Oct 16, 2026

BEI Weekly Update - 16th October 2026

by

David Landsman

by

Dear Members and Friends,

In our busy programme this week, we have once again hosted an event focused on Ukraine at a time when the news is again negative and the prospects for the winter are particularly disturbing. While the hard realities on the ground can’t be wished away, there are opportunities for UK organisations to support Ukraine’s civil and defence infrastructure as well as prepare for post-conflict reconstruction. Throughout the conflict, BEI has been working with members to promote collaboration with all those who can strengthen the UK contribution. We are currently planning a number of further events with British and Ukrainian partners.

On Monday, we hosted a delegation from Ghana for an in-person roundtable exploring investment opportunities in Ghana. This roundtable kicked off a week of activities for the delegation in London, including the 2026 Ghana Investor Day on Tuesday. We were pleased to support this initiative alongside FCDO, BIST and the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce.

Also on Monday, as I mentioned above, together with our colleagues at D Group we held what proved to be an excellent event with Insulate Ukraine. Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, led a discussion on resilience, rights and reconstruction efforts across the country. It was great also to be joined by Al Carns MP, who also shared his perspectives on the UK’s role in supporting Ukraine. Both speakers highlighted the key drivers of military, infrastructural, and civil resilience amid continuing and rapidly evolving military attacks. Of particular note is the concept of the ‘community of communities’ that has underpinned Ukrainian society in recent years.

On Tuesday, we held a webinar deep dive into education opportunities in Azerbaijan in collaboration with the Embassy of Azerbaijan. The session covered key opportunities for British businesses, provided advice on cultural understanding, and shared tips for navigating the Azerbaijani market. Many thanks to Mr. Rashad Khanlarov, Counsellor for Education Affairs at the Embassy of Azerbaijan, for joining us.

Next Tuesday 20 October we look forward to a full-day roadshow event with IDB Invest, part of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. The roadshow will present opportunities for the UK, Latin America and the Caribbean and will provide the chance for members to engage direct with the senior leadership of IDB Invest and key stakeholders from the United Kingdom and Latin America and the Caribbean. BEI is proud to be collaborating with IDB Invest on this roadshow, alongside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Export Finance (UKEF), and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST). Register using this link.

‍Next week we will continue our engagement with multilateral development banks on Wednesday 21 October from 09:00-10:30 BST with a second webinar with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on business opportunities for private sector projects. If you are interested in joining, click here.

Also next week, the UK will welcome an Omani delegation, aligned with the State Visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. There will be no doubt plenty of engagements throughout London to mark this occasion. One that might be of interest to our network is the UK-Oman Forward Export & Investment Summit 2026, taking place on Thursday 22 October. If you wish to register, or have any questions, please reach out to ana@strategyinternational.co.uk.

I’ve mentioned before the highly sought-after Future Leaders Group programme. This month participants from organisations as diverse as Serco, Tetra Tech, Lockheed Martin, MOD and Coalition for Global Prosperity have joined us at One Birdcage Walk for keynotes on leadership by our colleague Seumas Kerr CBE, executive coach Elizabeth Beroud, former Navy Commander Lucy Ottley OBE, Executive Chair of Faber & Faber Stephen Page OBE, and COO of Heathrow Airport, Javier Echave. If you are interested in integrating a top-level leadership programme into your organisation’s operations, please reach out to me or contact olivier@futureleadersgroup.uk if you would like to discuss a place on the programme for 2027.

You may already have heard about International Trade Week, taking place from Monday 9to Friday 12November. This series of events will bring together businesses of every size and trade experts for 5 days of insights and opportunities to help build new partnerships. The week is led by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), and sponsored by Santander UK. Click here for more details.

‍Finally, some weekend reading in the form of a case study from our members, Tetra Tech International Development, which was featured in our recent paper “Water Risk & Finance: Bridging the Gap". The case study highlights the Cubango-Okanvango River Basin (CORB) Fund, established to enhance livelihoods, improve ecosystem resilience, and provide equitable benefits to the basin’s riparian states. You can read more on LinkedIn here.

With best wishes for the weekend,

David Landsman

Executive Chair

British Expertise International

Upcoming BEI Events:

Tuesday 20th October 2026 08:00 – 18:00 BST: IDB Roadshow: From the UK to Latin America and the Caribbean: Unlocking Growth Opportunities with IDB Invest - Join IDB Invest, part of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, for a full-day roadshow event to unlock growth opportunities across the UK, Latin America and the Caribbean. The event will provide an opportunity to engage directly with the senior leadership of IDB Invest and key stakeholders from the United Kingdom and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Wednesday 21st October 2026 09:00 – 10:30 BST: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Business Opportunities Webinars for Private Sector Projects - Join us for an online session with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) exploring business opportunities for private sector projects.
Thursday 22nd October 2026 15:00 – 17:00 BST: UK-Oman: Supply Chain Logistics, Maritime Risk and Insurance - Join us for a closed-door roundtable on Supply Chain Logistics, Maritime Risk and Insurance, convened in conjunction with the Oman British Society on the margins of the upcoming State Visit.
Tuesday 3rd November 2026 09:00 – 12:00 GMT: Skills Working Group: The Green Transition - Join us for our next in-person Skills Working Group meeting, which will explore the international mobility of skilled tradespeople relevant to the green transition. This meeting will bring together members of BEI and the D Group with guest speaker Helen Dempster, Co-Director, Migration and Displacement and Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development.
Wednesday 4th November 2026 14:00 – 16:00 GMT: UK-Pakistan Business Meeting - We will be hosting an incoming delegation from Pakistan for a conversation around workforce development and managing talent pipelines in key industries. This event will be for members in the Skills and Education sectors. More details to come soon.
Thursday 5th November 2026 09:00 – 10:00 GMT: Market Opportunity Overview: Thailand - Join us for a virtual Market Opportunity Overview exploring business and investment opportunities in Thailand with the UK Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade in Thailand, the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand and the Thailand Board of Investment.

Event recordings and resources

Event recordings - BEI member access only

External Events & Resources:

11th - 13th November 2026: Africa PPP Summit in Nairobi, Kenya: the 16th Africa PPP Summit is co-convened by Kenya PPP Directorate and supported by the State Department for Public Investment & Asset management, National Treasury, Kenya. This years theme is "Building Africa’s Prosperity: Transformative Infrastructure, Investment and Partnerships to Accelerate Economic Development”. BEI members have an exclusive 10% discount. Please email Sofia Pennacchietti via sp@britishexperitse.org for more information.
17th - 19th November 2026: Ed Tech Pavilion at Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town, South Africa - A curated exhibition floor inside Africa's largest tech event - 13,500+ decision-makers, 650+ policymakers, 250 investors. Stands, pitch slots, and pre-qualified buyer meetings for education and skills companies entering African markets. Packages close early September. Contact: ernest@edtechexchange.africa or Complete the expression of interest form.
19th November 2026: Jordan–European Union Investment Conference at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre, Dead Sea, Jordan - The conference will bring together senior government representatives, investors and business leaders to explore investment opportunities in Jordan and strengthen cooperation across a number of key sectors.
6th - 8th April 2027: Innovation Africa 2027 in Harare, Zimbabwe: Innovation Africa 2027 is a Ministerial summit for Education, Skills and ICT Innovation which connects Africa's leaders with global technology partners. BEI members interested in joining can view partnership and participation options at this link: Innovation Africa Participation Options.