Clear export opportunity
ThinleyTopden, head of region for east of England at the Department for International Trade (DIT), discusses how local glass firms can take advantage of opportunities overseas.
The UK’s glass industry is changing as the country adapts to stricter environmental regulations and innovation stemming from Industry 4.0 – the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ that integrates and leverages computerised, interconnected and automated production processes in manufacturing – into our factories.
Preparing for change requires investing in the future, and while innovation is crucial for a company’s future, it amounts to nothing if you haven’t sourced the customer base to match.
An often missedopportunity is to source new customers from overseas. Through expanding to new markets and new customer bases, new revenue streams can help to diversify business and make it more resilient to fluctuations in the local business climate. Additionally, exposure to new markets can attract new skills and innovation, having an impact on long-term competitive advantage and stability.
Our specialist glass industry is an essential part of Britain’s advanced manufacturing potential and industry. Beyond that, companies that supply glassmakers with furnaces, equipment, and specialist refining chemicals to make their products mean that glass production stretches into other facets of our industrial economy.
A Barclays study suggests that promoting the ‘Made in the UK’ or the ‘Britishness’ of a product can make buyers willing to pay a premium, and there’s no reason this national brand advantage shouldn’t be translated to the glass industry.
My priority is to make sure that British businesses are given the right support to excel when they decide to enter new markets. The marketable advantages for our industry are clear, and there is a world of opportunity awaiting.
The biggest area of opportunity for the UK glass industry therefore lie within the research and development side of the industry. There’s also room for British producers to move into the international flat glass market.
International trade advisers from the Department for International Trade are on hand to support our manufacturers and the related industry to make the most of this global market.
Exporting can, of course, present certain challenges. But with the right knowledge and support, these can be addressed and overcome.
Whether it is working with experts from across government, including the diplomatic teams based in our embassy and consulates, or leveraging our existing relationships with regulatory stakeholders on behalf of British companies, DIT teams will be there every step of the way.