The changes in funding for exporters by UK Trade & Investment have led to many Trade Associations ceasing to run their overseas shows. However, the BSIA’s Peter Nicholls continues to organise the Association’s overseas UK Pavilions. The BSIA mission to Intersec Dubai in January, for example, was the Association’s biggest group ever (featuring no less than 72 companies).
IFSEC 2007: 21-24 May, NEC
In order to promote exporters, the BSIA and the Fire Industry Confederation have secured funding to allow a number of inward missions to visit this year’s IFSEC Exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC. This enables exporters to target key overseas buyers and specifiers from specific countries, while simultaneously educating the accompanying overseas commercial officers on the capabilities of the UK’s security industry.
IFSEC will also see the launch of the new edition of Security UK, which promotes the products and capabilities of many BSIA exporting members. For the first time, there will also be a CD-Rom and a web site version translated into Spanish, Arabic and Chinese.
BSIA representation in China
Alex Carmichael (the BSIA’s technical and membership services director) and Adam Wiseberg (current chairman of the Association) visited China from 4-7 March in order to investigate the development of security product standards within the Chinese market.
The visit aimed to determine which security products and services the developing standards relate to, the current stages of development of those standards of interest to BSIA members, timescales for completion and how the Association might influence standards development to benefit UK companies right across the security sector.
The visit was a tremendous success.
Research project focuses on India
In addition, the BSIA has launched an extensive research project looking at the Indian security market. The results of this study will inform the Association and its members of the trends within the market, thus helping to shape decisions concerning future trade links.
The BSIA’s export services manager, Chris Pinder, told SMT: “India’s security market is estimated to be worth over $500 million. The results of this research project, thought to be the largest ever of its kind concentrating on the Indian security sector, will provide in-depth information for members entering (or furthering their position within) the market.”