The UK Government has set out its approach to the security export market. Cyber, counter-terrorism, protection of critical national infrastructure and major events are among the fields highlighted.
The joint 32-page document is by UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) and the Home Office. The authorities say the document will be supplemented with sector specific reports. The first which covered cyber security exports was published in May 2013.
The document starts with the point that the UK has a strong reputation for security and it is recognised that:
– our agencies and police are among the best in the world
– our strategies for tackling terrorism and crime are well regarded
– the security operation to protect the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was a major success
From homeland security and border control to surveillance and detection equipment, UK companies are at the forefront of designing, manufacturing and selling security-related goods and services all over the world.
In comparison with the defence sector, which consistently captures about 20pc of the global defence export market, the UK security sector achieves 4.2pc of the global security export market. In other words, there is scope to take more of the market. Achieving a significant increase in security exports is important to industry, besides our national security, according to the document, which singles out the Gulf States such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Brazil and the USA, India, Japan and Malaysia and South Korea, besides Africa and Europe. The document also lists HVOs – ‘high value opportunities’ – such as rail and airport projects, oil and gas and sports developments. UKTI says that it will work with trade associations to identify the top HVOs for the UK security sector, ‘and to support UK security companies in developing strategies to win HVO business’.
More in the April 2014 print issue of Professional Security magazine,
