is there a sensible way to get backlinks to your site?

Make one thing worth linking to (a small dataset, a free tool, a properly useful guide) and then actually tell people about it. Links don't show up on their own. Cheap wins first: search your brand name for mentions that don't link and ask for the link, and get listed on supplier, partner and industry association pages. Skip anything sold as a package of links, those are mostly from sites built to sell links.