International relations annual report 2024 to 2025 - 2. Global network

Our overseas offices network is split into 3 regions: Europe, North America, and the Middle East and Asia. Each region has a focus tailored to its strengths, and Wales’ interests, as outlined in their international remits. This section sets out highlights of activity undertaken in each region during 2024-2025.

Trade and investment

All offices across Europe have promoted the benefits of investing and trading with Wales.

As part of the work to deliver the Ireland-Wales Shared Statement and Action Plan, the Ireland office has been very active in trade and investment. As part of the First Minister’s visit to Ireland in October 2024, the Ireland team convened a business round table with the British Irish Chamber of Commerce at the BDO Advisory offices in central Dublin. She addressed 24 senior business leaders on the investment opportunities in Wales. These included several key Irish investors such as Dunbia, Green Link Interconnector, Simply Blue and ESB. Also in attendance were large US companies, including Microsoft and Oracle, and several key Irish Universities. There was an open and honest conversation around the table on challenges and opportunities in the Ireland-Wales business relationship.

In Brussels, the team demonstrated that its work is not confined to Belgium, supporting Welsh companies in the Clean Energy Export Cluster to attend the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam in May, and organising an investment and sustainability-focused roundtable with Dutch businesses in Eindhoven, hosted by DAF Trucks. The team also supported a trade mission to Barcelona, represented Wales at a cyber event in Rome, a fintech event in Belgium and various Chamber events in the Netherlands, and supported an inward investment mission with Nordic Life Sciences companies to Wales.

In March 2025, as part of a wider St David’s Day programme, the First Minister met with the CEO of Wind Europe, Giles Dickson, and spoke to several major wind energy developers, manufacturers and ports representatives over a roundtable hosted by Wind Europe in Brussels. This was an opportunity to raise the profile of the wind energy sector in Wales and reinforce Wales’ commitment to renewable energy to major players in the energy industry. Wind Europe considered the roundtable to be one of the best it has held with politicians, and industry valued the depth of conversation and commitment from the First Minister. Following the roundtable, Giles Dickson invited her to speak at the Wind Europe Conference in Copenhagen.

Wind Europe Conference is one of the highest profile events for the wind energy sector in Europe, with over 16,000 participants, 250 speakers and 400 exhibitors. Team Brussels led on the First Minister’s visit to Copenhagen with support from relevant Welsh Government teams. The two-day programme included a main stage address to an audience of 600+, a VIP lunch with CEOs and business leaders, bilateral meetings with multiple C-suite companies, meeting HM Ambassador to Denmark and a visit to Rockwool HQ.

The First Minister was able to showcase Wales on a global stage, ensuring that the industry is aware of the unique opportunity and capability offered in Wales, whilst also highlighting commitment to green jobs and growth ahead of the Investment Summit at the end of 2025.

The Welsh Government also exhibited at Wind Europe as part of the Renewable UK Pavilion and took a trade delegation to the event. The First Minister met the Welsh companies at the conference.

Medica was the focus for Germany where, once again, a strong delegation of Welsh life science companies attended the world’s largest medical trade fair. More than 30 companies from the life sciences sector travelled to Düsseldorf as part of a trade mission, making it the largest Welsh presence at the trade fair since the pandemic, and the largest overseas trade delegation for this year. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning led the delegation on her first overseas visit in this portfolio. The Cabinet Secretary also visited WEPA, a leading supplier of household paper with a facility in Bridgend employing approximately 350 people, to understand more about plans for future investment in Wales.

Cyber security and renewables were the focus for France, with attendance at Vivatech, Seanergy, Farnborough, the Interceltic Business Forum, SIAL, and European Cyber Week and engagement around developing marine renewable opportunities with Pays de la Loire, Normandy, and Brittany.

In addition to the usual business support functions, the Dublin office found itself playing a significant role in supporting, co-ordinating and responding to the challenges created by the unexpected closure of the Port of Holyhead in December 2024. The team worked with existing contacts, and developed new relationships in Ireland with freight, logistics, exporter associations and Irish ports / government. The team became a focal point for a range of relevant organisations to monitor, update and disseminate the latest positions on the port closure, working with partners such as the Departments of Transport in the Irish and UK governments, Border Force, HMRC and Wales regional colleagues. Meetings were convened daily from the port closure throughout the holiday period into January. The team collated daily evidence in terms of freight and passenger numbers which fed into alternative route plans. The Ireland team was described as “… a focal point for co-ordination between the Welsh Government, the UK government and the Irish Government” (Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Senedd Scrutiny Committee Evidence Session – 6 March 2025) and a core part of the Holyhead Taskforce formed by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, maintaining and building new relationships with key stakeholders in Ireland including direct engagement with the Irish Minister responsible for ports.

International relations

In October, the Ireland-Wales Ministerial Forum took place in Dublin and Cork after being postponed due to the UK General Election. The First Minister travelled to Dublin, where she met with President Higgins and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Transport. She attended an investor roundtable with the British Irish Chamber of Commerce before travelling down to Cork. In Cork, the focus was on agreeing the approach for a new Shared Statement for future Ireland-Wales relations with the Tánaiste. The Ireland office also supported visits to Ireland around the British Irish Association regional meeting. The team supported the Future Generations Commissioner’s visit when he delivered a lecture at Dublin College University and held meetings with the Taoiseach’s department.

In line with our ambitions to establish Wales as a globally responsible nation, sustainability was also a key theme. The Brussels office attended the annual World Circular Economy Forum in Brussels and the Germany office attended the Circular Valley Convention in Düsseldorf to promote our work on the circular economy.

This year, the Brussels office capitalised on the EU creating a new Commissioner responsible for Intergenerational Fairness, coinciding with the 10-year anniversary of our Well-being of Future Generations Act. The team and Wales’ Future Generations Commissioner met with Commissioner Micallef, who is keen to learn from us and use Wales as an example of good practice. We were also invited by an MEP to speak in the European Parliament - sharing Wales’ expertise on implementing Future Generations thinking.

The 80^th anniversary of D-Day provided opportunities to mark this important occasion in France and Belgium. In June 2024, the First Minister attended commemoration events in Normandy, whilst the Deputy First Minister visited ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands for the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of the city. The Brussels office promoted and attended Côr Meibion Rhosllanerchrugog male voice choir’s Remembrance Concert in St George’s Church, Ypres.

Trade and investment

Across North America, economic development was, once again, a key feature for the year. Colorado-based data centre company, Vantage, finalised its purchase of the former Ford site at Bridgend, which promises a multi-million dollar investment and job creation. There was also significant investment in Wales by West-coast based Cadence who announced plans to open a new chip design studio in Cardiff, bringing over 100 highly skilled jobs to the region and creating a strong pipeline of graduate talent to help address skills shortages. In addition, Canadian company Soleil Food Service expanded its presence in North Wales, adding 110 jobs to its existing footprint.

There were also notable trade wins for Welsh companies in 2024-2025. Cardiff-based Transdiagen secured a multi-million pound export deal to Canada, and Newport-based Tomoe Valve announced a £1.6 million trade deal with a US Government-funded project in Washington state.

Across the year, the team participated in numerous trade and invest conferences to promote Wales, including Money2020, InsureTech Fintech Summit, Photonics West and Aéromart Montréal. We also supported Welsh delegations at MRO Americas, BIO and Games Developers Conference. In March 2025, the team participated in the Wales-based Explore Export event, providing support to Welsh companies interested in exporting to North America.

Building on previous years, the team leveraged sports diplomacy to promote discussions around investment. In July, we used the opportunity of Wrexham AFC’s tour of the West Coast to elevate Wales’ profile, hosting VIP guests at the Santa Barbara fixture and a reception for Welsh investors at the Vancouver match. Wales’ strength in sports diplomacy was recognised by New York University in March 2025, when we were invited to lead a seminar at the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport.

International relations

The relationship between Wales and Birmingham, Alabama continued to grow in strength and significance following the signing of the International Friendship Pact in 2023. This year, the Welsh Government was honoured to welcome a high-level delegation from Birmingham, AL to Wales, marking a major step forward in the partnership. The delegation, led by Birmingham Sister Cities, included civic leaders, business representatives, and deeply symbolic participants - among them, relatives of the 4 young girls tragically killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, as well as survivors and figures from the American civil rights movement. The visit reflected the commitment of both parties to advance collaboration across shared priorities including arts and culture, life sciences, healthcare, and education.

Welsh Government ministers undertook significant engagement in the United States this year, promoting Wales’ global leadership on climate action and supporting the growth of its creative industries. At New York Climate Week, the Deputy First Minister reaffirmed Wales’ international role in addressing the climate and nature emergency. Wales’ role as a founding member of the Under2 Coalition and commitment to future generations were key themes throughout the visit, reflecting the enduring global relevance of the Well-being of Future Generations Act. In March 2025, the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership led a trade mission to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, joined by over 30 representatives from the Welsh games industry. The visit strengthened connections with international studios and investors, promoted export opportunities, and underlined Wales’ position as a vibrant hub for gaming, digital innovation and screen production. These visits not only raised Wales’ international profile, but also delivered tangible support for trade, investment, and international engagement.

Throughout the year, the team worked to promote Welsh culture and values across the United States and Canada. In recognition of Pride Month, the offices participated in celebrations in Washington DC, New York City, and Chicago, highlighting Wales’ ambition to become the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe. We sponsored the North America Festival of Wales in Pittsburgh, which served as a prominent platform for showcasing Welsh culture, while additional activity such as International Dylan Thomas Day in New York and collaboration with US agencies on the preservation of Indigenous languages, further emphasised Wales’ commitment to cultural diplomacy. In addition, we were delighted to be able to promote a Welsh film at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, underscoring the growing international prominence of Wales’ creative industries.

Caucus

Following the significant growth of the Friends of Wales Caucus in 2023-24, this year marked a significant milestone with the appointment of Congressman Lloyd Doggett as the first Democratic Co-Chair of the Caucus. The announcement was made during a Welsh Government-hosted St David’s Day reception at the Library of Congress. Rep. Doggett joins Republican Co-Chair, Congressman Morgan Griffith, in leading the bipartisan group. The Caucus now includes 26 members from both the US House and Senate. With the Caucus’ support, the Welsh Government has further advanced its engagement with the US Congress, including events to promote Wales’ world-class compound semiconductor cluster and our efforts to combat climate change.

Educational and research partnerships

We continued to support the development of educational and research partnerships between Wales and North America. The team assisted a visit by Universities Wales to Calgary, connecting them with stakeholders and potential collaborators, and facilitated discussions between Cardiff University and Concordia University in Montréal. We also supported the federal Parliamentary Interns Programme, as well as the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme on visits to Cardiff, further strengthening educational ties. Research collaborations were created between Welsh universities and Michigan Tech, Brigham Young University and the University of North Carolina, as well as a symposium with Arizona State University and Swansea to foster R&D collaboration. In partnership with Global Wales, we also organised a roundtable discussion between Study in Tennessee and Welsh universities to explore R&D opportunities in the semiconductor sector.

Trade and investment

In the Middle East, supporting Welsh companies to export their goods and services to the region is a priority. In 2024-2025, our Middle East offices in Dubai and Doha supported 15 Welsh companies, including Calon Wen Dairy, Castle Dairies, and Penderyn Distillery, to attend the Gulfood trade show in Dubai and galvanised support from the Welsh diaspora in collaboration with Global Welsh. The team also provided in-market support for companies at Arab Health and the ADIPEC energy trade show in Abu Dhabi.

The MENA team has supported over 100 Welsh businesses on their export journeys to the region, for example, supporting the Royal Mint with relevant connections and helping with promotional events.

Due to growing interest in the country, our Middle East team has been undertaking research on support for Welsh businesses who want to explore opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As part of this work, the team was able to support Welsh companies in their bids to secure contracts to work on the NEOM GigaProject in the Kingdom. The MENA team also supported Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC) as it launched PGI Welsh Lamb for sale in Riyadh for the first time, shortly after helping HCC to secure orders with a major retailer in the UAE.

The MENA team has been central to an initiative to encourage Women in Exports and compiled a hints and tips factsheet for exporters to use when visiting markets in the region.

Through connections in Jordan, the team supported an inward visit of the Jordanian Businessmen’s Association to Wales, brokering relationships with Chambers Wales.

2024 was the year of Wales in India. A case study with the outcomes and activity undertaken throughout the year is included in this report. Increasing trade and investment links between Wales and India was one of the objectives, with investment roundtables, conferences and exhibitions, such as the Global Bengal Business Summit and SEMICON India, promoting Wales as an investment location featuring throughout the year.

Wales and Japan 2025 launched in January. Prior to the launch, Japanese businesses in Wales marked 50 years of investment in Wales, with events hosted by Sony, Toyota and Panasonic and a roundtable for Japanese companies hosted by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning. Wales and Japan 2025 will use the World Expo in Osaka as a platform for showcasing Wales on the world stage. In addition to events in Wales, which demonstrate the strong economic ties between our two countries, the Japan team hosted a Wales Medtech Symposium at HM Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo, had a Welsh booth at Foodex Japan - securing trade wins worth up to £8 million - and supported several visits to Wales by Japanese businesses and organisations, including JETRO Kitakyushu and Himeji City.

In China, there has been increased interest in the renewables market. The China team has been working with Welsh and Chinese companies to support partnerships and identify investment opportunities, including working with a Welsh marine renewables company to explore expansion in China. The team participated in the 10th UK-China Offshore Wind Industry Forum, a Clean Energy Reception in Beijing, and the UK Mayoral Delegation receptions in Chongqing and Chengdu - generating inward investment leads. As a designated UK High Potential Opportunities sector, the Welsh life sciences sector provides products and services to fulfil the increasing demand from the public health and medical services industry in China. As a result, 13 Welsh companies now feature in the catalogue. Wales’ advanced manufacturing ecosystem also attracts investment from Chinese companies, especially Electric Vehicle firms. The China team has been working with Welsh firms and organisations to proactively seek for export opportunities, as well as scoping for more than 10 qualified investment leads.

International relations

The Middle East offices worked closely with partners, such as the British Council, to undertake events that promoted Wales, attending the British Council Study UK award events in Doha and Riyadh, and supporting Welsh sound artist John Rea’s installation at the Raneen Festival in Oman.

In Qatar, the team supported activities to promote Welsh values through an International Women’s Day event at Qatar’s Sherborne School for Girls, and conversations between Unify and cultural institutions. The MENA team continues to work with Welsh universities (Swansea, Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Cardiff Met and Bangor) in their ambition to forge educational links with the Gulf and accompanied Swansea University to Riyadh for discussions with Princess Noura University. The MENA office supported and promoted Welsh teams attending events in the region - Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern, which was competing in the F1 in Schools World Finals in Saudi Arabia, and the Culinary Association of Wales young chefs’ team at the Expo Culinaire UAE competition in Sharjah. Supporting Cardiff Airport in its negotiations with Qatar Airways remains a priority in Qatar.

Cultural links featured during Wales in India 2024 as the year’s official closure took place during the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland – one of the largest cultural events in India - which chose Wales as a partner country and enabled Welsh artists to perform at this prestigious event. The team also used the year to promote Welsh values through events such as LGBTQ+ roundtables alongside the French and Dutch consulates. During the launch of Wales in India 2024, the Welsh Government signed a healthcare Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Kerala to recruit healthcare workers from the region to work in Wales. The MOU’s target of 250 healthcare workers was exceeded and the Welsh NHS has welcomed 350 professionals from Kerala in the last 12 months.

In Japan, the National Museum of Wales re-signed its MOU with Oita Prefectural Art Museum, whilst the Welsh Government participated in the SDG Week EXPO at Nikkei Messe’s 2024 ECOPRO event, highlighting Wales’ approach to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Welsh Government team in Tokyo has also been developing links with Japan’s indigenous community, the Ainu, to share learning on promoting and encouraging the use of indigenous languages.

China focussed on alumni and education to forge soft power links between our two countries, establishing the Welsh Alumni Society of China and growing the network across the country. In support of the net-zero agenda, the China team has collaborated with Cardiff University to leverage its expertise in green urban planning and design for the development of Boao, Hainan Island. This partnership was realised through “Sino-UK Higher Education Urban planning and Design Competition for Rural Revitalisation in Boao”. The initiative not only advocates Wales’ sustainable development objectives but also fosters engagement with leading Chinese academic institutions, such as Wuhan University and Dalian University of Technology.