Software & Technology

Edinburgh has world-leading capabilities in electronics design.

The global aerospace company Leonardo has a facility in Edinburgh specialising in developing radar and countermeasure systems that has won Queen's Awards for Enterprise in Innovation and International Trade. In 2026, Leonard secured a contract to fit ECRS Mark 2 radars onto the Royal Air Force's fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons.

"Our Edinburgh business was originally built in a matter of weeks in 1943 to create gyro gunsights for the iconic Spitfire aircraft and today’s technology is just as ground-breaking. I can think of few organisations that can offer the same level of daily variety where you’re working on exciting technology that could change the path of aerospace engineering globally."

– Mark Stead, Senior Vice President, Leonardo

The American industrial conglomerate Honeywell has a 5,000 square metre (54,000 square foot) manufacturing facility in Newbridge, Edinburgh that specialising in developing and producing electronic systems for military and commercial applications, including guidance systems and radar.

Multiple global electronics companies have design facilities in Edinburgh, including AAC Technologies (next generation micro-electromechanical systems for mobile devices); Cirrus Logic (integrated circuits and software); Dialog Semiconductors (system-on-chip integrated circuits); Analog Devices (analog, mixed signal, and DSP integrated circuits); Indie Semiconductor (microcontrollers); Keysight Technologies (measurement devices); STMicroelectronics (imaging); and Agile Analog (analog IP). 

"As one of the UK’s top technology hubs, Edinburgh offers us a wealth of university lab access and the opportunity to recruit top-tier local talent with extensive MEMS expertise."

– Colin Jenkins, Lead R&D Engineer, AAC Technologies

Leading electronics companies indigenous to Edinburgh's include Sofant Technologies (a developer of smart antennas); Trig Avionics (a developer of avionics products including transponders and radios); Skylark Lasers (a photonics company specialising in single-frequency DPSS lasers who develop laser solutions for quantum sensing and computing); and Dukosi (a developer of "intelligent cell" battery optimisation chips).

Photonics companies originating in Edinburgh include Singular Photonics (a University of Edinburgh spin-out that utilises advanced computation for SPAD-based image sensing); Cnuic (which is pioneering new solutions for photonic chip production); FreeForm Photonics (a Heriot-Watt University spin-out that uses lasers to build alignment into optical glass components, reducing photonics manufacturing costs); and Singular Photonics (a University of Edinburgh spin-out specialising in single photon avalanche diodes).

Other electronics start-ups in Edinburgh include UNA, developer of the world’s first modular and repairable GPS sports watch.

The University of Edinburgh hosts the Scottish Microelectronics Centre, which offers companies access to specialist facilities (including a cleanroom for product development and pilot manufacturing and a semiconductor fabrication toolset) and expert support in areas including nano-fabrication, semiconductors, and micro-electro-mechanical systems. The University also hosts the Institute for Integrated Micro and Nano Systems. In 2026, Edinburgh was named as the home of the new UK Advanced Chip Design Academy.

"The establishment of the UK Advanced Chip Design Academy is a transformative investment in our national technology capabilities. Advanced semiconductors underpin the future of AI, quantum computing, and next-generation communications. By bringing together world-class academic expertise, cutting-edge tools, and industry-standard training pathways right here in Edinburgh, the Academy will empower researchers across the UK to translate innovative chip designs into physical silicon – nurturing the high-value sovereign talent needed to drive the UK’s tech economy forward."

- Professor Themis Prodromakis, Regius Chair of Engineering, University of Edinburgh

In 2026, researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Schools of Engineering and Geosciences co-developed a new alloy of geranium and tin that offers potential to develop a new class of more efficient semiconductors.