In our first report we set out a four-point agenda for change. This next report in the series picks up on one of the action points: the need to clarify and reinforce what the UK stands for in global markets for trade and investment.
For more than 30 years, the UK’s proposition to international investors was based, at least in part, on its membership of the European Union. The UK often positioned itself as the gateway to Europe’s Single Market, with unfettered access to 450 million consumers across mainland Europe. It was an easy message to get across: simple, straightforward and tangible. As such, it was front and centre of most glossy brochures promoting the UK to international investors. There was much more to our proposition than that of course, but in a world of clear messaging, membership of the European Union was generally first on the list.
In March 2021, the Government published the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (the Integrated Review). Entitled ‘Global Britain in a competitive age’, it is a wide-ranging articulation of the Government’s vision for the UK’s post-Brexit place in the world. It sets out an ambitious definition of Global Britain, as well as a policy framework for what it means in practice.
Trade and investment is integral to this ambition. While not articulated as an objective in its own right, trade and investment is a crucial enabler of our ability to drive influence internationally, as well as prosperity at home.
The challenge is now to translate and reinforce this wide-ranging articulation of ‘Global Britain’ in a way which is relevant and useful for driving trade and investment outcomes. What does this vision mean for UK businesses, so that they can both benefit from ‘Global Britain’ and help make it a success?
We now need to revisit the messages we tell overseas business leaders about why to invest here, or why to buy our wares. This is what we mean by ‘clarifying the vision’. We now have an opportunity to make those messages much more compelling: to make them fit for the future, rather than rely on what has worked for us in the past; and to make them distinctive for us, rather than being based on the qualities of our neighbouring markets.
This is not just about brochures – any vision needs substance. For it to gain traction it needs to be repeated and reinforced at every turn, by everyone involved. So what our businesses, politicians and other leaders say and do matters. As we exit from a period of disruption and division, it would be great to see Government policy and the actions of our major corporations reinforcing a set of shared values that will help drive trade and investment.
We believe that the following four values could provide the much-needed connections between where we are now and where we want to be as ‘Global Britain’ in trade and investment. They highlight factors that transcend industries, sectors, technologies, and regions, and will help create an agile model that is fit for the new, competitive and multipolar world set out in the Integrated Review.
Source: PwC UK
英国普华永道继不久前撰写的《重塑格局，蓄势待发》之后，近日发布了展望英国全球经贸新战略系列报告之二，深入探讨英国如何面向全球，准确定位，基于创新、教育、合作与信任四方面的核心价值将“全球化英国”的愿景加以细化和巩固。
贸易与投资对“全球化英国”愿景的实现以及后疫情经济复苏至关重要。2021年3月，英国政府在针对英国国防、安全及发展与外交策略的综合评估报告中（Integrated Review）重新诠释了在后脱欧时代英国在全球各领域中应处的位置。英国若能将该愿景细化，并在国内政商界达成一致共识，清晰地向全球发出有力信号，将对帮助推动贸易与投资产生非常积极的作用。
针对英国政府这份报告，并结合普华永道对业界的现状与未来的洞察，我们提出了实现“全球化英国”愿景必须建立在以下四个核心价值的基础上：
创新 Innovation – 长期以来英国一直是世界上创业环境最好的国家之一。英国需继续营造优良的创业氛围，鼓励灵活易塑的创业型经济模式，从各个层面扶持创新企业的发展。在世界舞台上，英国也需要更有力度地宣传这方面的优势，将自身打造为一个创业经济的首选之地。
教育 Education – 教育是创新、繁荣、社会流动性与可持续发展的基石。英国具备开放和完善的教育体系以及世界级水准的教育质量，长期以来一直吸引各国人才。在未来，英国更需要将教育打造为价值核心，作为其综合软实力的重要环节。
协同合作 Togetherness – 英国应凭借其优越的地理位置、国际通用的语言和兼容并蓄的理念作为全球的意见领袖，以发起者的身份协同处理包括环境和社会稳定性在内的一系列重大议题。协同合作也不仅局限于商界，而是需要有创造性地联合政界、学术和研究机构、金融企业等各个层面的生态圈，共同寻求出路和解决之道。
信任 Trust – 英国经济的持久发展是建立在最高程度的稳定性、透明性、安全性和道德准则的基础之上的。通过长期的历史积淀，英国完善的法制、稳定的政治环境、对权益人和知识产权的保护，以及商业道德水准等，均在世界名列前茅。此外，在当前很多导致信任丧失的难题上，例如互联网安全、过度监管、政策不确定性、虚假信息等，英国也处于寻求解决方案的领先地位。
基于对以上核心价值的共识，我们建议工商界在当下应将贸易视为重中之重，主动采取一体化的战略方针，将脱欧和疫后恢复带来的不确定性化为战略优势，减少风险，抓住新生的机会：
来源: 普华永道英国
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