International Market Research
International Market Research Across 72 Countries
From single-market assessments to multi-country comparative studies, we deliver evidence-based intelligence for confident investment decisions.
Market research for entry and investment decisions
Evidence you can act on before committing to a market
Copernicus helps clients evaluate new markets, benchmark competitors across countries and build evidence for major investment decisions, combining desk and field research across 72 markets.
What Sets Us Apart
Why clients choose Copernicus for international research
72 Markets, Deep Where It Counts
Our network spans 72 countries across five continents, with depth across Europe, China, Japan, South Korea and West Africa. Where we field local teams, research is carried out by people who live and work in the market, not by analysts working remotely.
Comparative Multi-Market Studies
When you need to choose between markets, our comparative studies assess each country against one framework: market size, competition, regulation and routes to market. The result is a clear, evidence-based recommendation on where to invest.
An Extension of Your Team
We extend your internal team rather than replace it. Your people stay focused on strategic decisions while Copernicus handles the research-heavy groundwork, from one-off studies to ongoing analyst support.
From Desk Research to Primary Fieldwork
We are not limited to desk research. Our work runs from desktop screening with premium data sources to in-market primary research, including interviews, telephone surveys, focus groups and mystery shopping. We use the method the question demands.
5
Continents covered through a dedicated local network
1000+
Discrete engagements completed for global clients
72
International markets reached via in-country consultants
How We Help
Seven Research Services, 72 Markets
Choose the method the decision needs, from a quick desk-based screen to a full multi-country fieldwork programme.
(01) Market Entry & Market Assessment Studies
(02) Comparative Market Studies
(03) Sector & Industry Research
(04) Primary Research & Fieldwork
(05) Competition Benchmarking & Tracking
(06) Feasibility Studies & Investment Support
(07) Desktop Research & Business Intelligence
- Market Entry & Market Assessment Studies
Market entry studies give you a clear view of a target market: size, growth, competition, customer segments, regulation, routes to market, pricing and barriers. They help expanding companies, exporters and investors assess opportunity, risk and how to enter.
Where relevant, TradeVector uses real import and export flows to size demand and map competition, so the picture reflects trading activity, not estimates alone.
Key deliverables:
- Market size and growth forecasts
- Competitive landscape mapping
- Customer segmentation and demand analysis
- Regulatory and trade barrier assessment
- Routes to market evaluation
- Entry strategy recommendations
- Comparative Market Studies
Comparative studies assess multiple potential markets against one framework, especially useful for companies choosing an EU entry point or expanding across several countries.
We compare market size, growth, competition, ease of doing business, regulatory fit, cultural fit and entry cost, then provide a ranked recommendation.
Key deliverables:
- Multi-country market assessment matrix
- Scored ranking against agreed criteria
- Country-by-country profiles
- Recommended priority market(s) with rationale
- Risk assessment by market
- Sector & Industry Research
We deliver sector-level research into market structure, segment breakdowns, competition, supply chains and forward-looking trends across sectors including construction, healthcare, food and beverage, retail, manufacturing, logistics, real estate, pharmaceuticals, education, oil and gas services, telecoms and financial services.
For China, Japan and South Korea, we draw on 3,000+ industry specialists and, where relevant, connections to Chinese government offices and administrative agencies. For trade-heavy sectors, TradeVector maps flows, volumes and named importers and exporters.
Key deliverables:
- Sector overview and market sizing
- Value chain analysis
- Segment and sub-sector breakdowns
- Competitive landscape and key player profiles
- Trend analysis and forward-looking outlook
- Primary Research & Fieldwork
When desk research is not enough, we run primary research through in-market teams, covering quantitative and qualitative methods designed, managed and quality-controlled to Market Research Society standards.
In China, Japan and South Korea, this includes 12 full-time qualitative researchers and moderators, most with 10+ years’ experience and 50+ studies a year, plus a 3.27 million respondent offline consumer panel built through face-to-face surveys since 2001.
Key deliverables:
- Quantitative surveys (online, telephone CATI, face-to-face)
- Qualitative in-depth interviews (IDIs)
- Focus groups and discussion groups
- Expert network interviews
- Mystery shopping
- Customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score studies
- Brand health checks
- Competition Benchmarking & Tracking
We identify, profile and benchmark competitors across markets, comparing positioning, capability, market share, pricing and strategy.
For ongoing visibility, we track competitor activity, pricing changes, new market entries and strategic moves.
Where competitors trade across borders, TradeVector verifies volumes, buyer and supplier relationships, and shifts over time.
Key deliverables:
- Competitor identification and profiling
- Multi-market competitive benchmarking matrix
- Market share estimation
- Pricing and positioning analysis
- Ongoing competitor tracking reports (monthly/quarterly)
- Feasibility Studies & Investment Support
For market entry, greenfield operations or acquisitions, we combine market assessment with financial analysis to support investment decisions, board presentations and funding applications.
We work with corporate development teams, private equity and venture capital firms, family offices, advisory companies and commercial banks.
Key deliverables:
- Full feasibility studies (market, financial, technical)
- Financial modelling and scenario analysis
- Investment memos and sector prioritisation studies
- Valuation support
- Due diligence research support
- Desktop Research & Business Intelligence
Not every question needs fieldwork. Our desktop research uses premium sources including Reuters Eikon, Capital IQ, Euromonitor, BMI and MEED, alongside government data, industry bodies, company directories and our expert network.
For larger data needs, we support database building, dashboards, monitoring and white-labelled research. TradeVector adds shipment-level visibility of import and export activity across 130+ countries.
Key deliverables:
- Desk-based market screening and sizing
- Company profiling and database building
- Subscription data source analysis
- White-labelled research reports
- Ongoing intelligence and monitoring services
WHY COPERNICUS IN NORTH ASIA
A research platform few international firms can match
Twelve researchers and moderators, most with over ten years' experience, delivering 50+ studies a year for international agencies. Moderation is native, so nuance and indirect speech survive into the findings.
A 3.27 million in-house panel recruited face to face between 2001 and 2023, with verified demographics and rich sampling labels. We also run the 5.64 million ID-registered Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences panel.
Our own technology covers sampling, questionnaire programming, distribution and respondent management, giving end-to-end control of data quality and turnaround.
Quantitative fieldwork across all of China, including national stratified random sampling. Credentials include work for Gallup and comparable international agencies.
An expert pool of 3,000+ industry specialists, plus direct relationships with Chinese government offices and administrative agencies, supporting sector deep-dives and policy-sensitive research external firms struggle to run.
Research clients and use cases
For organisations making expansion, investment and advisory decisions
Matched to each market and brief
We combine desk and field research across 72 markets, with particular depth in hard-to-research markets such as Eastern Europe, North and South-East Asia, Central Asia and the South Caucasus. In North Asia, that includes our own qualitative teams, offline consumer panels and access to government and industry experts.
Corporates & Family Businesses
Market entry research, competitive intelligence, expansion strategy and acquisition-target support for international growth decisions.
Consulting Firms & Government Bodies
White-label and subcontracted research support, from feasibility studies to survey assignments and team extension.
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Due diligence, target profiling, sector prioritisation and portfolio support from fundraising through exit planning.
Advisory & Investment Banks
Market assessments, documentation support, transaction research and building for corporate finance teams.
Commercial Banks
Feasibility studies, sector research, financial modelling and roadshow support across multiple banking divisions.
Asset Managers
Equity research, sector prioritisation, stock and bond analysis, portfolio reporting and client documentation.
How we work
5 Steps to conducting International Market Research
STEP 1/5
Scoping & Design
Desktop Research & Data Gathering
Primary Research & Fieldwork
Analysis & Insight
Reporting & Ongoing Support
6-8 Weeks
Findings delivered and actioned.
THREE WAYS TO WORK WITH US
Typical engagement shapes
Single-market study
Multi-market comparative
Exploratory scoping
Single-market study
One country, one research question. Desk research, fieldwork, or both, scoped to the decision you actually need to make.
Multi-market comparative
The same framework run across several countries, scored against one set of criteria, so markets can be ranked against each other, not assessed in isolation.
Exploratory scoping
A lighter, desk-led review used to size an opportunity or narrow a shortlist of markets, before committing to a fuller primary research programme.
Free Resources
Regional Guides
Four regional guides that go deeper than this hub can. Each covers regulatory changes, sanctions exposure, distributor dynamics, entity options, and the questions we hear most often from clients entering or expanding in the region. Practical, written for operators, no gated waffle.
Related services
Where buyers go next
Answers to Common Questions
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