From Prague to Paris
Simon Winterbottom, International Manager, shares about international activities for the November edition of the SMMT International Update.
This week, SMMT is taking a delegation of UK companies on a trade mission to the CEE Automotive Supply Chain in Olomouc, Czech Republic, to explore supply chain opportunities covering the wider Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. Commencing with a briefing at the British Embassy in Prague, businesses will also attend a conference, networking reception and B2B meetings with CEE-based OEMs and supply chain firms.
It comes hot on the heels of Equip Auto in Paris last month – France’s largest aftermarket trade show – where SMMT members had the opportunity to meet UK and European stakeholders. We were delighted to be joined by Deputy Trade Commissioner for Europe and British Embassy Paris Country Director Jo Hawley, as well as senior representatives from the British-Franco Chamber of Commerce, PFA, FIEV and FIGIEFA. The evening also provided SMMT the opportunity to engage stakeholders with our new report on the UK aftermarket sector.
Opportunities in 2026
Building contacts with prestigious and hard-to-reach businesses is one many benefits of joining SMMT’s overseas visits, with on-the-ground support from the international team. There is more to come next year and, with just two months of the year remaining, we’re busy planning which markets and events to pursue in 2026.
Among those announced so far is the UK pavilion at Automechanika Frankfurt, which is the largest pavilion we organise. SMMT is collecting expressions of interest for various events, as well as looking for feedback on which markets are of interest, so have your say and let us know where you’d be interested in growing your business in the year to come.
Get in touch if you would like more information on our international programme.
Upcoming events:
3-5 November, Czech Republic: Trade mission – CEE Automotive Supply Chain the programme includes a briefing at the British Embassy, conference, B2B meetings and networking
27-29 November, Latvia: Tech Industry 2025 international fair for mechanical engineering, metalworking, automation, electronics, electrical engineering, production materials, tools, and new technologies. An international B2B matchmaking event takes place alongside the event. Hotels provided for international buyers. Contact us if you would like more information. 1074cb
28-30 January, India: Trade show: Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT) one of India’s premier technology events, register your interest to join DBT and SMMT activity at the event
5-7 February, India: ACMA Automechanika New Delhi an event support payment of £500 from Messe Frankfurt is on offer to UK companies
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