International Trade 2025 UK Broader Strategy
The Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 became law in July and took effect on 20th September 2023. This is set to modernise international trade by facilitating the use of electronic documents.
The Act is expected to greatly facilitate international trade transactions, including trade finance, import-export transactions, shipping and international maritime trade, given the extensive use of documents in relation to those transactions. Enabling the use of electronic documents is expected to deliver significant cost savings, reduce transaction processing time, and mitigate the risk of human error and fraud.
The event seeks to explain the progress the act has made since introduction and to look at future opportunities that technology is likely to bring to businesses in the South and East of Lincolnshire and beyond.
Speakers
Lord Waverley – International specialist
Lord Holmes – AI for good Sir John Hayes – MP for Spalding Laurence Jones – The Jamaican Commissioner Nick Davies – ICC Simon Pearson – Lincoln University Justin and Alex Szymborski – Melon & Co / Blue Ring Technology Lee juniper – Freshlinc Kevin Shakespeare – Institute of ExportAudience
Primary – Businesses operating in south and east Lincolnshire that import or export goods and services. Specific relevance to the food and logistics industry
Secondary – Businesses looking to trade overseas or in new markets
Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, focusing on defence against new national security threats and the intersection between geopolitics and the globalised economy, respectively. She’s also a columnist with Foreign Policy and Politico Europe and the author Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World (Yale University Press, February 2024).
Elisabeth was previously a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington and a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. She’s the author of God’s Spies, about the Stasi’s church division (2019), The Defender’s Dilemma: Identifying and Deterring Gray-Zone Aggression (2022), a member of GALLOS Technologies’ advisory board, a member of the UK National Preparedness Commission, a member of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy’s advisory council (on leave), a member of the Aurora Forum’s steering committee, and an adviser to Willis Towers Watson’s research arm. Before joining academia, she worked in the private sector following a career as a journalist. She’s a regular op-ed contributor to the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Times (of London).
Simon Pearson is Founding Director of the Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology (LIAT) an interdisciplinary research group of the University of Lincoln. LIAT conduct research focussing on the use of robotics, ai and digital technologies within the food system. With the former Secretary of State he was co chair of the DEFRA Automation and Robotics Review for Horticulture. Prior to joining Lincoln, he had 15 years in industry including as a technologist for Marks and Spencer plc.
Chris is a passionate advocate for the potential of technology and the benefits of diversity and inclusion. His core policy focus is on digital technology for the public good with a particular interest in technologies such as AI and blockchain and areas of application such as fintech and trade.
In Parliament, he is a member of the influential House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, has introduced a private members’ bill that proposes the regulation of artificial intelligence and was integral to the passing of the ground-breaking Electronic Trade Documents Bill.
On technology, he has previously co-authored House of Lords Select Committee Reports on: Democracy and Digital Technologies [2020], Artificial Intelligence [2018], and Digital Skills [2015] and under his own auspices published an influential report encouraging government testing of blockchain solutions for policy delivery, DLT for Public Good: leadership, collaboration and innovation [2017] He is also adviser to several tech and fintech companies.
On inclusion, and again under his own auspices, he has published influential reports on accessibility in the public realm and support for disabled students as well as Lords reports on Financial Exclusion [2017], Social Mobility [2016] and, for the Cabinet Office, The Lord Holmes Review on opening up public appointments to disabled people. He continues to advise the government of diversity and inclusion.
An ex-Paralympic swimmer, Chris won nine gold, five silvers and one bronze medal across four Games, including a record haul of six golds at Barcelona 1992.
Alex Szymborski is a technologist with more than 25 tears working with software collaboration, global telecoms networks & digital storage. Now, as Chief Executive of Contained.io Alex is focused on delivering digitalisation solutions to the logistics of commodities. Contained.io democratises advanced technical solutions such as artificial intelligence with practical & accessible solutions for all businesses.
Log into your account