ScotlandIS awards spotlight AI & digital innovation

ScotlandIS has announced the winners of the 2026 Digital Tech Awards at a ceremony in Glasgow, recognising 11 companies and individuals from more than 100 entrants.

Now in their 16th year, the annual awards highlighted businesses working across artificial intelligence, cyber security, managed services, software testing, healthcare technology and public sector digital services. An independent judging panel selected winners from organisations and individuals considered to have made a strong impact on the industry and wider society.

A new category, AI Trailblazer, was introduced this year. Its first winner was software testing and quality assurance consultancy 2i, recognised for its use of artificial intelligence and evidence of the improvements it delivered.

2i also took an individual award, with Quality Engineer Bruce Devlin named Digital Tech Rising Star. The two wins gave the company one of the strongest showings of the night.

Elsewhere, Storm ID won Tech for Good for its Storm Diagnostics pathway solution, designed to support diagnosis and treatment for people with long-term and complex medical conditions. In cyber security, Closed Door Security won the Cyber Excellence award after judges noted its growth from a one-person business in Stornoway to an international customer base.

Other category winners reflected the breadth of Scotland's technology sector. Quarch Technology won Product Innovation, Arnold Clark took Service Innovation, and NHS 24 won Public Sector Innovation.

In the business categories, Illuminate IT was named Outstanding IT Managed Service Provider. Head for Data won Business of the Year in the Startup division, Gigged.AI took the Scaleup title, and Quorum Cyber won the Enterprise award.

Sector breadth

The range of winners showed how widely digital tools and services now extend across the Scottish economy. Entrants included companies linked to learning platforms, banking and automotive retail, alongside specialist technology firms.

The judging panel included representatives from data, cloud, AI, hardware, financial services and cyber security, reflecting how digital products and services have spread beyond traditional software companies into sectors such as health, retail and public services.

ScotlandIS represents Scotland's digital technologies industry and works with businesses, public bodies and agencies involved in skills and economic development. It says the sector contributes about GBP £7.5 billion to Scotland's gross value added and includes around 3,900 digital technologies companies.

More than 100,000 people work in digital technology roles across the Scottish economy, with the industry creating about 13,000 job opportunities each year. ScotlandIS members employ about 60,000 people and contribute about GBP £4.7 billion to Scotland's GVA, according to the organisation.

Growing AI focus

The creation of the AI Trailblazer category was one of the clearest signals from this year's awards. Artificial intelligence has moved from a specialist area for a small number of firms to a priority across sectors as companies look to reshape products, services and internal processes.

By giving the first award in this category to 2i, the judges emphasised measurable results over broad claims of adoption. That may matter as businesses face growing pressure to show that investment in AI tools delivers practical gains.

Health and public services also featured prominently among the winners. Storm ID's award for a diagnostic pathway tool and NHS 24's success in the public sector category underlined how digital projects in Scotland are increasingly tied to service delivery in essential areas rather than confined to back-office systems.

"Each year these awards remind us of the strength, ambition and innovation across Scotland's tech sector. The companies and individuals pushing boundaries and showing resilience in the face of uncertainty are exactly why these awards exist: to shine a spotlight on the world-class talent we have here in Scotland.

"The calibre and diversity of this year's winners was outstanding. As technology becomes embedded in almost every sector, we've seen an even broader range of organisations taking part in the awards, from learning platforms and banking giants to automotive retailers and beyond.

"Last year, ScotlandIS celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was a huge milestone, but we're not resting on our laurels. We owe it to the remarkable people who make Scotland's tech sector so vibrant and dynamic to keep telling their stories, championing their impact and creating conditions for them to thrive both at home and on a global stage," said Karen Meechan, chief executive of ScotlandIS.