Business News

BWH Hotels, a leading global hospitality enterprise including WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotels, announced today its renewed commitment to the African continent as the group prepares to participate in the upcoming Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa, taking place from 31 March – 1 April, 2026.

New jobs, opportunities and major regeneration for communities and businesses will be created in the North as the Chancellor backs the region’s industrial strengths with new investment.

Stakeholders reacted to the Chancellor's Mais speech, with Irene Graham OBE, CEO of ScaleUp Institute saying:  "We know that 8 in 10 of the UK's Industrial Strategy Sector scaleups are in regions outside London and the South East, and the Chancellor set out, and reinforced, a series of important commitments to regional investment and innovation vital to our frontier tech and innovative scaleups. 

“Utilising government procurement as a first anchor customer and committing to city funds; super clusters, Northern Corridors, and Growth Labs are key enablers to scaleup growth which should provide confidence for R&D and private sector investment to ensure our scaling firms achieve their global aspirations." Jason Day, Head of EMEA, Luma AI said: “The message from the Chancellor on AI adoption, innovation and long-term growth is exactly the kind of signal that gives companies the confidence to build and invest in the UK.

“Luma AI recently chose London to be our first international office and EMEA HQ due to the strength of the UK's talent base across roles - including AI research and engineering - as well as the depth of the UK creative, media and entertainment industries. As we expand our presence here, we see the government’s ambition to make Britain a global leader in AI adoption as a strong validation of our investment.” Carolyn Dawson OBE, CEO, Founders Forum Group & Tech Nation, said: "Founders have been calling for bold, tangible steps towards ensuring that the companies building the technologies of tomorrow can start, scale, and succeed right here in Britain.

“Today's announcements from the Chancellor signal exactly that kind of strategic ambition. The number one concern among UK AI founders is access to growth capital — and that too many are still looking across the Atlantic for the investment they need to scale. The measures proposed today are a step in the right direction to change that conversation.

"Founders Forum Group and Tech Nation look forward to working with the Treasury and DSIT to make this a turning point for British tech." Alberto Martin, CEO, London Luton Airport said: “Regional growth is one of the UK’s greatest economic opportunities, and the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor is central to that ambition.

“With expansion now approved, London Luton Airport, at the heart of the corridor, can deliver the global connectivity, investment and thousands of jobs needed to support fast‑growing sectors like AI and quantum. This is a generational opportunity for the region and for the UK’s wider economic renewal and we look forward to working with our partners and Government to make this a reality.” Keith Anderson, CEO, ScottishPower said: "We’re investing at record levels in the UK - more than £20 billion up to 2028 - thanks to the clear direction of the Government’s Clean Power 2030 mission.

"The Chancellor recognises the importance of energy infrastructure and of investing now for the long term. Our electricity grid investments are laying the foundations for wider economic growth, helping communities and companies in places like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool to make the most of their potential. Our multi-billion pound offshore wind projects off the coast of East Anglia are helping to regenerate key ports and coastal communities.

"This isn’t an abstract endeavour. It's a tangible and direct boost for skills, jobs and local economies. We're placing billions of pounds in contracts with supply chain businesses right across the UK, supporting thousands of jobs. We're recruiting hundreds of people into good, skilled jobs every year to help us deliver.

"We're committed to keeping up the momentum and investing in the future growth of the UK." Philip Belamant, CEO and Co-Founder, Zilch: "Zilch welcomes the Chancellor’s focus on UK-EU alignment and AI sandboxing. 

“We want British-scaled business to be able to expand into global markets and drive growth, and so removing unnecessary regulatory barriers, allowing them to export and scale world-class innovation is an important step. Initiatives like sandboxing offer the opportunity to pilot responsible AI innovations that can directly improve financial products and services for millions of consumers and provide UK scale ups with a regulatory moat that can help them lead the industry through innovation." Milda Manomaityte, CEO, Association for Consultancy and Engineering, said: “By backing city regions, investing in infrastructure, and empowering local leaders, the Government has signalled that growth can be delivered in our regions.

“As engineers, we see how improved transport, energy and housing - increasingly enabled by AI - can unlock regional potential. This long-term investment, alongside a clear commitment to AI, gives us a real opportunity to transform regional economies and turn ambition into delivery.”

British Airways has announced a significant planned expansion to its network for winter 2026, with the addition of two new destinations, Melbourne in Australia and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Mozambique’s oil and gas industry has announced that it will withdraw from participating at the Africa Energies Summit - hosted by Frontier Energy Network in London this May - citing concerns over the treatment of Black professionals and broader local content issues linked to the event’s organizers.

An all-female run funeral provider, a Brierley Hill-based design agency and one of the UK’s theatrical gems were amongst the latest cohort to be named as Bostin’ Black Country businesses.

Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, today announces two strategic appointments to its executive leadership team: Guy Duncan joins as Chief Technology and Product Officer (CTPO), and Parvinder Bhatia joins as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Responding to the January GDP figures, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “Our economic plan is the right one, but I know there is more to do.

As exploration momentum builds across West Africa’s (Mauritania-Senegal-Gambia-Bissau-Conakry) MSGBC basin, Guinea-Conakry is seeking to position itself as the region’s next frontier for oil and gas development while accelerating investment in large-scale power infrastructure.

More people than ever before are looking to kickstart their careers in the energy industry, with ScottishPower receiving a record-breaking number of applications for its 2026 apprenticeship programme.

The Oxford-Cambridge arc Growth Corridor will be ‘Europe’s Silicon Valley’ according to government sources.

The Chancellor is expected to share plans for a new Development Corporation for Greater Oxford later this week, slashing burdensome red tape to regenerate the area, to boost jobs and growth. Development corporations have a history of transforming local areas - including in Canary Warf, and Stratford where the London Legacy Development Corporation regenerated the area and delivered the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in East London. 

It follows the launch of a consultation on a Greater Cambridge Development Corporation earlier this year and would mean both cities can plan and deliver growth more effectively. Development Corporations are focused on speeding up major development and regenerating key sites to bringing in new investment to boost homes, jobs and growth.

This bolsters the government’s ambition to make the corridor the Silicon Valley of Europe, the global hub for advanced manufacturing, AI and life sciences, boosting the UK’s economic growth. The Chancellor is expected to set these development corporations up for success by doubling the funding available to buy land and build the supporting infrastructure from £400 million to up to £800 million.

The funding would also be used to back new housebuilding in the region as well as high spec research labs – helping to tackle everyday cost of living pressures by boosting housing supply, cutting commuting times and creating more high‑paid jobs across the region. An intention to consult on the plans for Greater Oxford will be unveiled this week ahead of the Chancellor’s Mais lecture on Tuesday (17 March) where she will set out the areas with the greatest growth opportunities for the UK in the decade to come and how in a new era of global uncertainty this government’s economic plan is the right one.

A government source said: “Our plans for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor are ambitious. And the prize on offer is to have the Silicon Valley of Europe here in Britain – bringing more jobs and more vibrant places to live.

“We have the right economic plan and this week the Chancellor will set out how the regions are crucial to the next decade of growth.”

More people than ever before are looking to kickstart their careers in the energy industry, with ScottishPower receiving a record-breaking number of applications for its 2026 apprenticeship programme.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being linked to job cuts across the global tech industry, with new data suggesting that around one in five layoffs this year are connected to companies adopting AI tools.

Rachel Reeves has written to the Competition and Markets Authority requesting it stays on high alert for unjustifiable price rises on petrol, diesel and heating oil, to support families and businesses.

More than 1,000 residents have been supported into employment thanks to the council’s Wolves at Work Jobs, Skills and Careers Hub at i10.

Cytec Solutions Limited (Cytec), a leading software provider with a focus on corporate governance, compliance, and equity management, have announced the acquisition of Howells Associates Limited (Howells), a trusted UK provider of employee share plan administration and insider list management solutions.