- After a successful start to the Export Champions scheme, ten
new Export Champions for Scotland have been appointed
- They join the thirteen appointments made last year, ensuring
a broad range of sector expertise is in place
- Working closely with the Department for Business and Trade
and Scottish Development International, their role will be to
encourage more Scottish businesses to consider selling abroad
Ten new Export Champions have been appointed for Scotland after a
positive start to the scheme that was launched just under a year
ago.
In October last year the first ever Export Champions for Scotland
were selected and tasked with promoting the benefits of
exporting.
Since then they have taken part in over 78 engagements where they
have spoken at events, shared advice with others in their sector
and encouraged other companies across Scotland to consider
selling to overseas markets.
The new appointees, selected in partnership with Scottish
Development International (SDI), cover a broad range of sectors
from life sciences, to hydrogen energy and legal services.
UK Government Minister for Scotland and Exports Lord Malcolm
Offord said:
With our current Export Champions having made such an excellent
start, we were keen to grow our team here in Scotland to ensure
that we were doing all we can to help companies start their
export journey.
Our new, larger team now cover an even broader range of sectors,
and I look forward to them sharing their success stories of
selling abroad and encouraging other Scottish businesses to start
doing the same.
Reuben Aitken, Scottish Enterprise Managing Director of
International Operations, said:
Exports drive productivity and our Scottish economic performance.
Scottish Enterprise and our global Scottish Development
International colleagues are committed to working with partners
to support Scottish companies’ growth by selling their innovative
products and services to overseas markets.
We have been pleased to help identify these latest Export
Champions who we know will help encourage and inspire future
Scottish businesses to trade internationally.
Each of the new Export Champions were selected by the Department
for Business and Trade in partnership with SDI, with each having
a successful track record of trading internationally and a desire
to share their expertise with others.
One of the new Export Champions is Natalya Ratner, from
educational technology company Robotical Ltd based in Leith. They
developed a programmable robot called Marty, an educational tool
that has now been sold to over 1,000 schools across 65 countries
worldwide.
New Export Champion for Scotland, Natalya Ratner of Robotical Ltd
said:
Exporting has made a huge difference to our company. Although we
are very much a Scottish company, we were international from the
start as it was the best area for growth.
We want more Scottish companies to become successful exporters,
so I’m delighted to become an Export Champion. I’ll be really
pushing the message on the importance of selling abroad and the
growth it can bring to the other companies that I meet with.
Naysun Alae-Carew is another new appointee and is Managing
Director of Glasgow-based Blazing Griffin, who specialise in
video game development, film and TV and production and high-end
post-production services.
With a growing team of 72 creative, digital and technology
professionals, Blazing Griffin’s growth trajectory has been
fuelled not only by a growing domestic market but also by their
thriving exports business.
Managing Director of Blazing Griffin, Naysun Alae-Carew, said:
I’m honoured and excited to be appointed as an Export Champion.
We look forward to sharing the insights and strategies that have
driven our success with other Scottish companies and help them
reach into new territories around the world.
We are staunch believers that Scotland has the potential to excel
on the world stage without sacrificing its focus on domestic
capabilities. It’s a great time to be part of a nation that is
outward-facing, yet deeply committed to local development.
Dr Sharon Fitzgerald, a partner at law firm DLA Piper, has also
been named as one of Scotland’s new Export Champions.
For years, DLA Piper has been exporting international best
practice in legal services and project procurement, gained
through working on major Scottish infrastructure projects such as
the Queensferry Crossing.
Dr Sharon Fitzgerald, Partner at DLA Piper said:
I’m delighted to have been selected as an Export Champion for
Scotland. At DLA Piper we have exported international best
practice in legal services and project procurement to a
range of different countries across the world. We’ve also
supported our clients in a variety of sectors to do business
internationally.
I want to share this experience with others. There are so many
opportunities out there and I’m eager to see Scottish businesses
make the most of these.
Each Export Champion will now work closely with both DBT and SDI,
attending events and providing peer-to-peer exporting support to
other businesses in their sector.
So far Export Champions in Scotland have appeared as panel
members at the US Trade Dialogue held in Edinburgh in November
last year, given presentations about the opportunities available
to Scottish FinTech companies in North American markets, and
provided feedback to DBT officials on the potential benefits of
Free Trade Agreements.
