As a dealmaker at the Global Entrepreneur Programme, Rob met with Luis Mulet, the AgriTech sector development specialist at the Department of International Trade UK (DiT) for the Northern Powerhouse.
The Northern Powerhouse is a cluster of cities in the Northern parts of the UK - Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle. Together, they form a ‘super’ economy of almost £350 billion, similar in size to that of London.
Home to over 15 million people – more than Tokyo, New York or London – the Northern Powerhouse provides access to one of the largest workforces in Europe. The Northern Powerhouse region has world-class research opportunities at the 40 universities within the North, such as the University of Manchester, ranked in the world’s top 30 (QS World University Rankings).
Luis mentions a few of the many opportunities and benefits available to international agritech or foodtech businesses considering re-locating to the UK.
A company Luis recently worked with (name not mentioned due to confidentiality reasons), a manufacturer of an innovative zero-energy water pump, that uses no electricity or diesel, received support finding new distributors in Colombia and Chile. "We have a great network in the whole region", mentioned Luis.
Relocating your business to the UK opens doors to key export, investor and research networks.
"Many of my colleagues are in the British embassies or the Consulates and they have very good contacts with local associations and companies overseas", says Luis.
Despite the 'new Covid normal', the Department of International Trade is creating invaluable opportunities for founders to access foreign markets from the UK.
"In the coming weeks, we are actually organising one virtual trade mission with the US where we will be helping British companies to do business in the US. And also another webinar by mid March, where we will be helping British companies to export into Latin America", says Luis, "I'm more than happy to support and provide these companies with assistance to export their innovation and their technologies from the UK to any part of the world."
Are you considering moving your business to the UK? Learn more about the Global Entrepreneur Programme here.