Good advice and practical help on offer

Oct 22 2009 By Andrew Hebden, The Journal

The North East's proud heritage as an exporter should act as inspiration for a bright economic future, writes Andrew Hebden.

NORTH East industry is synonymous with international trade. Be it the coalfields and shipyards, the great engineering innovations, or the staples of our modern economic mix – such as steel and Nissan motor cars – all of them are true international success stories.

The fact that the North East is the only region of England which can boast a positive trade balance is a feather in the cap of this part of the world. A quick glance at the facts would give most people the impression that we are punching above our weight when it comes to exporting.

The truth, however, is not quite as cut and dried as the statistics might suggest. In reality, the contribution made by Nissan and Corus towards our exports disguises the fact that, in terms of the total number of companies exporting their goods and services around the world, we do not compare favourably with other regions.

Quite why this is the case is not altogether clear, especially considering the range of innovative businesses that we have based here. But it does present the region with a genuine opportunity, especially as we look to map a way out of the recession.

The Go Global campaign was launched by The Journal and the North East Chamber of Commerce because we jointly recognised the size of the prize on offer. We also recognised that the barriers to firms exporting, whilst real, should not be insurmountable. We hope the campaign is going some way towards demonstrating that.

Our aim was to help take away the fear from exporting for firms which have not previously traded internationally, by showcasing successful case studies and providing real, practical advice. As you will see in the pages that follow, there’s no shortage of help on offer for businesses willing to take the plunge.

Our campaign has so far won the backing from leading politicians of all the major parties plus the Governor of the Bank of England, whose interview in The Journal about the campaign inadvertently helped exporters by causing the value of sterling to fall! There is a widespread recognition that international markets provide a real opportunity going forward.

We hope that the Go Global campaign encourages more companies from the North East to seize that chance.

Andrew Hebden is head of business at ncjMedia