ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has launched an eight-day trade mission across Germany and the United Kingdom, marking his first European visit after six consecutive Asia-Pacific trips.
The shift signals Canberra’s growing appetite for transcontinental partnerships. Barr, who also serves as trade and investment minister, now targets Europe’s technology, aviation, and research sectors after building ties with China, Japan, Singapore, India, and Vietnam over the past two years.
This seventh overseas mission in under 24 months aims to lure investment while boosting tourism, education exports, and research collaboration. Barr plans meetings with Germany’s Hesse government, the Greater London Authority, airline executives, and artificial intelligence specialists.
A Canberra investment forum hosted by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council will put Barr in front of UK tech firms Castlepoint Systems and QuintessenceLabs. Both companies have already cracked the British market, and Barr wants their playbooks shared with other Canberra startups eyeing global expansion.
The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement gives local firms an edge. Canberra companies Seeing Machines and Aspen Medical already operate successful UK divisions, proving the pathway works.
Barr also sees AUKUS as a catalyst. “Canberra sits at the centre of Australia’s national security and defence ecosystem,” he said, pointing to research institutions, technology firms, and defence contractors positioned to gain from trilateral cooperation with the UK and US.
Tourism forms the mission’s second pillar. The government wants 2,500 additional annual visitors from Europe and the UK by 2030, a goal worth roughly $8 million in yearly spending and over 75,000 extra visitor nights. UK travellers already represent about 10 percent of Canberra’s 179,000 annual international arrivals, with Europe adding another 13 percent.
Airline talks dominate the itinerary. Barr will meet Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Tourism Australia, Flight Centre, DerTour, and Trailfinders to promote the capital in key markets. Qatar’s Doha service returns in December, opening fresh connections to Europe and the Middle East.
“Our focus is on building demand for travel to and from Canberra,” Barr said. That includes pushing for direct Singapore Airlines flights to resume between Singapore and the national capital.
The trip costs taxpayers approximately $18,500, funded from the existing ACT Executive budget. Final figures will appear in quarterly ministerial travel disclosures.
With strong overseas relationships now critical to Canberra’s knowledge-driven economy, Barr’s European pivot may redefine where the capital hunts for its next wave of growth.
