< Previous30 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk EXPORTING aerospace (as high as 11% slashed to 0%), automotives (up to 110% down to 10% under a quota) and electrical machinery (from up to 22% down to either 0% or a 50% reduction). For clean energy, the industry will have new access to India’s vast procurement market as the country makes the switch to renewable energy, and for life sciences, reduced tariffs on medical devices that take the UK’s complex supply chains into consideration will unleash novel opportunities. Moreover, services sectors will benefit from market certainty when trading into the expanding Indian market. Lowered tariffs combined with a reduction in regulatory barriers to trade are estimated to increase UK exports to India by nearly 60% in the long run; equivalent to an additional £15.7bn of UK exports to India when applied to projections of future trade in 2040. Currently the largest country in the world by population, India is projected to move from the fifth-largest global economy to third in the next three years. By the end of the decade, it will be home to approximately 60 million middle class consumers, and by 2035, their demand for imports is on course to top £1.4tn, representing major opportunity for UK businesses. Commenting, Bill Leach, global sales director at Derbyshire luxury knitwear manufacturer and retailer John Smedley Ltd, said: “India is one of the fastest growing luxury markets in the world, and we are very excited about the UK-India Free Trade Agreement coming to fruition. John Smedley knitwear is already sold in over 50 countries around the world, and now that the FTA has been finalised, we shall very much look forward to ensuring that an ever- increasing number of discerning luxury consumers in India will enjoy greater access to The World’s Finest Knitwear.” The new agreement with the EU, the UK’s largest trading partner, is cutting red tape in a move particularly welcomed by the food & drink industry after a 21% drop in agrifood exports and 7% dip in agrifood imports since Brexit, as well as firms spending £60m a year on export health certificates since 2021. The UK will be able to sell various products, such as burgers and sausages, back into the EU again, and as part of the deal a new SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement will make it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported, reducing the checks and red tape (and associated costs) burdening businesses and the lengthy lorry queues at the border. The deal will see some routine checks on animal and plant products removed completely, allowing goods to flow freely again. British steelmakers, meanwhile, stand to make millions extra a year as the EU gets rid of its steel tariffs. Historic trade flows are to be re- established between the UK and the EU, easing the administrative and financial burdens that have affected steel exporters. Steel is set to benefit from the US-UK deal too, in which steel and aluminium tariffs are slashed to zero (yet to be implemented). It also sees 10% tariffs on aerospace sector goods like engines and aircraft parts removed, car export tariffs reduced from 27.5% to 10% (applied to the first 100,000 vehicles exported), and protections on agriculture put in place. Though a relief in a time of uncertainly when it comes to trading with the US, 10% tariffs remain on other goods exports, putting the country in a weaker position than it once was with increased costs for companies, and a removal of the tariff on ethanol coming www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 31 EXPORTING into the UK from the US has been crushing to the UK’s own industry. Just last month (August) Associated British Foods (ABF) announced the closure of Vivergo, its UK bioethanol production plant in Hull, which cannot compete with cheaper, heavily subsidised US ethanol. The rocky relationship with the US is further being damaged by President Donald Trump cutting the “de minimis” exemption, meaning parcels valued under $800 will be subject to tax, bringing fresh uncertainty, costs and possible price rises for businesses, primarily SME exporters. Though big swings in trade agreements paint an exciting future for exporting, fragile confidence and a constantly changing international background remain. There is also a mixed picture in export confidence and activity between firms based in London and those in the North and Midlands. The UK Trade Barometer, launched by Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and the Growing Together Alliance, shows that 63% of London businesses surveyed in the second quarter of the year said they currently export and have expanded sales in Q2, that compares with 51% in the North and 51% in the Midlands. Additionally, while 51% of businesses polled in the capital expect to increase sales to an existing market in Q3, less than a quarter do in the North (24%) and Midlands (23%). Splitting up the Midlands, however, provides an encouraging figure for entering new markets, with 58% of East Midlands firms in Q2 entering a new market for the first time, compared with 46% in the West Midlands. Only the North West was higher, at 68%. If the UK, and our own region, wants to bolster exports, the right finance and advice will be required. In response, support schemes are being enhanced, with East Midlands Chamber for instance — on behalf of the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) — helping businesses develop overseas trade plans and explore new markets through the Export Accelerator project. The project supports businesses to navigate the complexities of international trade, whether that be undertaking initial research or launching a product or service to a new overseas market. The project has received £454,000 from the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and provides specialist adviser support, training and grants, with funding of up to £8,000 on offer towards specialist consultancy, overseas trade show visits, salaries and equipment. Businesses also have the opportunity to join the East Midlands International Trade Network. Alongside such programmes, our region is further well positioned in exporting thanks to its infrastructure, with East Midlands Airport — the UK’s number one express air freight hub — and Freeport sites. Exporting into new markets can seem daunting for any business, with paperwork, logistical issues, regulatory differences, and lack of cultural familiarity often cited as barriers, but international trade brings with it myriad benefits, from increasing sales through accessing larger markets to forging a firm un-reliant on the domestic market and resilient to local economic downturns. Operating overseas also introduces opportunities to tap into new technologies, marketing strategies, and insights and inspiration from foreign competitors. Though at first look the global picture may be volatile, there are international markets ready to welcome the region’s businesses and support their growth.32 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING Manufacturing at the crossroads of green innovation www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 33 MANUFACTURING Once defined by its industrial heritage, manufacturing in the East Midlands is now being reshaped by sustainability and digital innovation, as firms balance tradition with the demands of a low-carbon future. M anufacturing has always been a defining force in the East Midlands, a region that built its reputation on industries as varied as textiles, railways and engineering. Today, it is once again in a position of transition. The global push for net zero, combined with technological leaps in automation and digitalisation, has placed the sector at the centre of a shift that could determine its long-term survival. Factories that once prided themselves on scale now face a different challenge: sustainability. It is no longer enough to be efficient; manufacturing must also be clean. From automotive firms experimenting with electric drivetrains to food processors reducing energy consumption, the region’s manufacturers are reimagining their role in a low-carbon economy. This is not 34 Á34 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING simply about compliance with regulation; it is about future-proofing entire business models. At the heart of this transition lies innovation. Across the region, partnerships with universities and R&D hubs are giving companies access to new materials, data-driven production methods and digital twins that simulate processes before a single machine is turned on. The ability to test, model and refine in the digital world is reducing waste and speeding up adoption of greener technologies. Heritage also plays its part. The East Midlands’ long industrial history has created a manufacturing ecosystem with deep technical expertise. Generations of workers have honed skills in engineering and production that remain highly valued. The challenge is to combine this experience with new ways of working. Retraining, upskilling and recruitment are high on the agenda, ensuring that the workforce can adapt as automation takes hold and sustainability becomes embedded in every stage of production. Yet the path forward is far from smooth. Energy costs, supply chain disruptions and global competition continue to weigh heavily. The decision to embrace sustainable manufacturing is often complicated by the upfront investment it requires. For smaller firms, the balance between short-term www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 35 MANUFACTURING survival and long-term transformation is particularly delicate. Many are looking to government incentives and collaborative projects to bridge that gap. Despite the hurdles, there is momentum. Businesses are recognising that green credentials are not a niche marketing tool but a requirement to remain competitive in international markets. Customers and investors alike are demanding evidence of sustainability, and those unable to demonstrate progress risk being left behind. In this environment, innovation is less an aspiration than a necessity. What makes the East Midlands story distinctive is the convergence of legacy and ambition. This is a region where the industrial past is being leveraged to build a cleaner future. Factories that once powered the economy through coal and steel are now exploring hydrogen, renewable energy integration and closed-loop production systems. The transition is not without cost, but it signals a commitment to maintaining the region’s place at the heart of UK manufacturing. In the years ahead, the test will be one of resilience and creativity. Those who can integrate sustainability into their DNA stand to lead a new chapter in British industry. Those who do not may struggle to remain relevant.36 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk PUBLIC RELATIONS S omeone offered me a better lip-syncing service for my videos last week. The irony? There was no lip-syncing involved. It was just me, talking to camera, being what I thought was quite polished in my delivery. My immediate reaction was worrying. Do you think I’m a wooden performer? Do you think all my content is AI- generated? Are you not trusting it anymore? That moment crystallised something I’d been sensing but hadn’t quite put my finger on. We’ve reached a tipping point where being too good at your job makes you look artificial. The polish problem As a former business journalist, I’ve imperfections have become our competitive advantage. We shouldn’t worry about going “um” and “ah” anymore. We should embrace it. The opportunity to be normal, to stumble on words occasionally, to rephrase things or re-clarify something is exactly how you’d speak in real life. We shouldn’t be afraid to do that on camera, especially as AI becomes more dominant. It’s okay to only be okay. In fact, I think it’s positively encouraged to be less polished rather than picture perfect every time. The strategic response This creates a fascinating opportunity for PR professionals and content creators. As AI-generated material floods the market, with My human video got mistaken for AI Greg Simpson, founder of Press For Attention PR, considers the problems of being too polished and the opportunity in authenticity. spent 17 years perfecting my on-camera presence. Clean delivery, minimal stumbles, professional presentation. Turns out, that’s now working against me. The data backs this up. Only 45% of UK respondents can correctly identify AI- generated content. We’re living in a world where audiences have developed default scepticism about everything they see. Academic research confirms what I experienced firsthand. Human writing can be mistaken for AI, especially when it’s polished and error-free. My journalism background, which gave me that crisp, professional delivery, now makes me look suspiciously perfect. The authenticity advantage Here’s the counterintuitive bit. Our www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 37 PUBLIC RELATIONS estimates suggesting 90 percent of online content could be AI-generated by 2025, authentic humanity becomes premium. We need to be more “I” in a world of AI. That means scratching your head occasionally. Looking off camera. Consulting notes. Showing the natural hesitations and corrections that signal genuine human thought. The very imperfections we’ve been trained to edit out are now our authenticity markers. What this means for your content If you’re creating educational content, following methodologies like Marcus Sheridan’s “They Ask You Answer,” you’re probably facing this same challenge. Your professional competence is making you look artificial. The solution isn’t to become genuinely bad at your job. It’s to deliberately incorporate the human elements that AI still struggles to replicate convincingly. Show your working. Include the natural pauses. Let people see you think. In a world where everyone’s suspicious of perfection, being perfectly imperfect becomes your differentiator. The person who offered me that lip-sync service did me a favour. They showed me that my authentic human delivery had become so polished it looked artificial. Now I know exactly how to fix that. A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press For Attention PR in 2008. He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective. 38 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY Venues at the heart of corporate hospitality’s evolution Investments and diversification are reshaping venues as the backbone of corporate hospitality, balancing rising costs with the demand for memorable business experiences.www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 39 CORPORATE HOSPITALITY C orporate hospitality has always been defined by its settings. The choice of venue often says as much about a company’s ambitions as the deals struck within its walls. In recent years, the sector has been in the midst of change as businesses weigh the value of memorable experiences against the mounting pressures facing hospitality operators. Venues are not simply places to gather; they are the stage upon which relationships are strengthened. From private dining rooms that provide discreet backdrops for negotiation to expansive spaces that accommodate team-building exercises, the location sets the tone for the occasion. Increasingly, investment is being channelled into making these spaces not just functional but immersive, offering guests something distinct enough to cut through the noise of everyday business. The appeal of high-quality venues lies in their ability to create experiences that linger in the memory. A well-appointed dining room, a versatile events hall or a unique entertainment space can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. For businesses, this is more than hospitality but a signal of credibility, attention to detail and commitment to forging lasting partnerships. Yet behind the scenes, operators face a very different reality. Rising costs, tighter margins and changes in taxation have placed new demands on the sector. Policies that reduce reliefs and increase contributions mean that hospitality venues must find ways to deliver greater value to their clients while absorbing higher operating expenses. It is a delicate balance that requires both financial discipline and creative flair. One response has been diversification. Venues that once focused on a single type of event are now expanding their offerings to capture a broader market. Spaces traditionally associated with weddings are being reimagined as sites for conferences, team-building days and networking evenings. At the same time, traditional pubs and restaurants are 40 ÁNext >