York meeting to grow UK business connections with Singapore
Posted on 1 November 2005
New investment and business opportunities emerging from science, technology and innovation in the Yorkshire region will be a feature of the three day gathering starting on 2 November 2005.
York, which has built up a formidable reputation as a centre of scientific innovation in the last seven years, has been chosen as the location for the 14th Plenary Meeting of the Singapore British Business Council (SBBC).
Science City York was established in 1998 and the public/private sector partnership, centred on the University's research power, has since generated more than 2600 jobs and 60 new companies. Now York is one of six English cities designated by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown as Science Cities.
Government agency UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), which has organised the SBBC meeting in partnership with the University of York, has pinpointed communications, electronics and IT hardware, healthcare, biotechnology, software and computer services as potential growth sectors for UK-Singapore business connections.
Singapore is one of the UK's principal markets in South-East Asia - UK exports there amounting to £1.7 billion in 2004.
The SBBC was formed in the early 90s under the auspices of the British and Singaporean governments to create and add value to the trade, investment and business links between the two countries.
The York meeting, which will be attended by 80 delegates, is designed to highlight investment and business opportunities in science and technology. There will be presentations on healthcare, education and textile industries as well as developing the knowledge-based economy.
UK Trade and Investment Chief Executive Stephen Brown said: "Singapore is already one of the UK's most important markets in South-East Asia. The science and technology sectors offer huge potential to expand UK trade with Singapore still further.
"Science and innovation are key to meeting the challenges of an increasingly competitive global knowledge economy. It is appropriate that York, with its established reputation for scientific innovation, should be the location for the latest meeting of the SBBC."
Notes to editors:
- Singapore is the most important market for the UK in South East Asia with UK exports in 2004 amounting to £1.7 billion.
- Visible exports are intermediate goods such as industrial machinery and instruments, however, the UK exports a wide-ranging number of products, and areas of opportunity exist in all commercial sectors.
- UK Trade and Investment has identified the following as sectors that present the most opportunity. Communications, Education and Training, Electronics and IT Hardware, Healthcare, Biotechnology, Rail, Software and Computer Services and Sports and Leisure infrastructure.
- Science City York is a successful partnership between the City of York Council, the University of York and private industry. It was created in 1998 to capitalise on the international research strengths of the University of York and other strengths of the city and sub-region to generate new high quality local business and employment opportunities The Science City York model has achieved high levels of business engagement to foster an environment in which creative, science and technology excellence can thrive. Science City York has a major track record of success with more than 240 science, technology and creative organisations already based in York and creating more than 2600 jobs and 60 companies in its first seven years. Its future vision, supported by Yorkshire Forward, is to create an additional 15,000 technology-based jobs by 2021. Further information from: www.sciencecityyork.org.uk