INTERNATIONAL TRADE: EUROPE EUROFILE
Nicholas at the People Power Monument near the trade mission’s Manila hotel
First hand experience of Philippines trade visit
BY NICHOLAS SMITH
Every March, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the Philippines hosts a Business Opportunities Fair connecting businesses with procurement opportunities at the Bank. ADB is the largest of the regional development banks and aims for an Asia and Pacific free from poverty. Some 1.7 billion people in the region are in need of help and ADB procures more than $7bn of goods and services a year to help improve their situation. The UK Trade and Investment Aid-Funded
Business Service (AFBS) is designed to connect UK businesses with opportunities with the international aid agencies. AFBS, in collaboration with the British
Embassy in Manila, organises a trade mission every year to coincide with this key event. It accompanies UK businesses to the ADB Business Opportunities Fair and organises meetings with specialist procurement officers. The AFBS also organises an additional ‘Philippines country day’ engaging businesses with relevant institutions including the United Nations. I was lucky enough to attend as part of my
placement year at the Chamber. I am studying at Aston Business School for a BSc in economics and management and work as an aid-funded business administrator in the international trade team at the Chamber. The trade mission allowed me to experience
how UKTI operates on-the-ground. It was a great experience. I help to organise trade missions so to see how it all works first-hand has helped me to fully understand the operations in the field. The networking events were particularly useful, allowing me to talk to people from businesses from all over the world. Alongside my work with UKTI, I have
continued my involvement in the Birmingham University Royal Naval Unit (BURNU), using my spare time to train as an officer. This year I sailed back to the UK from Gibraltar on HMS Daring and from South Wales to the Western Isles of Scotland on HMS Exploit. I am grateful to the international trade team
for allowing me to continue my role with BURNU. I have found the military-commercial work balance invigorating, challenging and a great way to learn about both worlds in tandem.
MAY 2014 CHAMBERLINK 21 EU is huge market for UK
An independent economic forecasting organisation says that exports to the EU are worth a massive £211bn to the UK economy, and also support more than four million jobs, many in the West and East Midlands. The figures have been produced by the London-based Centre for Economic and Business
Research (CEBR), and show that demand for goods and services from Britain has increased steadily since 1997. The CEBR added that the EU remained the UK's single biggest trading partner ‘by a wide margin’. The organisation said it had found that the number of jobs associated with demand for goods and services from the EU had risen from 3.7 million to 4.2 million over the period 1997-2011. Of these jobs, an estimated 3.1 million are directly supported by exports to the European Union and the remainder indirectly supported, for example through spending income earned from exporting. The CEBR added that its research did not mean that all these jobs would be lost if the UK
were to cut ties with Brussels. Douglas McWilliams, CEBR executive chairman, said: “This report demonstrates the levels of UK economic activity that are associated with demand from the European Union. “CEBR estimates this at 4.2 million jobs, or £211 billion in national income terms. Jobs are
spread across UK regions, but East Midlands and West Midlands have the highest proportion of their workforces supported by demand from the EU.”
Help to access funds
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Midlands is holding a seminar which will help businesses access local and regional funding opportunities. Titled ‘Access to Finance’, the seminar will also cover other subjects, such as getting paid on time and how to fund export contracts. The seminar – on 11 June at the Chamber – will feature a panel of experts, who will also outline the pitfalls and common errors made by businesses when it comes to finance.
For further information, contact Craig Biffen on 0121 455 0268 or email
c.biffen@birmingham-
chamber.com
Importance of IP rights
The vast majority of businesses in the UK do not know what intellectual property (IP) they own, according to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). The IPO says that 96 per cent of
businesses are guilty of this, despite the fact that IP could account for more than 70 per cent of a business’ value. If you would like to learn more about IP,
the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and the IPO will be hosting a free breakfast event between 7:30 and 10.00am at the Library of Birmingham on 14 May 2014.
The IPO has a range of online business support tools available to help you identify, protect and exploit your IP at
www.ipo.gov.uk/business
TRADE NEWS AND ADVICE T: 0121 607 1800 • E:
europedirect@birmingham-chamber.com
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