Exporting. This is one of the cornerstones of Gemma Lighting and quite often key to the successful global expansion of a company. But it’s not always easy to achieve. With many businesses fighting for the same opportunities, quite often the chances of success are low. However – recently, a new niche area for selling has emerged which could see the expansion of multiple businesses within a certain industry.
In simple terms low carbon means a minimal output of greenhouse gas emissions – making them very environmentally-friendly. Which in turn means big business for companies focussing on renewable energy projects. In countries which have fast-growing emerging markets, such as Turkey, UAE, South Africa and Mexico, there is now a unique opportunity in the low carbon sector to capitalise on success and drive growth to create jobs by exporting to these countries. As just one example, a recent report suggests that the UK alone has the opportunity to triple exports to around £30 billion, which would potentially double its share of the global low-carbon export market to approximately 10%. This figure would put it close to that of the UK share of the global pharmaceuticals industry.
More good news is that it is the SMEs which are playing a major role in progressing the government’s attempts to realise the national low carbon export potential. More than 65% of SMEs are now selling to emerging economies. And Gemma Lighting is an excellent example of this. Gemma is currently exporting 70% of all goods to countries such as Dubai, India and Saudi Arabia. By exporting to these countries Gemma has shown a sharp initiative – the UAE for example, is one of the four most promising markets that share a very favourable business environment. They have a strong demand for low-carbon goods and services, along with the appropriate regulatory systems, which act in a safeguarding capacity.
However SMEs don’t have a clear run at this valuable yet. In order to give them the best chance of capitalising on this low-carbon export potential, further steps need to be taken. These would involve the UK government redirecting some existing financial support to SMEs directly. Plus providing support packages to help unlock growth opportunities in emerging markets.
That said – with companies like Gemma Lighting leading the way, the future looks very brightly lit for this low-carbon export opportunity indeed. Possibly even bathed in a nice, white LED light, one might say.