First Annual Germany-UK Business-Government Forum

On 27th April 2026 I attended the inaugural Germany-UK Business-Government Forum in Berlin.

Mandated by the Kensington Treaty, it was the first of its kind. Ministers, ambassadors, and senior leaders from BMW, Siemens Energy, Rolls-Royce, Vodafone, Boehringer Ingelheim and Darktrace were in the same room.

Here's some of what I took away:

The dominant theme wasn't Brexit, or Trump, or even AI. It was that the world is de-globalising and regionalising. And in that context, the UK-Germany corridor isn't a nice-to-have, it's a strategic imperative. The statistics alone tell part of the story. €118bn in annual bilateral trade flows between the two countries. Over 2,300 German companies are operating in the UK.

Some of the challenges we face together: a copper deficit of 25% forecast within 15 years that threatens everything from data centres to defence. Energy costs of €215 per car to manufacture a Mini in Oxford versus €50 in California.

However, what struck me most wasn't the data. It was the tone. This wasn't a room full of people talking about what might be possible. It was a room full of people who have already decided it will happen and are now focused on speed of delivery.

"We have money now but we don't have time." was one line from the security panel stayed with me.

The political framework is set with The Kensington Treaty as the north star. What happens next is down to business. Alex Zino of Rolls-Royce put it best: two of the world's four largest economies are aligning to compete globally. When that happens with real political will behind it, genuine industrial cooperation already underway, and a legally binding treaty as the foundation, the opportunity isn't just significant, it's potentially unstoppable.

I'll be unpacking the specifics over the coming weeks: energy, cyber, talent, regulation, and what all of it means for my clients, and for businesses operating or wanting to operate across this corridor.