PODCAST: Minister Ivan McKee on building Scotland’s trade ecosystem
Tools & Resources
In a nutshell…
- Scotland’s goods exports have grown at twice the rate of the UK, showing that the Scottish Government’s strategy ‘A Trading Nation’ is delivering on its aims.
- Complexity and barriers following the UK’s exit from the EU persist, but businesses also need to be brave and take the plunge into new markets.
- Leveraging Scotland’s strong networks is key to supporting more businesses to start and grow their exports.
- In addition to strong traditional sectors such as food and drink, there are exciting emerging opportunities in the life sciences, renewable energy and space sectors.
Minister Ivan McKee is a member of Scottish Parliament, and Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise. Prior to embarking on a full-time political career in 2016, Minister McKee enjoyed a 30-year career in manufacturing and consulting where he lived, owned and ran businesses in many countries. In this conversation, he reflects on the progress of Scotland’s trade ambitions and the opportunities for businesses in the future.
Listen below to find out more from Minister Ivan McKee about:
- His journey into politics and the significance of being Scotland’s first Trade Minister.
- The importance of export to Scotland’s economic growth.
- The strongest opportunities for Scottish exporters.
- How Scottish Government is leveraging its network to support businesses to start or grow their export activities.
- The biggest barriers exporters face.
- Why it’s important to be brave and use the available networks to get started in export.
Next steps…
- Check out the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, A Trading Nation and the tech, life sciences and renewables sector export plans for more information on the opportunities available to Scottish businesses.
- Get more advice and tools to help start or grow your exporting activities.
- Reach out to one of these great Scottish export support schemes.
- For businesses that are already trading internationally, check out how you can get involved with the Scottish Export Index.