10 Apr 2026
By Richard Muir, Deputy Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.
It’s great to be back in the Big Apple for Tartan Week and the energy and appetite for business here is inspiring. The USA is celebrating its 250th year of independence this year as well as hosting many of the World Cup Games including Scotland’s games in Boston and Miami so it’s going to be an especially big year here.
New York has a habit of setting the pace early and the first two days of our Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and Moray Chamber of Commerce trade mission have done exactly that.
We kicked off at the Hotel with a briefing session with all of our delegates and there was a strong sense of purpose and excitement in the group.
What’s immediately clear this year is the depth and diversity of Scottish innovation in the room, from advanced mobility and medtech through to digital wellbeing and international education on our trade visit.
There’s a real confidence in how Glasgow & Scotland is showing up on this stage these days.
Our first formal engagement with the New York City Economic Development Corporation gave a valuable insight into how the city actively supports inward investment and scale-ups. The message was clear: New York is open for business and it’s collaborative but it’s also highly competitive. Approximately 20% of the tech companies working with EDC at the moment are UK businesses. For Scottish companies, success here will come from being targeted, well-prepared, and plugged into the right networks early.
EDC are really switched on and there’s a lot of joined up thinking within their team of 600 staff most of whom are involved in commercial property and real estate. Anne-Sophie Mahle give the example of a Korean consortium buying a sizeable property midtown in New York for their own business incubator and accelerator and government work under the same roof.
We were told how the green economy is still the city’s key driver. She also explained that they had 72 Business Improvement Districts across the 5 city boroughs.
EDC operate a super sized accelerator called the International Landing Pad network which is a one stop shop for businesses which have revenue of $ 5 million but they also run an NYC AI Nexus which is an introduction for early stage founders and smaller businesses too . We’re particularly interested in extending opportunities to members so we’ll share the slides soon!
That theme carried through into our session with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. It was exactly 10 years ago that we signed our MOU with the President of the Chamber Jessica Walker so it was so good to meet her and the team again this week. We discussed a lot of the challenges facing smaller businesses but opportunities around the World Cup and met some of their business members including businesses in retail, charities and events. We’re going to arrange a follow up Teams call to see how we can further strengthen the ties between our cities and build on the momentum of the forthcoming new United Airlines route from Glasgow to New York which starts in early May.
Hearing directly from businesses operating in-market brought a practical edge - what it really takes to land, grow and sustain a presence in NYC. The scale is vast, but so too is the opportunity for those who can navigate it effectively.
We also had the opportunity to attend the Scottish North American Business Council event at Edrington’s America’s HQ in midtown close to the distinctive Flatiron District buildings, the venue itself was a reflection of the blend of heritage and modernity that defines New York, an apt setting for discussions around energy transition and future-facing industries.
Bringing together Scottish and North American voices in that environment was really informative and we heard from our own Lord Provost of Glasgow Jacqueline McLaren and 2 of our ‘Global Glaswegians’ Lolita Jackson and Ian Houston. We also heard from Ian Maxwell, CEO Scottish Football Association and some moving stories about the grassroots work the team at the SFA are doing with local teams like Pollok United who were voted best grassroots football team in Europe.
Day two built further momentum. The British American Business Council session reinforced the importance of transatlantic connectivity - not just in trade terms - but in relationships. There’s a strong appetite for collaboration, particularly in sectors where Scotland already has global credibility.
What’s been particularly encouraging is how well the Scottish proposition is landing. Whether it’s in life sciences, AI, clean energy or professional services, there is genuine interest and importantly, recognition of Scotland as a serious partner. We’re only two days in, but the foundations are being laid. The focus now is on converting these early engagements into longer-term relationships that deliver real economic impact back home.
There are undoubted uncertainties in the world at the moment with trade tariffs, industrial policy and geopolitical conflicts but our businesses still want to trade in and with the US. They are demonstrating that despite these challenges there remains a very healthy desire to trade with our oldest and most established trading partner.
More to come from New York and Tartan Week on Monday.
