I was speaking to somebody this morning who was asking what sort of guidance is available for people wanting to embark upon an international business career.
Of course, the first thing is that one person’s perception of an international business career is completely different to that of another person. The second is that I’m not aware of too many people who thought when they were 14 or 15 that they just had to be an international businessman. What we really need are more internationalists generally, people who don’t see the border of their own country as a constraint or a restraint on their activity but an opportunity to seize upon bigger and better opportunity.
With that in mind, it’s fantastic to report that the North West has had its exports of goods figure confirmed for 2009 and it shows an increase of 0.3% on 2008. That may not be amazing but, as it’s the only region in the UK to have seen an increase in exports at all, forgive me a moment if I crow about it. The region has moved over the years to hi tech advanced manufacturing with a broad international base, and is clearly benefiting from that shift. I have a fantastic dedicated team of international trade advisors who, with the support of NWDA as well as UKTI, are really making a difference to the firms they assist - we had contact with well over 4000 last year.
The region has a long and proud history of exporting goods. It goes back centuries thanks to the Port of Liverpool and infrastructure projects like the Manchester Ship Canal, which have linked businesses around the region to the world. It’s fantastic to see that these trade connections are not just a thing of the past, and that the beacon of international business still burns brightly in the North West.
As the world becomes more technologically advanced, communication and cooperation over distance gets easier and changes in market demand can be accommodated in ever shorter timescales. The need to consider the world as your market place becomes ever more important. Exporting can lead the way to a recovery, but we need more people prepared to take on the challenge and get started on their own international journeys.