Julie Underwood: Feature for the year ahead
Date published:
As the new year gets going and we try to look forward with positivity, the increasing travel restrictions do cast a shadow over the business community’s international trade plans.
While we obviously wholeheartedly support everyone being kept safe throughout the pandemic the constant change in our global landscape, means that our ability to be agile and responsive becomes more and more important.
To help businesses navigate what is feasible the Chamber and the Department for International Trade (DIT) have been supporting businesses to continue to trade overseas and latterly there have also been some physical trips to trade shows and overseas events.
I was fortunate to attend a discussion recently with a group of Export Champions – businesses who lead the way with their international success and are more than willing to share their experience and offer support to new exporters.
What struck me from this discussion, was the overwhelming positivity of what has been achieved and, more importantly, what can be achieved, by developing business overseas. It was so inspirational to listen to those who have done this from all sectors and parts of the region.
We know the important role we play, in the Chamber and DIT, in supporting these businesses and primarily helping open doors to countries which may be initially unknown. That is why, in these everchanging times, we must continue to connect, engage, and adapt our approach to ensure we can help people to identify new marketplaces around the world.
To do this we continue to organise trade missions with visits to Ireland, Norway, Portugal, India, and the US in the following months. Our model can pivot between virtual and physical, to ensure that invaluable activity takes place despite the restrictions at any given time.
One of our near neighbours Ireland is going to be a great mission for people who are starting on their export journey, while Norway in particular is a great fit for so many North East companies with its strengths in hydro power and renewables.
There are so many synergies between our region and that country, there are great opportunities for us there.
While we may well not have our travel freedoms back, rest assured we will open export doors, physically or virtually, for businesses in the New Year.
And I wish everyone the best of luck who want to do just that in 2022.