Lord Livingston of Parkhead | Foreword Why Britain?
The British brand is held in very high regard globally, reinforced by the phenomenal success of the 2012 London Olympics and its economic legacy that is being replicated globally. UK trade and investment remains crucial
and government support to UK companies remains unabated. We are ramping up efforts supporting UK companies to achieve export values of £1trn by 2020. The UK may be steeped in tradition, but we rarely look backward when it comes to business. We are a world-leading innovation powerhouse; home to major international brands such as Bentley Motors, Unilever, Diageo, BP, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. Each is a leader in their respective field and demonstrates the diversity and breadth of Britain’s manufacturing base. From pharmaceuticals to petrochemicals, from DNA to MRI to IVF, the products which are discovered, invented, developed and manufactured here have a profound impact on the lives of people throughout the world. The research conducted in our universities tackles the biggest problems facing humankind today. The UK has 77 Nobel Prizes in science and technology, second in the world and more than anywhere else in Europe. And the combination of a highly skilled manufacturing base and outstanding research and development facilities has seen industries grow continuously throughout the global financial crisis, seeing turnover in the medical technology, for example, double between 2009 and 2012. Seventeen of the 20 biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world have R&D, manufacturing and sales sites across the UK. The UK’s long history of developing pharmaceutical products means that today one-sixth of the world’s most popular prescription medicines were developed here. Pharmaceutical companies are drawn to the UK by its strong research and innovation culture in which fruitful partnerships are developed between universities, industry, charities and the NHS. The UK is a trading nation and plays a key role in the global marketplace. The UK today is the world’s second largest exporter of commercial services. And our business- friendly economy is a magnet for overseas companies – 58 countries in 2010–12. The UK ranks seventh in the world for ease of
global-opportunity.co.uk
doing business, has the fewest barriers to entrepreneurship and the third fewest barriers to trade and investment. In 2012 the UK was the only country in the European Union to record an increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), a key indicator that the economy is growing and confidence is high. We welcome innovative international companies. The UK is at the heart of global business and provides the best location to grow internationally. Businesses come to take advantage of our thriving home market as well as using the UK as a springboard into the US$ trillion/500 million consumers in the EU market. Entrepreneurs are attracted to the UK too, as it takes as little as 13 days to set up a business here, compared with the world average of 35 days. World-class transport links including Europe’s largest air transport network with over 30 international airports and direct rail links to the Continent have helped attract more overseas companies to the UK than anywhere else in Europe.
The UK is at the heart of global business and
provides the best location to grow internationally.’
UK companies, no matter what their set- up or business sector - have products and services which are in demand globally. The UK’s unrivalled skills and expertise in the infrastructure sector for example means that countries across the board are seeking our solutions to match their capability, resulting in a huge demand for British expertise around the world. This juxtaposition of old and new
permeates every aspect of British life. From our Royal Family and our love of pageantry and tradition, to the development of the world’s first space plane, GREAT ideas flourish in GREAT Britain.
Lord Livingston of Parkhead Minister of State for Trade and Investment
ISSUE 01 | GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY 2014 11
FOREWORD
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LORD LIVINGSTON OF PARKHEAD
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