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This week saw First Minister Humza Yousaf unveil plans for a new Ministry for Industrial Policy in an independent Scotland.
Yousaf set out the Scottish Government’s plan for industrial strategy and the economy in the event of Scottish independence during a speech at Glasgow University on Monday.
“This new government department would have ultimate responsibility for the design and delivery of industrial policy with the new policy levers of independence,” Yousaf said.
“A stand-alone ministry will demonstrate [a] strong, long-term commitment to industrial policy.”
An Industrial Policy Council would also be established, he added, to provide “independent advice, direction, monitoring and evaluation”.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf's big independence speech - what was it all about?
He added that the key industries which are vital to industrial policy include the space sector, manufacturing and green sectors.
The trade union movement has long called for a focus on industrial policy, as the SNP trade union group said the Scottish Government needed a “fresh, joined-up approach linking green industrial policy to regional development”.
Simon Barrow, national secretary of the SNP trade union group, told The National: "We welcome the First Minister's emphasis on industrial policy, and the commitment to make it a central plank of driving forward an independent Scotland.
“But the challenge is not just one for the future. It starts now. The SNP-led Scottish Government needs a fresh, joined-up approach linking green industrial policy to regional development and a strategy to eliminate poverty and inequality.”
Barrow added that trade unions must be involved in discussions about negotiating a just transition and moving away from fossil fuels.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf reacts to 'devastating' loss of jobs as major firm enters administration
“Above all, the focus of our industrial thinking, now and on the path to independence, must draw on the experience, ideas and expertise of trade unions in negotiating a just transition away from damaging fossil fuels and towards a sustainable, prosperous and more equal future.
“Abundant on- and off-shore renewable resources, technical capacity and educational excellence – all in Scotland's hands – are the key drivers of the future, starting now."
The STUC, Scotland’s largest trade union body, has also previously advocated for a more developed green industrial strategy.
Responding to the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation in 2022, STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “If we are serious about economic transformation the Scottish Government must develop a green industrial strategy and invest in our public sector and the local authorities that make our vital services a reality.”
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