Mark Logan, a leading exponent of modern Scottish entrepreneurship, has been appointed as a Visiting Professor at The Glasgow School of Art (GSA).
Mark, previously Chief Entrepreneurial Adviser to the Scottish Government from 2000-2024 and author of the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review, is an increasingly influential advocate of encouraging new business start-ups and supporting enterprises in the technology and creative sectors. Highlighting the untapped potential of Scotland’s creative sector, Mark identifies Glasgow as the locus of a “hidden yet world-class creative and performance supercluster”, a vibrant ecosystem underpinned by globally respected institutions such as The Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
“The Glasgow School of Art is delighted to appoint Mark Logan as Visiting Professor, acknowledging his pioneering work in the field of technology and now addressing the potential of the creative and cultural assets of Glasgow,” commented Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam OBE, Deputy Director and Vice Principal (Research & Innovation).
“Mark’s expertise, applied in the context of a world-leading art school, and working collaboratively with our civic partners, will catalyse the latent potential of Glasgow’s creative eco-system. The common goal is to connect and stimulate that potential in a creative Supercluster. This will support our GSA graduates to realise their ambitions for the future as part of a new entrepreneurial collective and help to amplify Glasgow’s creative industries at a key moment for the economy.
“The Glasgow School of Art looks forward to working with Professor Logan and partners in the city in the realisation of this vision.”
Mark was a senior figure of one of Scotland’s first “unicorn” businesses, Edinburgh-based Skyscanner, which reached a valuation of $1 billion before being acquired by the global company Trip.com Group for $1.75bn in 2016. He has since advised numerous high-growth tech businesses.
“I’m delighted to be appointed as a Visiting Professor at The Glasgow School of Art, which enjoys a worldwide reputation for innovation and excellence.” said Mark Logan. “The UK Government’s recently launched industrial strategy highlights the huge economic potential of our creative industries. Glasgow’s Creative and Performance Supercluster will be in the vanguard of realising that potential, and I’m very excited to contribute to that effort.”
Welcoming Mark’s appointment, The Glasgow School of Art’s Director and Principal Professor Penny Macbeth commented: “Creative people and creative industries are central to society and the economy – highly specialist, working across disciplines and industries, contributing to all parts of the economy and to how we live. That’s why institutions like The Glasgow School of Art were established in 1845 during the industrial revolution, specifically to harness the potential of creative people to address society’s needs.
“Today we are at a similar juncture – in the recently published UK industrial strategy, the creative industries have finally been recognised as one of eight growth sectors of the economy. Importantly for us, it specifically identifies Glasgow as one of the UK’s most important creative and cultural cities, with one of the largest clusters of creative talent across design, architecture, visual arts and screen and broadcast production.
“Mark Logan’s appointment will help us to drive forward, in partnership with everyone who wants to make the most of Glasgow’s, and Scotland’s, huge potential.”
NOTES FOR EDITORS
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About Professor Mark Logan OBE, FRSE
Mark Logan is the former Chief Entrepreneurial Advisor to the Scottish Government, a Professor of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow, a Senior Enterprise Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, and an entrepreneur-in-residence at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He has over 25 years of senior leadership experience in the tech and start-up sector, including as COO of Skyscanner, where he was responsible for the general management of the business during the company’s high-growth phase, culminating in the sale of the business for £1.45B in 2016. He is also a non-exec, start-up and scale-up advisor, and investor. In 2014, the Institute of Directors named him Director of the Year and in 2016 he won the UK Digital Masters award for Excellence in General Management. He has been conferred honorary doctorates from the University of Glasgow and Robert Gordon University for this contribution to the technology industry. In 2022, he was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for his contribution to Scotland’s technology industry, and was awarded an OBE in 2023 for service to the economy.
About The Glasgow School of Art (GSA)
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world. Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3500 students and staff across architecture, design, fine art, innovation and technology in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands) and a thriving Open Studio programme delivering non-degree provision to over 1500 students annually.
