Britain's Export Ambition Starts on its Doorsteps - and Business Schools Hold the Key

Reflections on my keynote address to the Chartered Association of Business Schools' 2026 annual conference - 10th November 2026.

When a business in your town wins its first overseas customer, where does the benefit land?

Certainly in the company's accounts. But potentially also in a new job for a local graduate, an order for a nearby supplier, an apprenticeship or investment in the community.

That's why local economic growth and international export ambition belong in the same conversation. The wider world can be a market for our businesses, but our local communities should share in the rewards.

And there is one institution particularly well placed to connect those ambitions: the business school.