British Business Pavilion sells UK healthcare innovations to Islamic investors
SITTING two floors above the main exhibition space, and accessible by invitation only, UK Trade and Investment’s (UKTI) British Business Pavilion at this year’s World Islamic Economic Forum is the centre of Britain’s attempts to gain a tangible trade benefit from the Forum.
A carefully selected series of exhibits offer a snapshot of the UK’s potential in sectors such as healthcare, education, smart city technologies, and Islamic finance. “It was very important for us to link into the themes of the wider Forum,” says John Saville, UKTI’s director for Asia and global high growth markets. “This way, we can tell a compelling story about the role the UK has to play in solving the global policy debates being discussed.”
In healthcare, for example, a session dedicated to stemming the rise of non-communicable diseases will help draw attention to the leading role played by British research institutions. Attendees are also introduced to the work of TPP, a firm which has been delivering clinical systems for over a decade. Its products include SystmOne, which stores electronic records across primary, secondary and social care throughout the UK.
“Smart cities is another particularly interesting area,” Saville says. Chipside, for example, provides cities with managed cloud computing which can help revolutionise traffic and parking management while keeping costs low.
“The idea is to promote what the UK can do in these areas,” says Saville. “And in this regard, we have a very strong offer.”