Supporting North Wales businesses to build on their capabilities is key to success in international markets, North Wales Minister Lesley Griffiths has said.
The Minister was speaking at the Explore Export Wales conference held at the Village Hotel in Ewloe.
The event promoted the benefits of exporting to businesses and the support available from the Welsh Government and its partners. It also provided an opportunity to explore market opportunities and develop a further understanding of how export processes work.
The Welsh Government’s Programme for Government has prioritised support for businesses to export, and, through its Export Action Plan, has put in place a comprehensive range of support for companies looking to explore international markets and develop their potential overseas.
Last week, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething announced £4 million pounds of investment by the Welsh Government over the next year to support Welsh exporters to find and prepare for new market opportunities.
North Wales Minister, Lesley Griffiths said: “This conference has been all about inspiring businesses and helping them understand how they can drive forward export opportunities.
“We know there have been extraordinary challenges, but Welsh companies have continued to demonstrate their resilience and I am pleased exports continue to grow.
“We have great companies here in North Wales and the event has provided a chance to not only celebrate their export successes to date but look at ways of how more overseas markets can enjoy and benefit from their products and services.”
A range of seminars, roundtable discussions, one-to-one meetings and exhibitions were on offer to provide valuable support to businesses on their export journey, with more than 120 delegates in attendance.
Speaking at the conference, the Minister highlighted the success of several North Wales companies in exporting and the achievements of the Welsh food and drink industry.
The Minister added: “As a direct result of the financial support the Welsh Government has provided to Welsh businesses over the past year, across our suite of services and programmes, they have secured tens of millions of pounds in export deals.
“It’s clear those attending the conference recognise the importance of exporting, whether they have been trading internationally for many years or are new to exporting.
“We want to continue to showcase our excellent businesses on the world stage and our programmes of support will help Welsh companies to maximise the opportunities and benefits exporting can bring.”
