The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN), one of the UK’s primary knowledge-based networks for Micro and Nanotechnologies, and the Institute of Nanotechnology (IoN), a professional membership organisation for the nanotechnology industry, has announced a collaboration to encourage and support global business development for UK SMEs.
The partnership will see the launch of the International NanoMicroClub (INMC) and the opportunity for selected SMEs to host workshops at three major international events, offering vital networking opportunities.
If the future of UK nanotechnology is going to be securely embedded in the global market, we need to ensure UK SMEs are including international business development and collaboration in the marketing mix. However, with international marketing costing around 14 times the equivalent domestic marketing budget, it limits the international interaction that a UK SME can undertake. International business development therefore poses a significant barrier to SMEs, which this project seeks to address.
The INMC was created through a partnership between the NanoKTN and IoN and builds on the IoN’s existing NanoMicroClub. The club aims to provide a platform for UK micro and nanotechnology companies to network and engage internationally with global markets, previously inaccessible due to a lack of funding. The club will be taking UK based companies developing nanotechnologies to three well known and highly regarded international events and highlighting them to an international audience through specific and pre arranged networking and brokerage sessions.
Building on networks developed within the NanoKTN and IoN, the INMC partnering workshops will comprise short presentations from UK delegates, followed by facilitated one-on-one meetings between company principals.
“The INMC aims to help SME’s project themselves into important export markets through research, collaboration and business development. Commercial outcomes from international deals may take time but this only reinforces the need to provide support to SMEs for international business development,” said Alec Reader, Director of the NanoKTN. “This sort of framework of support in the early stages can make the difference between success and failure and is crucially important to the UK nanotechnology market.”
The three events that are planned cover the three major trading areas, USA, Europe and Japan. Each event will have a particular theme specific to the trading strength of each area. The first event in the USA will be at the NSTI conference in Anahiem, CA and will be themed around the bio-nanotechnology area. Further events in Europe and Japan are planned in the last quarter of 2010 and first quarter of 2011 respectively. Further details of these events will be available in due course.
“The NanoMicroClub has been assisting UK nanotechnology companies for over five years as it has provided a networking platform to assist companies in accessing new customers and routes to market. Our new partnership with the NanoKTN will allow us to really go global and strengthen our successful formula” said Del Stark, Business Development Manager of the Institute of Nanotechnology.
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