Edinburgh and the University have been home to some of history's most influential thinkers and innovators. The Business School maintains links with many of the city's current business leaders.

Scottish innovation throughout history

Scotland and Edinburgh have been home to influential thinkers throughout history until the modern day, and have also been the site of some of the world's most important inventions and discoveries. Did you know?

  • Dolly the sheep, the world’s first cloned animal, was born in Edinburgh.
  • Edinburgh was the first city to have its own fire service.
  • Anaesthetics were first used in Edinburgh when physician Sir James Young Simpson used chloroform on his patients in 1847.
  • Publishing is a major creative industry in Edinburgh, with the first Encyclopaedia Britannica having been published here.
  • Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was born and educated in Edinburgh.

Innovation today

The Business School, the University and other organisations in the city continue to innovate and push boundaries within the world of business. Recent innovations include: