Made in Dudley, Sold to the World, Welcomed to BCIMO

As part of International Trade Week and a series of events being delivered by the UK Export Academy in partnership with Dudley Council, BCIMO hosted a busy event at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre focused on introducing the broad range of support organisations and services for local businesses considering the opportunities for growth via export.

Located in the heart of the UK, and one of the four Black Country boroughs – alongside Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton – Dudley has long been a hive of business activity, making and delivering products and services essential to the local, regional and national economies. But increasing globalisation also offered an opportunity to reach even further, and whilst many businesses have an established foot in overseas markets already, there are many more for whom it is a significant option for growth, although the question remains: how?

The morning began with a networking breakfast in the Centre’s Exhibition Hall, before moving into the Auditorium, where the Leader of Dudley Council, Councillor Patrick Harley welcomed attendees, highlighting the role and importance of Dudley’s proud industrial heritage and potential for the future. Compere, Rob Lawley from the Department for Business & Trade in Staffordshire and the Black Country, then introduced Paul Mountford, Head of Economic Growth & Skills at Dudley Council, who talked more about the local economy and introduced the range of support available to businesses in the local area, across the scope of needs, including export.

Catherine Bray, Programme Delivery Manager for Oxford Innovation Advice, who deliver the Business Growth West Midlands programmes in Dudley, introduced her team, including Steve Dunn and Paul Sampson, who respectively discussed the breadth of expertise and thus potential to help local businesses. They were followed by Raj Theper, Export Academy Advisor from the Department for Business & Trade, discussing support they provide to enable prospective exporters to embark on their international trade journey, including a fireside chat with Andrew and Jean Eardley, Directors at MSP Easy Tools, on their own experiences of doing so.

His colleague, Jayne Shields, International Trade Advisor (Staffordshire & Black Country), then explored the potential for export to contribute toward business growth, chatting to Managing Editor of Orthoracle, Mark Herron, about the company’s journey into global markets. Anne Lockett, Export Finance Manager for the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire at UK Export Finance, outline financial support available to enable firms to win and deliver on contracts, as reflected upon by Chris Emes, Chairman of Mecatherm International. The session concluded with a Q&A hosted by Catherine Bray, with a panel of the former speakers, before a break for refreshments and networking in the Exhibition Hall, where attendees also had the opportunity to talk to range of support services presenting at the event.

After the break, the session focused on a series of presentations from experts on specific aspects of international trade, beginning with Gary Blackburn, International Trade Adviser (Export Market Research) at the Department for Business and Trade, discussing the services they can offer; followed by his colleague, Andy Smith, International Engagement Manager, on the options and processes for connecting to overseas markets through the department’s regional teams. The presentations concluded with insight from Gerti Willis, International Trade Advisor (Culture & Communications), with further experiential reflections from Kasmin Cooney, Founder of RightTrack Learning, before closing remarks from Rob Lawley and Paul Mountford.

Further scope to network with both peers and support providers also included an opportunity for those attending the event to take a behind the scenes look at the VLRNIC, with a site tour hosted by Martin Franklin, Project Manager and experienced rail engineer, and Helen Wolf, Marketing & Commercial Officer at BCIMO. Participants explored aspects of the comprehensive Rail Development & Test Site including the test loop, developed within specification for the Coventry Very Light Rail project, and the Engineering Hall, which is currently home to rolling stock being utilised as a demonstration platform for the Clean Futures Accelerator programme. Moving outdoors, they were introduced to Centre’s T69 tram and a discussion on the broad range of infrastructure and innovative technologies installed and/or being tested on site.

Neil Fulton, CEO at BCIMO, reflecting on the event, said:

“Today’s event was essential to our local business community in terms of highlighting the potential for exporting goods and services, and the support available to them in considering this opportunity, and so it was really good to see so many different organisations and sectors represented here engaging with these services.

It was also another important event for us in highlighting the role BCIMO and the VLRNIC has as a hub for business innovation and growth activity within Dudley and the wider Black Country region, and we look forward to welcoming further events like this here in the future.”

Jason Cole, Business Development Director at Jonathan Lee, commenting on LinkedIn, said:

“I was delighted to represent Jonathan Lee Recruitment today visiting the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation BCIMO Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley for the ‘Made in Dudley – Sold to the World’ meeting. The trip gave me the chance to see first-hand, the research and development work being done there for the Very Light Rail sector.

A big thank you to Martin Franklin and Helen Wolf of BCIMO for the insight they gave us into the development of high voltage vehicle charging technology and the development of new track and rail car advancements.”

For more information on BCIMO or the VLRNIC, please visit the BCIMO website or click Contact Us to make an enquiry / sign up to our mailing list.