Mandelson hails export campaign
Oct 24 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal
LORD Mandelson last night urged North East companies to export their way to recovery as he put his weight behind The Journal’s go Global campaign.
The Business Secretary pledged his support for the export-focused campaign, which is run in conjunction with the North East Chamber of Commerce and called on ambitious firms in the region to target overseas expansion.
Despite being the only region in the country to maintain a positive trade balance, the North East still fails to match others when it comes to exports.
While our positive trade balance has survived the economic downturn, the number of companies actually exporting their goods remains relatively low.
The Go Global campaign aims to eliminate the fear associated with expanding overseas and also make firms aware of the vast resources of expert help available when targeting foreign markets.
Lord Mandelson described Go Global as one of the most imaginative campaigns he had seen in the North East for some years.
He also explained why it was vital for the region’s army of businesses to strive to be globally competitive by making it big abroad.
He said: “We have to make our living in the world and we’ve also always done that as a country and the future will be no exception to that rule. Therefore what we do here has to be linked to the global economy.
“We have to offer sophistication, specialist goods and services and skills, value added production, premium engineering, advanced manufacturing.
“This is what we are good at and we’ve got to develop this, grow it, export it so that we’re able to make our living in the world rather than just sit back and watch other people overtaking us.
“Go Global is vital. Grow big in the region, big in Europe and big in the world. That’s what every ambitious company should be seeking [to do].”
The former Hartlepool MP returned to the region yesterday for a whistle-stop day of engagements in which he met representatives from local authorities, the regional development agency alongside private sector businesses.
As well as attending the Regional Economic Forum at Gateshead, he spoke at the launch of a new publication called FutureStory Newcastle and the North East at the Discovery Museum. The book was commissioned by the Talent and Enterprise Taskforce to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and industrial skills that characterise the region.
