Dear Members and Friends,
I found the time on my travels this past week to read (and indeed discuss with some significant investors) the new Industrial Strategy Green Paper published in conjunction with the Global Investment Summit which took place on Monday. The paper sets out the key questions to be answered in developing a strategic approach to delivering the Government’s overarching growth mission. It is explicitly a work in progress on which the Government is keen to consult widely. From the BEI perspective, it is already good to see an explicit linkage between the domestic and international agendas, with trade and investment integrated fully into the approach to the priority sectors. Although BEI is not a lobby group seeking to fill Ministerial inboxes with a list of demands, we are reflecting on how we can usefully inject into the consultation our collective insights on doing business internationally, in parallel with the submissions many of you will be making individually. Do let me know your thoughts on how we can be useful in this.
As I mentioned last week, BEI has very much been “out and about” in the past few days in search of opportunities in our priority sectors. In Baku, we have seen the results of an excellent collaboration with Ambassador Fergus Auld and his team to bring a delegation of architects, digital construction experts and project management companies to Baku Build, Azerbaijan’s largest infrastructure event to showcase the potential of a British contribution to the sustainable development of Azerbaijan’s infrastructure. Sasha chaired a panel focusing on UK Innovations in Sustainable Building Design and Digital Construction, featuring speakers from Zaha Hadid Architects, Chapman Taylor and WilkinsonEyre. Our panel touched on innovations in BIM, passive design and the potential for innovation and efficiency through these approaches. I’m absolutely delighted that our panel won the award for the best country presentation at Baku Build. Many congratulations to Sasha and all the panel! We look forward to building on the strong interest our delegation found in UK expertise so that we can take advantage of the many opportunities that are opening up.
While Sasha has been in Baku, Luisa Edves, has been taking part in the Department for Business and Trade's Education Trade Mission to Central Asia. Alongside representatives from UK private schools and higher education institutions Luisa had the opportunity to meet a number of senior stakeholders in Uzbekistan, including Sardor Radjabov, Deputy Minister of Public Education and Shaxrukh Xojakbarovich, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. The delegation was welcomed and supported by Ambassador Tim Smart and his DBT team, whom we are looking forward to welcoming in November to Grafton Street for a market update on opportunities in Uzbekistan. Luisa and our delegation have moved on to Kazakhstan, where they have meetings with a series of private sector investors as well as members of both Ministries of Education.
We’ll report more on all these missions and the follow up we are planning once Sasha and Luisa are back in London. In the meantime, I want very much to thank our Ambassadors and their teams across the region for all their support for us and our members.
Closer to home, we have recently welcomed our latest Future Leaders Group cohort to Grafton Street. Participants enjoyed sessions covering lessons in leadership (Seumas Kerr CBE), leading with strengths (Elizabeth Beroud, Strengths Coach), Strategic Leadership (Stephen Page MBE, Chair Faber & Faber), and a leader’s reflections (Javier Echave, COO Heathrow Airport). FLG has built a well-deserved reputation for providing participants with practical insights into leadership from a diverse group of tutors with deep experience. Please get in touch with me or contact olivier@futureleadersgroup.uk if you think your or one of your colleagues could benefit from the programme and would like to learn more.
Next week on Wednesday, we will be launching the second edition of our GESI report. This will be in the form of a panel on Defining Localisation. This is an excellent showcase of our members’ work in GESI, updated with a new focus on localisation. Speakers include Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie, Team Leader at Invest Salone, Teleri Jardin, Head of Impact and Technical Services at World Vision, and Mark Johnson, Senior Technical Adviser – Localisation at Concern Worldwide.
Later on Wednesday, we will be exploring market opportunities in Argentina in a virtual session connecting to the DBT team in Buenos Aires, led by Alfredo “Fred” Fierro, Director for Trade and Investment - British Embassy Buenos Aires, Juan Jovanovich, Partner – KPMG Argentina, and Sonia Aponte Tinao, Deputy Director, Trade & Investment – British Embassy Buenos Aires. This will be an excellent opportunity to get up to speed with developments in a significant regional market following the election of President Javier Millei. If your geographical interest is in Africa, we have two further virtual Market Opportunity Overviews, for Morocco and Tanzania, now open for registration on our website.
With best wishes for the weekend,
David Landsman
Executive Chairman
British Expertise International
Recordings of recent past events:
- 26th September 2024: Scaling Infrastructure Decarbonisation Through Digital in Emerging Markets
- 3rd October 2024: Innovations in Insurance for Climate Adaptation
- 8th October 2024: Working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Note that the recording is not yet available for this event, however, the slides are).
Key events coming up include the following:
- 21st October 2024 09:00 – 16:00 BST: Engaging with USAID – UK Partners Day - Join us for our yearly BEI – USAID, UK Partners Day. We are delighted to be joined for a one-day event by senior representatives from USAID as well as welcome back Mike Shanley from Konektid International. Our speakers will run a series of panel discussions in the morning followed by an afternoon breakout session and 1-to-1 sessions.
- 23rd October 2024 09:00 – 11:00 BST: Defining Localisation - Join us for this event to launch the second edition of our GESI Report, updated with case studies from new BEI members and a new section of the report which highlights the importance of localisation. A panel discussion will follow, at which BEI members will discuss recent innovative approaches they have taken to localisation.
- 23rd October 2024 15:00 – 16:30 BST: Argentina - Market Opportunity Overview - Argentina is a valuable trade and investment partner for the UK due to its diverse economy, rich natural resources and strategic location in South America. We are delighted to welcome DBT colleagues to share insights on Argentina’s strategic priorities and resulting opportunities for UK plc, in sectors including Infrastructure, Security and Mining.
- 24th October 2024 12:00 – 13:00 BST: Water Resilience Working Group - The UK has a distinctive offer and world-leading expertise in sustainable and climate-resilient water services. This group, in partnership with the UK government, IFIs and other key stakeholders, aims to define that offer and leverage it to increase exports.
- 5th November 2024 15:00– 16:30 GMT: Caribbean Development Bank – Education & Social Inclusion - This event is our annual webinar with experts in Education and Social Development from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), to explore upcoming opportunities and priorities in the education and social development sectors.
- 7th November 2024 16:00 – 19:00 GMT: Climate Change Networking Evening - Join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation, potential new partnerships and the chance to meet with members of our Climate Change Working Group. Our keynote speaker this time is Andy Blackhall, Managing Director of WRc. Andy will reflect on his career and his hopes for the future.
- 12th November 2024 09:00 – 10:30 GMT: Tanzania – Market Opportunity Overview - Tanzania offers a range of exciting opportunities to UK organisations in sectors including energy, infrastructure, mining, climate-resilient agriculture and skills development, as well as opportunities in the Blue Economy in Zanzibar. We are delighted to welcome a stellar panel including the new UK High Commissioner to Tanzania alongside her counterpart in the UK, as well as speakers from the Tanzania Investment Centre and UK DBT.
- 12th November 2024 15:00 – 16:00 GMT: FCDO Development Director: Sierra Leone - Join us as we host Alex MacLean, Development Director in Sierra Leone for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), who will present FCDO’s development strategy, programming and pipeline of opportunities in Sierra Leone. Alex will also be joined by sector directors from the British Embassy in Sierra Leone for the Q&A part of the session.
- 14th November 2024 10:00 – 11:30 GMT: Morocco – Market Opportunity Overview - Wrapping up an eventful and exciting year in UK-Morocco bilateral trade relations, we are thrilled to welcome back our colleagues from the Department for Business and Trade to share updates on recent UK achievements and future opportunities.
- 14th November 2024 15:00– 16:30 GMT: COP16 Outcomes - The Sixteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) is taking place in Cali, Colombia between 21st October and 1st November 2024. Our panel will reflect on their experiences at COP16, distil some of their key takeaways, and discuss their hopes for the future.
- 26th November 2024 09:00 – 10:30 GMT: India – Opportunities in Disaster Risk Resilience - Weather related disasters such as extreme heat, droughts and massive flooding are increasing in frequency and intensity in India. Ahead of a DBT trade mission, explore key opportunities in various aspects of Disaster Risk Resilience in the Indian market.
- 28th November 2024 09:00 – 10:15 GMT: Working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia - This online event on Working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia will feature a panel of BEI members sharing their experiences of working with DFAT. The panel of existing suppliers to DFAT and former colleagues who worked as part of Australian Aid will share tips and tricks on how to win contracts, how to prepare for funding from DFAT, and the challenges organisations may encounter suppliers.
- 3rd December 2024 09:30 – 10:30 GMT: India Education Deep Dive with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) - Join us for a webinar deep dive into education opportunities in India led by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The DBT Education team in India will provide us with an overview and insights into the key education sector opportunities available for British businesses, advice on cultural understanding, and tips for navigating the Indian market.
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