Dear Members and Friends,
This has been another busy week, both inside Grafton Street and of course well beyond. When it comes to the mounting tally of disturbing geopolitical developments, I have the sense that we are running out of language to describe the level of concern. Perhaps as a consequence of my own diplomatic experience, I’m especially convinced that the recent escalation between Iran and Israel does not allow for a “business as usual mindset”.
Against this backdrop, the noises off at both Labour and Conservative Party Conferences can appear to pale into insignificance. Nevertheless, it was good to see that at both conferences, international affairs – diplomacy, defence and development – still got a look-in and that, when it comes to international development, there are influential people in all parties prepared to make the calm strategic case for investment. Some of you on Wednesday will have heard Robin McKenzie, Evie Aspinall and Nick Forbes reflecting on the Labour and Conservative conferences, including of course thoughts on pointers from the Labour event on the direction of the new Government. We’ll be sharing a brief report soon.
Among our other activities this week, our Water Resilience Working Group had the opportunity on Monday to present its recent report to key government and private sector stakeholders in Jordan via a “virtual trade mission”. Speakers from the Working Group included: Liz Burlon, Senior Manager Utilities Strategy and Consulting at Accenture; Andrew Brown, Joint Acting CEO (Commercial) at HR Wallingford; Nada Abubakr, Middle East Director in the Global Water Practice at Ricardo; Graydon Jeal, Director and Professional Head of Discipline in Sustainable Futures at AtkinsRéalis; Simon Ayley, Director of Strategic Growth Partnerships at WRc; and Doogie Black, CEO at Climate Sense. This is an excellent example of the traction which our reports can achieve. We have a number of other presentations planned, including in the near future with the Caribbean Development Bank.
Also on Wednesday, I very much enjoyed chairing a session of our International Development Heads of Business Group with Evie Aspinall, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group, who took us through the results of BFPG’s latest public opinion survey. Do take a look at the full report – based on 10,000 data points! – here. In the discussion, it was interesting to hear differing interpretations of the results on public support for international development spending (“cup half full” vs “cup half empty”) as well as thinking on how to influence the debate.
On Thursday morning, our Education Working Group had a round table on “Including everyone: Supporting people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)”. The panel highlighted examples of best practice and included Jon Williamson, Chief Product Officer at Aldates Global Education; Dr Elliott Spaeth, Senior Consultant in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Advance HE; and Angela McCabe, North East England and Scotland Assessment Manager at Hachette Learning). Discussion covered the current challenges of and approaches to SEND in an international education context through K12, Further Education and Higher Education.
Later on Thursday, we had a virtual panel discussion on a topic of growing interest and importance: “Innovations in Insurance for Climate Adaptation”. This panel took us further into an area I’m keen on. Colin McQuistan, Head of Climate and Resilience at Practical Action; Jack Watt, Climate and Sustainability at Marsh; Veronika Bertram, Lead Risk Finance Advisor at the Centre for Disaster Protection; and Philippine Vernes, Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships at Humanity Insured. Some key points from the panel speakers and discussion: there have been an increasing number of climate-related disasters, leading to nearly 32 million displacements in 2022 attributed to weather-related hazards, amounting to a 41% rise since 2008. There are inefficiencies in existing disaster response methods, demonstrated in what's calculated as a $360 billion climate adaptation funding shortfall. Solutions must work at scale. Insurance emerges as a powerful tool for building climate resilience as it can prevent disasters from escalating into crises and provides a safety net, encouraging reinvestment in livelihoods. We are keen to provoke more discussion at the interface of climate mitigation and adaptation and the financial world and would welcome your thoughts on topics and people you would like to hear from.
On to next week. On Tuesday, I look forward to welcoming you to a hybrid event on “Working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)” in the latest in our growing series of interactions with the multilaterals. This event will provide the opportunity for an update on the Bank’s strategy as well as guidance on navigating its procurement processes. In addition, we will hear about EBRD’s infrastructure Project Preparation Facility and the infrastructure project pipeline. The panel will include Dirk Plutz, Associate Director and Procurement Policy Adviser; Johan Bert, Associate Director, Policy and Institutional; Pavel Linnik, Associate Director and Head of Infrastructure Procurement Unit; Matthew Jordan-Tank, Director, Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation; and Szilard Farkasdi, Business Development.
Finally, DBT in India have asked us to mention that they are seeking expressions of interest from UK Waste Management Companies for a potential ‘Waste to Value’ outward trade mission to India in February 2025. The mission offers a unique opportunity to explore the Indian market, connect with potential business partners and gain insights into the latest industry trends. Focus areas will include: sorting and segregating technologies; recycling equipment and technologies; and waste-to-energy solutions. Interested companies can register their interest here.
Finally, for your weekend reading, you might like to take a look at a blog written by BEI member Mott MacDonald on the crucial issue of retrofitting climate change adaptation into existing development programmes. We can't re-start everything, so just as retrofitting the physical infrastructure is a vital part of climate adaptation (and mitigation), so existing development programmes can be re-thought with the climate in mind. Many thanks to colleagues at Mott MacDonald for these thoughts.
To paraphrase an old sign-off (I recognise that this reveals my age…) “if you have been, thanks for reading”. It’s good to receive the occasional note that suggests that our newsletters are indeed being read. If you have any thoughts on what we can do to make them more useful, do let me know. In the meantime, my best wishes for the weekend ahead.
David Landsman
Executive Chairman
British Expertise International
Recordings of recent past events:
- 10th September 2024: Ethiopia: Market Opportunity Overview
- 11th September 2024: Meeting the Global Demand for Biodiversity Credits
- 26th September 2024: Scaling Infrastructure Decarbonisation Through Digital in Emerging Markets
- 3rd October 2024: Innovations in Insurance for Climate Adaptation
Key events coming up include the following:
- 8th October 2024 12:00 – 14:30 BST: Working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - Join us at 23 Grafton Street or virtually as we host the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for an update on the bank’s strategy and guidance on navigating its procurement processes. In addition, there will be a briefing on EBRD’s infrastructure Project Preparation Facility and a review of the infrastructure project pipeline. If attending in person, please arrive from 11:30. The event will take place at 12:00-13:30, followed by networking lunch until 14:30. When registering, select ‘attend remotely via webinar’ to receive a Teams link for the 12:00-13:30 BST event.
- 14th – 17th October 2024: Azerbaijan: UK Infrastructure Trade Mission & UK Pavilion at Baku Build - Join a UK Trade Mission to Azerbaijan and participate in the UK Pavilion at the Caspian’s largest infrastructure exhibition – Baku Build. The trade mission, in partnership with the British Embassy in Baku, will include B2B and B2G activities, a networking reception at the British Ambassador’s residence, speaking opportunities and participation in the UK Pavilion at the exhibition. Places are limited to ensure each participating company receives our full attention. Participation in the British Pavilion is free of charge. Delegates will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs. British Expertise International will charge an administration fee of £300+VAT for each participant. For further information and to receive the application form, please get in touch with Sasha Barnes at ab@britishexpertise.org. The administration fee will be payable upon signing the application form.
- 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 discussion in the morning followed by an afternoon breakout session and 1-to-1 sessions which can be booked individually with each of the speakers.
- 23rd October 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.
- 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.
- 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 202415:00– 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.
- 28th November 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 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.
Register for an upcoming event →
External Events
- 9th - 10th October 2024: ADB Business Opportunities Fair (BOF) at the ADB Headquarters in Mandaluyong City - The BOF 2024 is a one-stop networking forum for consultants, contractors, suppliers, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) interested in pursuing business opportunities under ADB-financed projects. Participants will learn about ongoing and upcoming ADB business opportunities and can meet with ADB sector experts and procurement specialists.
Not a member?
Learn more
For more information about British Expertise International: Sign up to receive this Weekly Update
- View our upcoming events
- Becoming a member
- Follow us on Twitter
- Join our Linkedin group
