Fourth edition of the annual dialogue between the Department for Business and Trade and the Direction générale des Entreprises
The UK hosted the fourth edition of the annual dialogue between the UK Department for Business and Trade and the French Direction générale des Entreprises.
On 11 December 2025, the UK hosted the fourth edition of the annual dialogue between the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the French Direction générale des Entreprises (DGE).
Initiated in 2023, this bilateral dialogue brings together public sector leaders and policy experts to identify opportunities to deepen mutually beneficial collaboration. The fourth edition was led by Amanda Brooks CBE, Director General at DBT, and Thomas Courbe, Director General at DGE, alongside representatives from the British Embassy in Paris and the French Embassy in London.
This year a key theme was the Industrial Strategy Partnership, agreed between the UK and France in July 2025. This Partnership strengthens collaboration in the Industrial Strategy high-growth sectors such as clean energy, critical minerals, and digital technologies including AI. The dialogue saw both parties commit to intensify collaboration and the sharing of practices in SME AI adoption and in economic security.