Insight

Growing Global – Moving Up the Exporting Ladder

ERC Insight Paper

Associated Themes
  • Internationalisation
  • Productivity and performance

Much has been done to support SME exporting in the UK in recent years. Only around a quarter of UK SMEs currently export, however, and a very small group – only 6 per cent of SMEs – currently export more than 50 per cent of their sales. For a very significant proportion of UK SMEs, therefore, the potential opportunities provided by exporting remain unexploited. Who are these SMEs? This question is important if we are to effectively target support and enable these firms to reap the growth benefits of exporting. ERC research helps to identify some markers of export potential which should allow more effective profile-led marketing of export support.

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