AI will be one of the major focuses at the Scottish Government’s forthcoming national procurement conference in Glasgow.

The technology will be one of three ‘key themes’ alongside collaboration and capability, as delegates gather on October 29th for the annual Procurex event.

Procurex Scotland is Scotland’s biggest public procurement event, held each autumn at the SEC in Glasgow.

It is organised by BiP Solutions in partnership with the Scottish Government, and aims to help public procurement work better, with a focus on innovation, sustainability and collaboration.

This year, AI makes it onto the agenda for the first time as a core discussion point. According to the Scottish Government, the conference will explore ‘how artificial intelligence can be adopted responsibly to improve procurement while balancing innovation, governance and capability.’ 

The event will feature a range of learning, networking and collaboration opportunities reflecting on over two decades of progress – and what’s planned for the future.

Organisers said on the event’s website: “As Scotland’s public procurement landscape continues to evolve, Procurex Scotland remains at the centre of the conversation, connecting people, organisations and ideas across the country’s £17bn public procurement market.”

Among the speakers will be Ivan McKee, cabinet secretary for public service reform, Nick Ford, director of procurement & property at the Scottish Government and Chris Sanderson, director of national Procurement – NHS Scotland at Public Services Delivery Scotland.

The Scottish Government recently unveiled a five-year programme of modernisation for the civil service.

The plan, covering the period 2026-2031, sets out a series of specific digital milestones, including making Microsoft’s Copilot Premium and Power Platform available across the Scottish Government – starting this year – alongside training and support to help staff use AI responsibly and effectively.