Nine new Export Champions for Wales have been announced by the UK Government at the start of International Trade Week 2023.

Representing key sectors in the Welsh economy including manufacturing, AI and FinTech, the new Export Champions will promote the benefits of exporting and encourage other companies across Wales to consider selling to overseas markets. 

This will be done by taking part in trade events, sharing their exporting stories with those in their sector and providing advice to other businesses about how to break into new markets abroad. 

Wales now has 18 Export Champions working to promote different sectors of the economy and 10 took part in an event at the Wales Office in Whitehall, London on Monday (6 November) to mark the beginning of International Trade Week (6-10 November) and highlight the best of Welsh business. 

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:  

Export Champions offer real-world expertise to businesses looking to take their first steps as exporters.   

 I am delighted that nine more Export Champions have come forward to represent the best of Welsh business. They have a huge amount of expertise to offer others who want to export to different markets.

Welsh companies operating in areas like financial services, manufacturing and, of course, our famous food and drink are hugely successful exporters, and we want to support more businesses to take Welsh goods and services across the world.

The UK Export Champion community was introduced by the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) as a direct response to calls from businesses for peer-to-peer exporting support. 

Each Champion has been selected because they have a successful international trade track record, have a good story to tell about how exporting makes a positive difference to a company and want to share their knowledge and experience with others. 

Gareth Lewis, founder and CEO of FinTech company Delio and new Export Champion, said:  

Operating internationally has unlocked many opportunities for Delio, making it a pivotal component in our growth. 

For those looking to export, new international markets can be a daunting prospect. However, if you do your research, have a product that solves a problem regardless of location and work hard, you’ll be on the right path to successfully scale internationally.

Richard Pring, director of Penarth-based games company Wales Interactive, said: 

Embarking on international trade has profoundly transformed our company. As we ventured into and entered new markets we uncovered the potential to engage with millions of fresh customers, often in unexpected ways.

I encourage fellow businesses to fully embrace the global stage. Whenever an opportunity emerges to explore a new market, seize it. The outcomes can be pleasantly surprising and highly positive.” 

Monday’s event in Gwydyr House in London marked the beginning of International Trade Week. Led by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with industry, International Trade Week features a variety of activities for companies looking to export  such as events, workshops and webinars.