12th August 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
That was the principal message of Permanent Secretary at the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, Martin Donnelly, when he visited Australia last week. He said that the UK’s GDP growth was expected to reach around 1% this year and perhaps 2% next year. Australian economists and business people he met shared this positive assessment. […]
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7th August 2013
New Delhi, India
Continuing our series of guest blogs from our visitors, here’s a blog from Dr Nick Rousseau, Head of EU and International Innovation Policy within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills , UK about his visit to India few weeks ago.. My role in the UK Government’s Innovation Directorate is to look at how we […]
Read more on UK-India Collaboration – Focus: role of big business and academic R&D collaboration to support in international innovation | Reply (2)
30th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
“Should’ve gone to Specsavers”. Millions of Australians have. Last week they were voted Australian Retailer of the Year and Retail Employer of the Year. A remarkable success story for a company which has grown to nearly 300 stores in just five years since coming to Australia. I visited their Asia Pacific HQ in Melbourne to […]
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18th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Some UK visitors to India, and British newspaper headlines, seem to consider that business here should be ours by “divine right”, as if it is Britain’s for the taking. We have, the argument goes, a special relationship with India – language, law, cricket, immigrants – which means that we must have an advantage on the commercial playing field. […]
Read more on Farewell to Mumbai (Part 2): Doing better than we think | Reply (4)
15th July 2013
Warsaw, Poland
The UK has a GREAT automotive sector. British engineering is at the heart of Formula 1 the leading global icon of motoring excellence and innovation. Over the last 10 years the automotive supply chain in Poland has flourished. Poland is now a well established partner in the UK’s global automotive supply chain. We thought the […]
Read more on Business is GREAT – Polish companies visit the UK and find a plethora of business opportunity in the UK’s automotive sector | Reply (1)
15th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Why does Britain like Turkey? Most of all, it’s because we want to have Turkey as a democratic, stable and prosperous partner. The more democratic, stable and prosperous Turkey becomes, the better for Britain. That’s partly because countries which embrace free markets and foreign investment are good trading partners, and trade makes everyone better-off. It’s […]
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10th July 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
There has been much talk of the resources investment boom passing its peak. But in Perth things still feel pretty good. I called on Premier Colin Barnett, re-elected in a handsome victory since my last visit, and some of his ministers. I attended the Australian Gas Technology Conference and Expo and met a number of […]
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28th June 2013
USA
I’m about to leave Chicago after three fascinating and rewarding years as Consul General promoting the UK across 13 states of the US Midwest – an area bigger than western Europe and with an economy the size of Germany’s. People in Chicago often ask what a Consul General does. So here are five lasting impressions […]
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26th June 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Last week our Trade and Investment teams from across Australia and New Zealand gathered in Sydney for their annual conference. It’s a big part of what we do: they comprise around 1/3 of my Australia staff. All but three are locally hired. Last year the trade team assisted over 1200 companies, introduced 387 companies to […]
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25th June 2013
Kingston, Jamaica
Living in a country with almost constant sunshine has a myriad of advantages. Having the opportunity to go to the beach all year round, with the temperature never dropping below 60 degrees, offers lots of positives. Another one that immediately jumps at me is the harnessing of the sun to produce energy. Jamaica is in […]
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