Small tech firms to get export boost at Cardiff roadshow
Small tech firms to get export boost at Cardiff roadshow
Small technology businesses across Wales are being encouraged to tap into global markets through a new UK Government-backed roadshow arriving in Cardiff today.
The Made in the UK, Sold to the World event series is part of a nationwide push to boost SME exports across high-growth sectors. The Cardiff leg of the roadshow will focus on the technology industry, offering tailored advice and one-to-one meetings for small business owners with international buyers, Export Champions, and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) officials.
The initiative comes as the government seeks to unlock the UK’s export potential by channelling support to sectors identified in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy—those seen as most capable of creating jobs, raising productivity, and delivering long-term economic growth.
Export opportunities across the globe
At the heart of the roadshow is the opportunity for SMEs to connect with Commercial Officers and buyers from global markets, including Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, China, and the Asia-Pacific region. The government says the event will also help firms understand how to take advantage of recent trade announcements involving India, the US, and the EU.
Gareth Thomas, Minister for Small Business and Exports, said the roadshow reflects a commitment to support tech SMEs in Wales.
“With a range of innovative businesses in the technology sector, Wales has huge exporting potential, and we’re determined to ensure businesses have the support they need to act on it.”
He added that the roadshow and the broader Industrial Strategy aim to create high-wage jobs and help stimulate regional economies like Wales’s.
Tech sector spotlight
Wales Office Minister Dame Nia Griffith DBE, who will deliver the keynote address in Cardiff, hailed the roadshow as a timely opportunity to help small businesses grow by reaching international markets.
“Wales is home to a huge number of successful small businesses with strengths in sectors that have been identified as having high growth potential,” she said. “This roadshow enables business leaders to access the support they need to expand their exports.”
Some of Wales’s leading tech SMEs will be showcasing products ranging from space-based manufacturing to AI educational robots, demonstrating the breadth of innovation emerging from the region.
The Cardiff event follows a major government pledge of £22.5 billion a year by 2029 to strengthen the UK’s global leadership in research and innovation. That investment includes support for creating “innovation clusters,” such as the South Wales semiconductor hub, a sector increasingly critical to global supply chains.
Local expertise, global reach
Among the speakers will be Mark John, Co-Founder of Cardiff’s Tramshed Tech, who has played a central role in building a network of innovation hubs and tech growth programmes across Wales.
“Exporting is a vital growth driver for the technology sector, opening doors to new markets, partnerships, and opportunities,” John said. “Wales has enormous potential for growth, with a vibrant tech ecosystem, ambitious founders, and increasing global demand for innovative solutions.”
He pointed to initiatives such as the Welsh Government’s Technology Export Cluster and UK-led trade missions as key drivers of Welsh tech success overseas.
A broader push to get SMEs exporting
The Cardiff roadshow is part of a wider UK Government strategy to get more SMEs exporting. The Department for Business and Trade recently relaunched the Board of Trade and is set to publish a new Trade Strategy, focused on helping small firms capitalise on trade agreements and expand into high-growth markets.
Support for SMEs includes services available through Great.gov.uk, the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, and one-on-one assistance from International Trade Advisers.
“We know that businesses who export grow faster,” said a DBT spokesperson, “which is why the government is determined to help more small firms get onto the exporting ladder.”
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