<P> The Scottish Government states that it is taking a cautious, considered and evidenced - based approach to fracking . In January 2015 the Scottish Government placed a moratorium on granting consents for unconventional oil and gas extraction . This will allow health and environmental impact tests to be carried out as well as a full public consultation to allow every interested organisation and any member of the public to input their views . The Scottish Government has stated that no fracking can or will take place in Scotland while the moratorium remains in place . </P> <P> Silicon Glen is the phrase that was used to describe the growth and development of Scotland's hi - tech and electronics industries in the Central Belt through the 1980s and 1990s, analogous to the larger concentration of hi - tech industries in Silicon Valley, California . Companies such as IBM and Hewlett - Packard have been in Scotland since the 1950s being joined in the 1980s by others such as Sun Microsystems (now owned by Oracle). 45,000 people are employed by electronics and electronics - related firms, accounting for 12% of manufacturing output . In 2006, Scotland produced 28% of Europe's PCs; more than seven per cent of the world's PCs; and 29% of Europe's notebooks . </P> <P> The software sector in Scotland developed rapidly and in 2016 there were an estimated 40,226 people working in the digital economy across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee . Scotland's history in manufacturing is being transferred into the software sector and this is attracting companies from around the world . Several universities are playing an important role by producing research in Computing Science, including the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics . According to the REF 2014 assessment for computer science and informatics the School of Informatics has produced more world - leading and internationally excellent research (4 * and 3 *) than any other university in the UK . </P> <P> It is estimated that tourism accounts for 5% of Scotland's GDP . Scotland is a well - developed tourist destination with attractions ranging from unspoilt countryside, mountains and abundant history . The tourism economy and tourism related industries in Scotland support c. 196,000 in 2014 mainly in the service sector accounting for around 7.7% of employment in Scotland . In 2014, over 15.5 million overnight tourism trips were taken in Scotland, for which visitor expenditure totalled £ 4.8 billion . Domestic tourists (those from the United Kingdom) make up the bulk of visitors to Scotland . In 2014, for example, UK visitors made 12.5 million visits to Scotland, staying 41.6 million nights and spending £ 2.9 billion . In contrast, overseas residents made 2.7 million visits to Scotland, staying 21.5 million nights and spending £ 1.8 million . In terms of overseas visitors, those from the United States made up 15% of visits to Scotland, with the United States being the largest source of overseas visitors, and Germany (13%), France (7%), Australia (6%) and Canada (5%) following behind . </P>

What does scotland contribute to the uk economy