United Kingdom: Inward/ Foreign Investment

International businesses face a critical challenge that often determines whether market entry succeeds or fails: securing banking access in foreign markets. While incorporation and commercial strategies can move quickly...

Mounting geopolitical tensions and heightened security concerns have highlighted the need for greater scale, resilience and autonomy in Europe’s defence sector. This has prompted a fundamental policy shift.

The UK Government has introduced a new grant scheme to reimburse visa fees for scale-ups in Clean Energy, Life Sciences, and Digital and Technologies sectors, offering up to £25,000 annually to help these high-growth companies attract international talent. Alongside this financial support, fast-track sponsor licence processing and a bespoke concierge service have been launched to strengthen the UK's position as a destination for innovative businesses and global talent.

The rapid expansion of AI technology is driving unprecedented demand for data center infrastructure, creating complex challenges around power availability, regulatory compliance, and financing structures. As global investment reaches hundreds of billions annually, developers, investors, and hyperscalers are navigating power scarcity, evolving geopolitical frameworks, and the emergence of innovative joint venture models to manage massive capital requirements and project risks.

Ireland leads Europe as the top destination for data and technology investment, with 57% of respondents rating it highly suitable—surpassing Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the UK. The factors driving this competitive advantage have evolved significantly since 2021, with organisations now prioritising proximity to customers, ease of doing business, and tax incentives over regulatory considerations.

Explore the forces shaping global M&A activity in 2026, from strategic acquisitions and portfolio optimization to regulatory shifts across the U.S., EU and Australia. Discover how dealmakers are navigating geopolitical pressures, capital flows into defense and AI infrastructure, and evolving antitrust frameworks.

The post-War geopolitical order no longer appears orderly or certain. The underpinnings of US hegemony and the stability provided by multilateral institutions such as the UN and NATO all seem less solid.

On 4 March 2026, the European Commission (the "Commission") adopted its long-awaited legislative proposal to strengthen the EU's industrial base and stimulate demand for "Made in EU" products with the publication...

AlixPartners’ David Owusu-Gyebi, Diane Shaw, Harry Malins, and Sita Sonty wrote this opinion article about how aerospace & defense companies can stake their ground in space infrastructure.