Overcoming distance: export geographies for SMEs within Atlantic Canada’s ocean technology sector

The export process has many distinctly geographical elements, including place-based impediments to trade and eventual market selections. Tied to this, exporting and its myriad geographies are complicated for small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which can impact performance on global markets. This research note examines the case of SMEs within Atlantic Canada’s growing ocean technology industry, a sector that is heavily dependent on export sales. These initial explorations present a number of noteworthy export-related geographies. Firms tended to export to nearby markets, whether in terms of geographical, cultural, or administrative distance. These exporters also cited a number of issues that impeded their moves into international markets, including the costs of being export-ready as well as adapting their products or services to global markets. The same firms, however, viewed trade fair participation as a means to overcoming export barriers and as a way to explore new markets. These initial explorations add to the literature on trade-related geographies and point to directions for future research.