Press release

New campaign highlights trade and investment opportunities in Global Britain

The Department for International Trade has today kicked off its largest ever international trade and investment campaign.

Touch Bionics

The UK’s Department for International Trade has today (Wednesday 25 January) kicked off its largest ever international trade and investment campaign as part of the UK government’s continued drive to be the business destination of choice.

Aimed at international businesses and governments the campaign will showcase the UK’s trade and investment opportunities to a global marketplace, including the EU and beyond.

This is the latest initiative in the successful longstanding GREAT Britain campaign to promote the best of what the UK has to offer the world. This campaign positions the UK as the home of impressive and surprising creativity, expertise, innovation, quality and world leading capabilities.

Declaring to global investors that the UK is open for business, this campaign showcases the strength of the UK as a leading investment and business destination, in the financial services, life science sector and sustainable energy industry.

From today, the comprehensive, multi-channel campaign will display a series of new images showcasing the UK’s world-leading products and services, including advertising in international airport hubs such as Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris and Singapore; press publications such as the Economist, Forbes and Business Week; along with substantial digital promotion.

Secretary of State for International Trade, Dr Liam Fox, said:

The UK is open and ready for business, and the launch of our largest international trade campaign today is an important step in showcasing the very best of what our country has to offer to the world.

Businesses who trade internationally are more financially stable, creating jobs and giving a boost to local economies at home and abroad.

Our world-leading digital hub will help more businesses tap into the wealth of British business opportunities and provide all the advice and guidance that they need to break down barriers to trading with the UK.

Interactive digital service

As part of this international push, the Department for International Trade is helping international companies looking to trade or invest in the UK to find the right opportunities for them.

The international launch of a new interactive digital service – great.gov.uk provides practical advice to businesses ready to take the next step into new global markets, or international buyers and sellers who may not know what is in the market or how to buy British.

A new searchable exporter directory, the ‘Find a Supplier’ tool will help international businesses to find their perfect trade partner and break down barriers to trading overseas.

The digital service will also include information on sectors, from technology to food and drink, so that international businesses can easily navigate the UK market and make an informed decision about the best investment opportunities.

Companies showcased in the international trade and investment campaign include:

  • the innovative British company Touch Bionics, a world-leading provider of prosthetic technologies and part of the UK’s thriving health and life sciences sector. The UK’s medical technology sector and supply chain alone employ 107,000 people and generates annual revenue of £39.7billion
  • Dong Energy, Denmark’s largest energy company, is the largest offshore wind developer in the world and holder of the largest portfolio of offshore wind farms in the UK

Further information

  1. Target markets for the trade campaign activity are the United States, Germany, China and Japan. Target markets for invest campaign activity are the United States, Germany and China.
  2. great.gov.uk has pages for priority markets: Brazil, India, China, Germany, Japan, Spain and the USA - the world’s largest markets - with dedicated translated/transliterated content in Chinese, German, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese to showcase UK investment opportunities.
  3. great.gov.uk includes the following services: selling online overseas; export opportunities; country guides; find a buyer/supplier, investment support.
  4. great.gov.uk is also the single digital destination for those wishing to visit and study in the UK.
  5. over the coming months DIT will be working with business partners and others to facilitate meetings between international buyers and relevant UK exporters to promote the UK’s most innovative and exceptional products and services. For more information, please visit great.gov.uk.
  6. The GREAT Britain campaign is the UK government’s most ambitious international promotional campaign ever and showcases the very best of what the country has to offer to encourage the world to visit, study and do business with the UK. GREAT is active across 144 countries worldwide and unites Her Majesty’s Government (HMG’s) promotion of the UK overseas - more than 20 government departments and arm’s-length bodies (ALBs) - under an effective and widely recognised brand. Launched in 2011/12, the GREAT campaign has already generated returns of £2.2 billion for the UK economy, with a further £2.1 billion currently being audited and more to come from current activities. For more information visit great.gov.uk.
Published 25 January 2017