Host of Yorkshire businesses head to Dubai for Northern Powerhouse trade mission
A 42-strong delegation of Yorkshire and Humber businesses are planning to boost exports to the Middle East on a Northern Powerhouse trade mission to the Arab Health healthcare exhibition in Dubai.
The trade event runs between January 30 and February 2 and is the largest gathering of healthcare and trade professionals in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region with more than 4,400 healthcare companies attending from 70-plus countries.
Organised by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and Sheffield-based Medilink, the representative body for the UK life science and healthcare technology sector, the mission has attracted 62 businesses from the Northern Powerhouse region including the 42 from Yorkshire and the Humber such as Royston Lead of Barnsley and Bradford-based Sunflower Medical.
Mark Robson, DIT regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Whilst we can’t underestimate the growing importance of global trade conducted online, most is still undertaken by meeting people face-to-face and getting to know customers and their requirements via the personal touch.
“That’s why it’s so important and potentially beneficial for first-time and established exporters to join DIT trade missions such as that to Arab Health.”
Established in 1926, Royston Lead is a global specialist in the manufacture and distribution of lead products for industries including nuclear, medical, subsea, defence, petrochemical and mining.
The business with specialist staff at Pogmoor Works in Barnsley currently exports to South America, its biggest market, mainland Europe, South Africa and Russia but is now looking to further expand in the Middle East, the world’s largest healthcare market.
A member of the specialist products specification team at Royston Lead, is attending Arab Health on a fact-finding mission to establish a network of contacts for potential future orders.
Meanwhile, Sunflower Medical, a designer, manufacturer and supplier of bespoke medical furniture with 45 staff at Euroway Trading Estate in Bradford, will be represented at Arab Health by sales director Stuart Anderson and export manager Carron Wood.
The firm established in 2003 is attending the annual exhibition for the seventh time and has exported to the Middle East and Arab world – now it’s largest export market – for a similar period.
Other Yorkshire and the Humber businesses at Arab Health include Wetherby-based Curepharma, Bioclad and Clinicept Healthcare from Harrogate, BR Pharmaceuticals, Optimum Medical and Brandon Medical Co of Leeds, Huddersfield-based firms Paxman Coolers and Innovate Orthopaedics and Granton Medical and Bolton Surgical of Sheffield.
