Navigation menu

University helps small businesses capitalise on overseas opportunities

A trade mission from south-west Virginia arrived at the University of Kent on Monday 3 November, as part of an international Reciprocal Soft-Landings Network project.

The project, being developed by Kent Innovation and Enterprise together with the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance and Virginia Tech University, helps high-growth small businesses to develop distribution networks and subsidiary companies in key international markets.

There are currently over 40 partners worldwide, who assist small businesses seeking to trade in international markets, including: USA, Canada, India, Taiwan, Australia, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, Spain and Poland.

Carole Barron, Director of Innovation and Enterprise, University of Kent, said: 'This visit will provide UK businesses, wishing to export to the USA, an ideal opportunity to meet economic development representatives from Virginia, who can advise companies on how they can penetrate US markets.'

David Butler, Director of the Canterbury Enterprise Hub, who is leading the project on behalf of the University of Kent, said: 'Going far beyond conventional soft-landing arrangements this initiative not only assists companies coming to Kent, but enables us to internationalise our local client companies.'

Contact: mediaoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 9:35am 5 November 2008