How the UK is turning world class security innovation into global success
British security companies are among the best in the world. Over the last decade, the sector's exports have grown by 244%, reaching £12.9bn in sales last year alone. From AI-powered border screening to cutting-edge cyber capabilities, the innovations coming out of UK companies are in demand right across the globe.
But world-class products don't sell themselves. Breaking into international markets — especially in a sector as complex and relationship-driven as security — takes more than a great innovation or product. It takes the right connections, the right advocates, and a government that is actively working to open doors.
That is exactly what the UK's Trade Envoy programme is designed to do. And for the security sector, it represents one of the most powerful tools available to ambitious British companies looking to grow their international footprint.
Why Trade Envoys?
Trade Envoys are senior parliamentarians appointed by the Business and Trade Secretary to represent the UK in key markets around the world, consisting of cross-party membership from both Houses. There are currently 32 Trade Envoys covering 73 markets across six continents.
Their job is to open doors - meeting with host governments, leading trade missions, hosting inward delegations, and tackling market access barriers that can otherwise block British companies from competing. They work alongside ambassadors, High Commissioners and His Majesty's Trade Commissioners.
The Security Minister held a session earlier this year, in collaboration with The Department for Business and Trade’s Trade Minister, to brief Trade Envoys on the importance of the UK security sector and to help raise awareness so that they can actively champion British security companies in their respective markets. This is a deliberate step to ensure the sector's strengths are woven into the UK's wider trade diplomacy.
Collaboration with the Home Office and DBT
The goal is a genuinely joined-up government offer to the sector — combining ministerial advocacy, diplomatic networks and trade expertise to help British companies access international markets. Trade Envoys are an important part of that ecosystem, but they work most effectively when they are equipped with the right intelligence about what UK industry has to offer.
This is where the Home Office and Department for Business and Trade come in. The Joint Security and Resilience Centre (JSaRC), which sits within the Home Office's Homeland Security Group, acts as a bridge between government and industry. It works with innovative companies - particularly those at a later stage of development and ready to break into international markets - to understand their capabilities and make sure that information reaches the right people across government, including Trade Envoys and our overseas networks. The role of government is to ensure that they have the tools they need – including carrying a picture of what the best of British security innovation actually looks like in practice.
The message from government is straightforward: we want to back British security innovation at every stage, and that includes on the global stage. The UK security sector has already shown what it is capable of, and trade envoys, working alongside the Department for Business and Trade and our wider diplomatic network, are one of the best ways to spread that message.
More information about the Trade Envoy network can be found here.