AS in all technological revolutions new jobs will replace old. After automation, some industries won’t last. Driving instructors and traffic wardens will find their employment opportunities shrinking, as did blacksmiths and canal boatmen. The challenges of skills retraining are real, but the faster these are tackled the better. Roll-out of a Citizens’ Basic Income might be one step government can take to help smooth the transition.

The employment opportunities around self-drive may come as much from the software and networking as from vehicle production. Indeed, first-mover advantage suggests that huge value may accrue to those municipalities that are first to roll out integrated self-drive systems – developing solutions to technical and societal problems that can then be exported.

Scotland’s computer game skills have been identified as perhaps a well-placed foundation for building an industry that can model smart connected self-drive networks and its interface to the energy supply network.

The user experience may generate a whole series of new industries. Smart phone apps to order a ride, making sure the vehicle knows the passenger’s audio, visual and social media feed preferences to ensure a personalised experience. Plus, of course, targeted advertising.

A metropolitan area that announced it wanted to be at the forefront of this technology, working alongside a government that understood the opportunities and put its full support behind the initiative, would be well placed to secure investment and assistance from global businesses looking to showcase technology. A logical extension of city centre low-emission zones currently being planned could be the roll-out of self-drive zones. Initially this could be shared with other vehicles, but over time become self-drive only.

Transition presents specific challenges. For sure, self-drive can exist alongside traditional vehicles, but clearly many of the benefits will only be realised when full self-drive is rolled out.

The new Scottish National Investment Bank may find that one of its missions is to develop a coherent investment strategy to support businesses that want to exploit the opportunities that self-drive offers, while also investing in the necessary infrastructure. Something that might also be appropriate for City Deal investment.

In more rural areas the roll-out may be slower, and specific tailored solutions may be required. But given that this technology is going to happen, an approach that recognises these challenges and prepares for them is going to be the most effective in supporting local communities.

So what needs to happen next? A series of events is being organised with the Scottish Parliament’s Scottish Futures Forum, to provide an opportunity for public and private sectors to come together with academia to review current status and future challenges and opportunities.

A debate in the Scottish Parliament has been secured, allowing parliamentarians to feed into the discussion.

The engagement of one of Scotland’s cities to rise to the challenge would be welcome.

But the most important thing is to get the debate started. We need to begin the process of sending the signal that Scotland is ready to be at the forefront.

Ivan McKee MSP has this week been presenting a series of articles on the issues surrounding automation. This is the final part