University of Northampton academic to rev-up relationship between Motorsport Valley and China

The UK’s motorsport industry could receive a boost from the Far East thanks to an academic from the University of Northampton.

Senior Economics Lecturer, Dr Shaowei He, has been appointed Ambassador for International Exchange by the Hunan Provincial Government of China – a role which tasks him with trying to strengthen the UK’s trade and investment relationship with his home province.

Located in South Central China, and home to 65 million people, Hunan enjoys a burgeoning reputation for being the home of propulsion and control technology industries, with firms there supplying the technology for the state’s high-speed rail network.

Dr He believes Hunan’s expertise could prove useful for companies in the UK’s Motorsport Valley – an area straddling Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey which is home to more than 3,000 companies associated with motorsport. They include Formula One teams Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes, Mercedes AMG, which has factories in Brixworth and Brackley and Force India, who are based at the home of the UK F1 Grand Prix, Silverstone.

“My plan is to facilitate high-level dialogue between companies in Motorsport Valley and Hunan,” said Dr He.

“There are countless opportunities for UK companies and those in Hunan to explore together, and I am hoping some partnerships will develop over time.

“China’s government has a strong will to support companies wishing to do business with it, and has overseas trade firmly embedded in its policies.

“Hunan Province itself has established relationships with companies in France, the United States and Japan, but very few formal trade links with the UK, and I hope I can help to change this, for the benefit of both sides.”

Dr He believes the result of the UK’s referendum on European Union membership will help to fuel its relationship with China. He said: “Given the uncertainty created by the Brexit vote, it seems sensible to establish stronger relationship with non-European countries particularly for trade and investment.

“China, being the second largest economy and the second biggest global investor only after the US, will no doubt feature prominently in Britain’s future global trade and investment relationships and play an important role in shaping the future UK economy.”

Dr He has already had some success in linking British businesses with China. In 2015 he brokered a formal relationship between Lincolnshire County Council and Hunan Province.

In September, Dr He urged Northamptonshire to raise its image if it wants to do business with China.

Dr He’s work aligns with the University’s social impact agenda, which is embedded in the institution’s five-year strategy. The strategy includes four ambitious social impact challenges, one of which aims to make Northamptonshire the best county in the UK to start, build and run a business.