techUK’s Market Access Brief: International Opportunities for tech companies

See upcoming events, opportunities, news, and updates from techUK's International Trade Programme…

Welcome to the latest Market Access Brief insight. This is a new fortnightly insight which focuses on the events, opportunities, trade missions, as well as wider updates that we have within the techUK International programme and from our members and stakeholders.

In recent months we have made changes to the way we send emails. Please sign up to our mailing lists for India (here), Japan (here), China (here), APAC (here) to make sure you are still receiving emails for areas of focus that you are interested in.

If you want to receive these updates in your inbox each month, you can sign up to our newsletter here.

Separately, we wanted to note that if you are a techUK member, you are entitled to advertising events, updates, and opportunities to our wider network of members, prospects, and stakeholders, through this newsletter. To do this, please email [email protected].

techUK Events, Opportunities and Trade Missions:

Join us on 12 November, 9:00 – 11:15, for our first UK-APAC Tech Forum of the year. Focused on Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and the ASEAN countries, the Forum provides insight on the regional tech and trade environment in the Asia Pacific, as well as practical advice on how to export and expand into the region. The event will feature a policy panel – focused on tariffs, tech, and geopolitics - and a Go-To-Market panel designed to give you everything you need to know before exporting or expanding into APAC, followed by country updates from some of our in-country partners, and an open discussion on opportunities and challenges across the UK-APAC corridor. Sign up here.

The UK-China Tech Forum, co-organised by techUK and China Britain Business Council, brings together tech companies, government representatives, and industry leaders from the UK and China to foster meaningful dialogue on tech, trade, and areas for non-politically sensitive cooperation. The event will be followed by a drinks reception. Tickets are free fir techUK and CBBC members, as well as government and third-sector organisations. Non-member tickets for this event will cost £60.

External events, opportunities, and trade missions

Brave1 invites you to explore the forefront of defense and dual-use technology at Invest Demo Day #19. Hear from Ukraine’s leading defense and dual-use technology startups and

The Philippine Trade & Investment Centre are pleased to propose a dedicated strategic industry briefing exclusively for techUK members on the Philippine Electronics and Semiconductor Sector, scheduled for 14 November 2025 at 2:00 PM. This tailored session is designed to deliver focused insights and engagement opportunities aligned with the interests and priorities techUK and its member companies. The briefing will offer insights into contract manufacturing and EMS capabilities for consumer, industrial, and automotive electronics, R&D collaboration opportunities as well as supply chain diversification and sustainability advantages under the UK's DCTS Secure your spot here.

The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) is co-hosting a briefing for industry on rare earth export controls together with the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) in China. The briefing will take place on Monday 17 November, 17:00-18:00 China time (09:00-10:00 UK time). HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) Lewis Neal will lead the briefing together with CBBC’s Head of Public Affairs Jie Latham. This event will be held online. Please contact [email protected] to register interest.

The 4th UK-UA Defence Tech Forum returns on 18th November at the Royal United Services Institute in London with the official support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK. The Forum aims to enhance the collaboration between Ukrainian, British and international defence tech firms, together with the VC community, to scale up production and speed up R&D and new innovations. Do not miss this opportunity to participate in what will again be a timely and productive gathering of the Ukrainian, UK and international Defence Tech and VC communities. Find out more and sign up here.

The ChipConnect Immersion Visit in November 2025 will bring Indonesian semiconductor stakeholders to explore the UK’s expertise in chip design, photonics, and advanced materials. The visit aims to strengthen UK–Indonesia collaboration in policy, R&D, and talent development, create commercial opportunities for UK firms in Indonesia’s electronics and EV markets, and support sustainable access to critical raw materials, building on recent bilateral initiatives in the sector. If you're interested in attending, please reach out to [email protected].

Techindustry is back in Riga, Latvia on 27-29 November 2025 and UK companies are invited to take part in an exclusive matchmaking programme to meet up to five leading European technology suppliers across sectors including automotive, robotics, clean tech, mechanical engineering, and metalworking. Participants receive complimentary travel benefits, including two hotel nights, trade fair access, business lounge entry, and full event support. This is a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge solutions, form partnerships, and expand your European network. Contact Bassel Hajj at [email protected] to secure your place and connect with top innovators in Riga.

UK-Southeast Asia Tech Week 2026 is the UK’s flagship annual event on science, innovation and technology in Southeast Asia. This year’s event will run from Monday 9th February to Friday 13th February 2026 in the Philippines (Manila), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Singapore. This year, the UK is taking a delegation of cutting-edge UK AI and data companies to meet with stakeholders and potential partners in Southeast Asia. The companies represent the UK's tech prowess - we are home to a $1 trillion tech sector with over 150 unicorns. Find out how you can get involved here.

Apply to join the UK’s Department for Business and Trade’s AI Delegation to Texas, with engagements in both Dallas and Austin.  This opportunity will spotlight the best of UK innovation in Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and Advanced Software. Home to more than 21 Fortune 500 companies—including AT&T, Texas Instruments, American Airlines, and Caterpillar—the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) region has established itself as a global hub for AI innovation. Delegates will be exposed to showcase and pitching opportunities to key investors, buyers, and other technology ecosystem stakeholders in Dallas & Austin. As well as invitations to receptions, networking events with DBT & fellow trade mission participants. Deadline to apply is 28 November. Find out more and apply here.

The Business Year is proud to launch a pivotal new initiative to advance economic and investment ties between the United Kingdom and the Gulf Cooperation Council. This dual-format project combines a comprehensive special report with a high-level event designed to deepen strategic partnerships across both regions. With UK–GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations advancing, this forum will bring together ministers, sovereign wealth fund leaders, CEOs, and financial institutions to explore collaboration in trade, investment, energy, technology, and sustainability. Find out more here.

The GovTech Lab Ukraine Challenge is now open for applications. The programme connects government institutions with global innovators to co-create and pilot digital solutions that transform public services and strengthen Ukraine’s resilience.Run by GovTech Lab Ukraine, the Challenge is open to start-ups, social enterprises, and solution providers worldwide. Selected participants will co-develop solutions with ministries and state agencies, with pilot projects funded to a maximum of €150,000. Beyond funding, participants gain direct access to government partners, pilot opportunities in real-world environments, visibility across the GovTech ecosystem, and tailored support to scale their solutions. Find out more information here.

The Digital Trade Corridor (DTC) Programme is a UK government-sponsored pilot programme running live, digitalised goods shipments involving data-driven processes between the UK and key European partners, starting with France and Germany. We take one of your real shipment lane trade flows and replace selected commercial paper trade documents (e.g. commercial invoices) with electronic ones in a way that works across different platforms and partners. You can find more information about trade digitalisation here: Understanding electronic trade documents | Export Support - business.gov.uk. Express your interest in the programme here.

The MUFG Startup Bridge Programme, delivered in partnership with NTT DATA UK&I, is a brand-new initiative designed to give ambitious startup founders the opportunity to showcase their solutions to senior decision-makers at MUFG – one of the world’s largest banks. As two global organisations with Japanese heritage and a history of innovation, MUFG and NTT DATA are exploring ways to engage with startups to find new value and opportunities for MUFG. Founders will have the opportunity to pitch live at the Showcase Event in London on 13 November 2025. Find out more here.

At Star for Life Ukraine, we meet children where they are – emotionally and physically – and help them grow again through a simple but powerful model. Through school-based tech ‘Labs’, structured learning courses in coding, English, & design as well as the ‘Girl in Tech’ project, they have already reached out 22,000 young students in war-affected zones. Whether you're a small team or a multinational company, we work with you to make your support meaningful, visible, and easy to communicate. Find out how you can get involved here.

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) is seeking information from Artificial Intelligence (AI) providers as DPC is interested in learning more about what AI tools, solutions and services are in the market and that are relevant to government functions and services. This information may be used to inform a catalogue of offerings to assist project and procurement planning activities as appropriate. To find out more and contribute, please click here.

Announced earlier this year in the UK Trade Strategy, the Ricardo Fund will support unlocking opportunities worth billions of pounds for UK businesses, aiming to tackle complex regulatory issues, shape global standards, and remove obstacles for UK businesses selling abroad. The Department of Business and Trade are therefore looking to better understand better the current and future priorities for businesses across various sectors when it comes to market access. DBT are welcoming any thoughts and insights into existing trade barriers and market shaping opportunities companies are focused on through their market access survey, which you can find and fill out here.

The UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge Investment Accelerator is a hybrid program that prepares Ukrainian startups for expansion into the UK market. It aims to equip the cohort with in-depth knowledge of the UK’s investment landscape, refined fundraising strategies, and expertise from influential UK-based VC funds with a focus on securing investment deals.

Intralink’s Government-backed UK-APAC Tech Growth Programme provides support for UK firms to expand in 11 APAC markets: Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. Intralink’s teams on the ground in APAC can identify participants’ business opportunities, provide market entry advice and help companies sell their products, forge partnerships and raise investment. They include skills workshops; in-market visits and trade missions; opportunities to pitch to APAC corporates looking to adopt and invest in UK tech; and 10-week ‘business development initiatives. Find out more and apply to participate in the programme here. 

Updates and News from techUK Members & Stakeholders

Santander’s Trade Barometer is a twice-yearly survey of over 1,000 UK businesses with a minimum £1m turnover. Amid the rapidly evolving global trade landscape, the Barometer offers valuable, timely data to help government advise businesses wanting to trade internationally, as it covers business sentiment towards international trade and identifies regional and sectoral differences. Read the full results of the survey here.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Lviv IT Cluster, present CodeUA, a national tech marketplace, enabling international businesses to connect, collaborate and partner with verified Ukrainian tech companies, strengthening global networks and fostering growth across borders, without financial risk. With over 2100 verified IT-companies, around 2000 startups and over 300,000 skilled professionals, the Ukrainian tech sector is a vital driver for the European tech market. Find out more here.

DBT are conducting some research on how the Singapore Digital Economy Agreement has been working in practice for businesses. The outcome of this engagement will feed into government-to-government discussions with our counterparts in Singapore. The agreement committee meeting with Singapore is expected to take place this year. Their aim is to support this forum by gathering information and feedback from UK businesses regarding their experience with the agreement, particularly any issues or barriers that have encountered that’s within scope. If you have any experience (good or bad) of trading with Singapore please complete our survey here.

On 15 December 2024, the UK officially became a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), marking a significant achievement as the first non-founding and first European county to join. techUK’s insight outlines the benefits and opportunities this membership provides for UK businesses seeking to strengthen their presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, the UK Government released guidance documents to help businesses navigate the agreement’s provisions. Read more here.

While Japan was at the forefront of quantum computing in the late 1990s, it has fallen behind in recent years and the Japanese government is now investing heavily to catch up. This is creating significant opportunities for UK firms specialising in quantum computing hardware, software and services to work with Japanese companies to bridge the gap between where quantum computing is today and real-world commercial applications. This report details these opportunities, recommends market entry strategies and covers different viable business models, all illustrated by high-value case studies and testimonials from in-market players. Click here to read the report.

Understanding how to manage your local talent is a crucial part of setting up shop in a new country and securing mid-to-long-term growth. In Asia, even experienced team builders often run into unexpected issues. Intralink invited experts in talent attraction and executive search from across Asia to advise you – talking Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Watch the skills workshop here.

Horizon Europe is the world’s largest research and innovation programme running from 2021 until 2027, providing over £80 billion in funding to address some of the greatest global challenges. It supports groundbreaking ideas across various fields, from curing diseases to safeguarding cultural heritage. Horizon Europe offers a unique chance for cross-border collaboration, expanding the UK’s research connections, access to funding, networks, and global talent. Check out the hub here.

techUK member Hawksford are pleased to announce the launch of their new eBook, ‘Doing business in the UK’. This publication provides an overview of what you need to know when considering doing business in the UK, including the fundamentals of investing, from setting up a company in particular jurisdictions to successfully running a business. Click here to read.

If you would like to put events, opportunities, or updates in this newsletter insight, and you are a techUK member or stakeholder, please reach out to [email protected] or [email protected]

techUK International Policy and Trade Programme activities

techUK supports members with their international trade plans and aspirations. We help members to understand market opportunities, tackle market access barriers, and build partnerships in their target market. Visit the programme page here.