INTERVIEW


With over 20 years’ experience in economic policy, development and growth, Ian Harrison’s knowledge of the business landscape is extensive. With notable roles at the East Midlands Development


Agency, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, based in Nottingham, and, latterly, as Regional Director at the Department for International Trade, the East Midlands is certainly a region he identifies strongly with. “I’m a Midlander. I live in the East Midlands and my


career has been spent here,” explains Ian. “I think there’s a great capacity in the East Midlands to


demonstrate its prowess on the world stage. There are a lot of opportunities for the East Midlands and a lot of opportunities for the Midlands as a whole.” The international arm of Government has been through changes post-EU Referendum, with the Department for International Trade formed in July 2016; the result of an amalgamation of a number of bodies, as Ian explains. “I joined the civil service six years ago and have been


with UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) – now Department for International Trade – for over three years. “A number of departments were amalgamated and the Department for International Trade was formed with UKTI - and its international network of 2,500 people - UK Export Finance and Trade Policy, which will be the arm of the Department that will lead on negotiating Free Trade agreements outside the EU on behalf of Government.” Since then, the Department for International Trade has


adopted the highly-engaging and multifaceted ‘GREAT’ campaign as part of its departmental footprint. The ongoing success of the campaign, Ian believes, can directly affect the East Midlands’ ability to position itself to a wider audience. “One of the real positives about the GREAT campaign is


that it has endured,” says Ian. “We use the primary branding in all our overseas


markets and connect it to a relevant pillar, so it might be ‘Food is GREAT’, ‘Tourism is GREAT’ or ‘Innovation is GREAT’. What that does is give a reinforcement of the brand values and quality that UK businesses and, of course, businesses in East Midlands, have to offer an international audience and people can identify with that. In the UK we use the Exporting is Great pillar as a call to action. “What we then try to do when possible is ensure that


relatable images from the East Midlands are a part of that marketing campaign, so that can be Chatsworth House, Rolls-Royce, Boots; we try to ensure imagery from the region is used in our campaign activity all around the world.”


So what is it about the East Midlands that enables it, and


will further enable it in the future, to stand out in a crowded market, where countries and regions continually vie for a share of the global spoils? While the fact remains that the East Midlands has a lot


going for it, Ian identifies one particular strength that stands the region in such good stead. Its diversity. “The diversity of the East Midlands is a big advantage to


have,” says Ian. “We’ve got everything from a port in Lincolnshire to high


performance motorsport in Northamptonshire. On the Chamber’s patch we have heavy advanced manufacturing and aerospace, planes, trains and automobiles in Derby, life sciences in Nottingham and food and drink in Leicester, so we have everything really. From that sense, the East Midlands is a great place to gauge how a balanced economy is doing in somewhat challenging times. “It’s interesting when you look at the statistics. The East Midlands continues to grow, exporting continues to grow - our exports increased 1.9% in the third quarter in 2016 and the number of exporters has also increased by 3.3% in the same period. “It’s clear that our businesses here in the East Midlands


are seeing opportunities. We need to harness these opportunities and take advantage of the cheaper pound. I certainly think our businesses are becoming more proactive, there is a lot of interest in reaching different markets around the world.” The East Midlands has significant assets. From world-


renowned tourist attractions and landmarks to some of the world’s biggest companies, the region boasts a proud cultural and business heritage. But should the region be looking to capitalise on these


long-established and highly-regarded institutions traditionally associated with the East Midlands, or should it be looking to expand its influence to areas that it is perhaps not so synonymous with? Ian advocates a measured approach. “It’s a bit of both, I think,” he says. “There are obvious strengths that the region possesses,


areas that we are globally renowned for and we should continue to support those activities. “We are very strong in certain sectors and we’ve got


some great, significant businesses here as well. There are some really iconic role models for others when you think of the likes of Rolls-Royce, Boots, Walkers Crisps, Paul Smith and so on, from many different sectors. We have significant economic capabilities and we have a responsibility to support East Midlands-based companies of all sizes on an international platform. “However, there are also other areas that we need to


look to exploit, for example the technologies and industries of tomorrow, that we’re not yet particularly well known for. We need to be looking forward and identifying opportunities. We need to look at our future strengths as well as the ones that are existing.” While the Department for International Trade continues


to play a leading role in broadening the scope of the East Midlands, the job is clearly a huge undertaking. To that end, Ian is keen to stress the importance of collaboration. “The Government cannot deliver these objectives alone,”


he argues. “We work closely with local enterprise partnerships


(LEPs) and the growth hubs – the business-facing element of the LEPs. We have partnerships with all the major banks and the ‘big four’ accountancy firms among others. “We also work with trade associations, organisations


from the professional services such as lawyers and architects, professional institutes and, of course, Chambers of Commerce, both in the UK and overseas. “It’s really important that we work very closely with


Trade missions, such as the one recently undertaken to China, are helping to boost the East Midlands profile


partners to leverage relationships and that, ultimately, enables us to have a bigger reach.” In October 2016, the Midlands Engine - which


brings together 11 LEPs to boost productivity, attract inward investment, increase connectivity


business network March 2017 29


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