Insider Media Limited

NSC Creative, based in Leicester’s space centre, increased its export sales by 50 per cent in 2010. The company’s business development manager Ruth Harvey told Insider that the sector was seeing an ever increasing demand overseas, and the company recently secured deals in Tel Aviv, Egypt and Hong Kong.

Harvey also said that the space centre had experienced “a tourism boost” over the past year, in part attributable to the publicity the sector is currently receiving.

NSC specialises in large format, immersive experiences including planetariums, fulldome films and stereoscopic 3D. Its overseas sales increased by 50 per cent in 2010 and now accounts for more than half of all orders.

Harvey said that staff numbers have doubled from six to 11 on the back of this overseas success.

She said: “We’ve definitely seen an increase in demand for our shows, and I think a large proportion of that is down to how we market the brand. Only a very small percentage of our trade occurs in the UK, and we’re definitely looking to expand further overseas, and develop more links with companies in the US and in Europe.

“We are currently creating a fulldome film to form part of the new Children’s Museum in Cairo, as well as a fog screen, which omits fog from a projection screen. It will be opening later this year.”

She added that the company had seen a huge increase in the number of exports to Asia and it has signed a deal with a company in Tel Aviv.

Along with an increase in export activity, Harvey said that the space centre itself had received a boost in attendance figures over the past year.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in the number of tourists visiting the centre,” she said. “Perhaps people are choosing to invest in local tourism and come here as part of a UK holiday rather than going abroad.

“Television series like Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Universe has definitely stimulated interest in the sector, which is great.”

The company’s success comes on the back of assistance from the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in the East Midlands.

Peter Hogarth, from UKTI East Midlands, said: “This company is helping reinforce the UK’s strong reputation for creative industries and I hope even more Leicestershire firms follow its example, particularly as there are so many opportunities for local firms in emerging high-growth markets such as the CIVETS – Columbia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and Turkey - thanks to their rapidly-expanding consumer bases.

“NSC Creative also shows that exporting needn’t be daunting. UKTI advisers and services can help any business prepare to do business overseas by finding the right market and making the right contacts.”

“The company is a really inspiring example of British creativity and technological innovation. I hope the company continues to enjoy future successes throughout the UK and internationally."