Let's show the world what we're made of

Sep 9 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

Today sees the launch of our Go Global campaign in association with North East Chamber of Commerce which aims to encourage businesses to export more of their goods and services. Andrew Mernin finds out why international trade could be the key to our economic recovery.

ON some of the thousands of trains which snake their way across India, commuters can now surf the internet thanks to the endeavour of a Newcastle firm.

In Africa, software made in Sunderland will soon help patients in the poorest and most remote areas to find expert medical advice.

If you have a relative living overseas who is hard of hearing, there is a good chance their hearing aids are powered by North East-made batteries.

And, in bars across America from New York to San Francisco, bottles of beer brewed in Gateshead are supped in their thousands during games of Gridiron or baseball.

Despite the tough economic climate, the North East continues to prove itself as a champion in the export stakes as it delivers a number of internationally successful brands to the world.

Where once our shipbuilding prowess, George Stephenson’s Rocket and the black stuff put the North East on the global stage, the next generation of exporters are proving their worth in a number of emerging sectors such as low carbon vehicles or mobile technology.

But, although our export figures remain buoyant, trade bodies in the region have warned that many businesses could be missing out on potentially lucrative contracts overseas.

Furthermore, by tapping into the rich seam of expert advice available from organisations such as UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), increasing exports could prove the catalyst for the North East’s economic recovery.

For these reasons, The Journal and North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) have launched the Go Global campaign to encourage firms in the region to export more of their goods and services.

The North East contributes around 4% of the UK’s exports, despite accounting for only 3% of the UK economy. However, our exports are spread across a relatively small group of large companies, with the North East only supplying 2% of the country’s exporters.

NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham, believes that boosting the number of exporters in our region will, in turn, boost the region’s economic recovery.

He said: “It is an irony of the global recession that the way we will return to economic growth is via global trade. We face a road to recovery that will be slow and hard unless we look beyond our shores for new opportunities.

“Businesses will struggle to grow with any great speed if they rely solely on organic growth in the UK and it is those companies that seek out new markets that will prosper the most.

“The North East of England has a long and proud tradition of exporting and we have links with all parts of the world which contribute greatly to the fact that we are one of the top exporting regions in the UK. NECC, in particular, has phenomenal links with chambers of commerce in every country across the globe and there is real expertise among our staff in helping our members trade all over the world.”

Over the coming months, the Go Global campaign will highlight the many success stories where companies in our region are trading successfully with foreign countries.

Ultimately, we aim to help more and more companies to find increasing numbers of customers worldwide to set the North East economy back on a fast track to success.

The Journal’s editor Brian Aitken said he hoped the campaign would encourage a wider range of businesses in the region to continue the region’s rich exports tradition.

He said: “The North East has a proud heritage of exporting its goods and services around the world and even today the region can proudly lay claim to being the only part of the UK with a positive trade balance.

“The Go Global campaign is partly about celebrating that success and highlighting these examples of excellence to a wider audience.

“However, it is also about encouraging other companies to follow in their footsteps because, despite the large volume of goods exported from this region, this is achieved by a relatively small number of firms.

“It’s understandable that businesses, especially in the current climate, may be cautious about looking to break into overseas markets but, as many other firms have proved, going global can often be a transformational move for a company.

“Throughout the Go Global campaign, we aim to help take the fear out of exporting by highlighting successful case studies, pointing businesses in the direction of the help that is available and by providing good, practical advice for firms looking to export for the first time.”

Exports by numbers

£11.2bn - total value of goods exported from the North East in 2008.
17.7% - level of growth in exports between 2007 and 2008.
£2.24bn - value of goods exported from the North East in the first quarter of 2009.
5% - level of year-on-year growth in North East exports in the 12 months to the end of March 2009.

Page 2: Chinese firm contract worth £10m