Regional strengths can unlock global opportunities for North East businesses

That was one of the central messages from the second event in the North East Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 conference mini-series, which explored how devolution, international trade and regional collaboration can help unlock new opportunities for the North East economy.

Held at Culture House in Sunderland and sponsored by Hays Travel, the event brought together business leaders, policymakers and trade experts to examine how the region can build on its existing strengths, help more businesses enter international markets and ensure the opportunities created by devolution translate into growth.

Following keynote speeches from Søren Nikolajsen, managing director, government and industry engagement – defence and trade at NatWest, and Henry Kippin, chief executive of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, a panel of business and policy experts discussed the North East’s place in a rapidly changing global economy.

Søren said the UK did not lack ambitious businesses, but needed the confidence, preparation and connections to turn that ambition into international opportunities.

Drawing on a trade accelerator programme developed by NatWest and the British Chamber of Commerce for ten life sciences businesses, he said successful trade support needed to be targeted rather than generic.

“Focus matters,” he said. “International trade isn’t about being everything to everyone.”

The programme concentrated on one country and one sector, with businesses spending several months preparing before travelling to Singapore. Søren said this meant companies arrived knowing who they wanted to meet, why those conversations mattered and what a successful outcome would look like.

“The businesses that succeed internationally are rarely the ones that get lucky. They are the ones that have prepared the best,” he said.

He added that trade missions should ultimately be judged by their commercial impact.

“The number of meetings should never measure success. It should be measured by outcomes – new customers, new partnerships, new investment and new jobs.”

Søren also highlighted the speed at which technology, geopolitics and security challenges are changing the environment in which businesses operate.

He argued that accelerating technological change would create new opportunities for businesses, including across defence and security, and said closer collaboration between government, industry and finance would be increasingly important.

Henry Kippin focused on the opportunity presented by deeper devolution and said the North East was entering a period in which regional institutions would have greater scope to shape economic development.

He highlighted skills, transport, business support and innovation as areas where greater regional control could help create the conditions for businesses to invest and grow.

Henry also pointed to Sunderland’s regeneration as an example of what sustained public and private sector collaboration could achieve, while stressing that further progress would depend on businesses and regional institutions continuing to shape the North East’s economic strategy together.

John McCabe, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said international trade was already a major part of the regional economy, with imports and exports of goods and services generating nearly £29bn each year.

“We want to see a North East economy that is more productive, better internationally connected and readily equipped to create good jobs and opportunities for more of our people,” he said.

“We know there are businesses across the North East with the products, expertise and ambition to reach new markets. The challenge is ensuring they have the confidence, support and infrastructure to do so.”

The panel discussion explored how the North East is perceived internationally and what the region can do to build a stronger global proposition.

Panel chair Dame Irene Hays, owner and chair of Hays Travel, said the “sensational” regeneration and vibrancy of Sunderland could be felt far beyond the boundaries of the city.

Richard Oppenheim, director of the Diplomatic Advisory Hub at the British Chambers of Commerce, said the North East was already recognised internationally for strengths including automotive, manufacturing and energy but needed to better connect those established capabilities with emerging opportunities.

He argued that businesses, universities, policymakers and investors should work together around a smaller number of priority sectors and international markets, with relationships maintained over the long term rather than through one-off overseas visits.

Sarah McCann, senior solicitor – external affairs at NorthStandard, highlighted the North East’s maritime heritage as an example of how longstanding industrial strengths could be combined with innovation in areas such as clean energy and new technologies.

Ben Bradford, international trade specialist at the Chamber, said businesses should not be put off by perceived barriers to exporting. Customs, regulation, market selection and unfamiliar international requirements could all be overcome with the right advice and support.

Deb Walton, CFO at Palintest, said North East businesses also had an important role to play in sharing their own international success stories and giving other companies the confidence to explore new markets.

Across the discussion, speakers repeatedly returned to the need for a clearer and more confident regional story, one which combines the North East’s industrial heritage with its growing strengths in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technology, life sciences, defence and other emerging sectors.

The event was the second in the Chamber’s three-part conference mini-series, marking one year since the launch of its two-year policy plan, Unlocking the North East Economy, and exploring how its ambitions can be translated into practical action.

The final event, Place to Prosperity: Culture, Investment and Growth, takes place at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead on 15 October and will explore how place, culture and investment can support long-term economic growth.