK and US experience. The article then focuses on Scotland's high growth firms (HGFs), in particular how Scotland performs in producing top high growth firms in relation to the UK. A key question is how many of these firms are amongst the top performing UK high growth companies and whether this has changed over time.