More private investment in clean energy, manufacturing, logistics, finance and professional services will boost Cheshire and Warrington’s burgeoning export market and make the “strongest economy in the North even stronger” – a conference has heard.
The rallying call was delivered by Philip Cox, Chief Executive of Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington, as 50 of the region’s businesses straddling all sectors met to share success stories and discuss future export trade opportunities during a series of panels and workshops at a conference to mark International Trade Week (ITW).
The region already has a huge export market.
Mr Cox told the conference that this includes AstraZeneca – responsible for 1% of the UK’s total exports of goods – and Bentley Motors “which builds £2 billion worth of cars every year and exports 90% of them”.
Addressing the ITW event on November 4 at the Park Royal Hotel, Warrington and organised with the support of Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington’s Growth Hub which provides bespoke assistance to businesses, Mr Cox told attendees: “Cheshire and Warrington has the strongest economy in the North.
“Our ambition is to make it even stronger. If we are to achieve that we know we need to support the private sector to invest in some of the great opportunities available to us over the next few years in clean energy, manufacturing, logistics and finance and professional services.
“That means by making sure you have the transport and other infrastructure you need, by providing the training programmes that make sure you can get the skills you need, and by providing support through the government’s new Business Growth Service.”
At the event, attendees were able to find out about the export support available from Cheshire’s three local authorities, Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Warrington Council and via the Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub.
Cheshire is home to 41,000 businesses across diverse, high growth sectors, including energy, life sciences, and one of its most productive, advanced manufacturing.
And support available to businesses ranges from market analysis and contacts sharing to support with trade missions amid a collective ambition from the region’s leaders for Cheshire and Warrington to be the most sustainable, healthy, inclusive and growing economy in the UK. Running from November 3-7 and led by the Department for Business and Trade, International Trade Week offered free online and in-person events designed to help UK businesses grow through exporting.
More information on the Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub can be found here.
