New business connections, promising opportunities for cooperation and face-to-face meetings took centre stage at the 5th Hungarian-British Business Forum, held in Budapest on 15 October 2026. Jointly organised by HBBA Global, the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and HEPA Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA), the event brought together representatives of 43 Hungarian and 22 British companies to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.
Held annually since 2022, the forum has become an important platform for Hungarian-British business networking. This year's event went beyond identifying potential opportunities, with the organisers aiming to turn professional dialogue into tangible business results and long-term partnerships.
The event was opened by Dr Gábor Matula, Deputy State Secretary, followed by addresses from Alfred Le Prevost, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Budapest; Dr Gábor Péter Artner, Deputy CEO of HEPA; and Melanie Seymour, Global Head of Client Experience at BlackRock. The morning programme featured company presentations and the sharing of international business experience, as well as a roundtable discussion exploring the opportunities and challenges of entering the UK market.
The importance of economic ties between the two countries is also reflected in the figures. Bilateral trade in goods and services between Hungary and the United Kingdom reached EUR 10.4 billion in 2025, while Hungarian goods exports grew by 28.4% year on year in the first half of 2026. With exports amounting to nearly EUR 3 billion, these figures highlight the opportunities offered by the UK market. At the same time, the regulatory and administrative environment that has emerged following Brexit requires Hungarian businesses to adopt a more carefully planned approach to market entry than ever before.
High-value-added, innovative solutions represent one of the most promising areas for further growth. Hungarian companies possess specialised expertise in artificial intelligence, digitalisation, automation, advanced manufacturing technologies and the healthcare industry, all of which are in strong demand in the UK market. The forum also attracted participants from sectors including energy, water management, electronics, logistics and food processing.
HEPA has already helped Hungarian businesses achieve a number of tangible successes in the UK market. Over the past five years, the Agency has contributed to high-impact successful export and business development transactions involving the United Kingdom. HEPA supports Hungarian companies through market intelligence, tailored advisory services and business partner identification, helping them establish a sustainable presence in the UK market with their competitive solutions.
Once again, one of the forum's key highlights was the afternoon programme of pre-arranged business-to-business (B2B) meetings. These face-to-face discussions provided an opportunity for participants to explore specific business needs, potential joint projects and new opportunities for market cooperation.
The fifth Hungarian-British Business Forum once again demonstrated that a strong product or an innovative solution alone is not enough for successful international expansion: finding the right business partner is equally important. Through their cooperation, HEPA, HBBA Global and the Enterprise Europe Network provide valuable opportunities to build the business connections needed to achieve this.