Go global… compete at home

Going global is the new normal

You’re a small business owner. You have a quality product you wish to sell profitably across international borders. You think that being small doesn’t just mean being local. At the same time, you know that going international involves breaking into new markets, finding customers, getting export support, developing cross-border alliances, tapping into experienced mentors and much more.

If you’re honest with yourself, you know that gaps in your company’s skill set may be just as big a barrier as tariffs, import/export rules and international payment policies. Sound familiar?

Enter Dr. Kevin Lynch – former head of Canada’s public service and now vice-chairman of the Bank of Montreal. In a blunt warning to “innovate or perish”, Lynch says that the internationalization of science and technology has eliminated the innovation advantage of advanced economies. Today, virtually any country can produce new and better products as a result of global knowledge networks, trans border supply chains, integrated capital markets and smart people.

Globalization means that competition – and customers – can come from anywhere. Therefore, future business growth will increasingly depend on the ability of entrepreneurs to focus on innovation and trade at the same time whether operating at home or offshore. For some companies, going global may be a necessary condition for survival at home.

Connecting the dots between excellence in innovation and support systems for international trade will gain further momentum at Innovation Across Borders – a global conference for small and medium enterprises. This conference, being held February 24 – 25, 2011 at MaRS, features an outstanding international roster of speakers addressing issues such as the opportunities and risks of international IP transfer, innovation and trade practices in emerging economies, government policies to stimulate innovation and implementing innovation partnerships across borders.

The conference will foster dialogue between participants from over a dozen countries about an agenda for international collaboration to support innovation and trade.

For conference information and registration: http://innovationacrossborders.marsdd.com/

For Dr. Kevin Lynch’s article: “Innovate or perish“

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Tags: globalization, operations, trade