8 June 2017

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke at the Oil & Gas UK conference in Aberdeen this week.

FM @NicolaSturgeon welcomes oil and gas innovation spend in Scotland almost trebling last year: https://t.co/dsGgZMLHql #ogConf17 pic.twitter.com/HSGQdPknLJ

— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) June 6, 2017

During her speech, she thanked the audience of industry experts and stakeholders for their resilience and determination in the face of challenging circumstance and stressed innovation was the key to future success in the North Sea.

The First Minister also used her speech to welcome new figures showing oil and gas innovation spend in Scotland almost trebled last year.

Commenting on the figures, the First Minister said:

This investment by Scottish Enterprise highlights that Scotland is continuing to lead the way in making oil and gas one of this country’s great success stories.

“Innovation is absolutely crucial to the sector for maximising economic recovery, reducing costs without compromising safety, and for enabling our supply chain to continue to win new business overseas. Ultimately, it is key to ensuring the sustainability of the North Sea oil and gas industry for the future.

“These measures, alongside continued support from this government, will ensure that the industry will continue to deliver benefits for decades to come.”