Speaking at the annual international property show Mipim in March, several UK council leaders expressed their desire for devolution of English regions.

While 2014 was a strong year for mergers and acquisitions, companies are taking a cautious approach to deal making in 2015, according to experts speaking at an M&A Research Centre event held in London in February. 

Speaking at an investment conference in February, Bristol's mayor, George Ferguson, outlined his vision for making Bristol a leading investment destination in the UK. 

UK programme looks to draw US tech companies to the "digital capital of Europe".

According to a recent report by law firm Baker & McKenzie, Chinese FDI into Europe hit a record high in 2014. 

Global trade is slowing down, according to a study by the World Bank, hit by shifting trade patterns, low interest rates and soft commodity prices. 

There was a record number of mergers and acquisitions in the medical device industry in 2014, according to a report by consulting firm, GlobalData.

The latest International Trade Monitor survey by Western Union Business Solutions finds an increase in confidence among UK-based small and medium-sized businesses, which will see them increasingly look at opportunities abroad.

UK-based investment into the Australian software and IT services sector increased steadily between 2012 and 2014.