The export gap is one of the five gaps outlined by Sherry Coutu in her Scale-up Report.
RBS analysis indicates that just 10% of high growth companies export. However exporting is a brilliant way to enhance innovation, access niche markets and develop new management models. 75% of scale up CEOs interviewed for Sherry Coutu's Report said they would be able to grow their company faster if they were invited to participate on a trade mission.
This gap is difficult for entrepreneurs to address individually; government, corporates and startups can work together at earlier stages to bridge this gap more effectively. There are already good examples of this collaboration including ELITE and Barclays Rise, but there is opportunity to do more.
Barclays is hosting an event to discuss this gap on 17 November in Bristol, at the University of West England. At this event, our panellists will discuss the existing barriers that prevent companies from exporting their products or services, and how to counter them. Speakers include Charlie Allen from Shiner, Simon Lake from Royal Mint and Shozey Jafferi from UKTI.