Alison is an International Trade & Investment Specialist, with experience in the public and private sector, advising on international trade, entering new markets and inward investment knowledge sharing internationally. Most recently, Head of Global Investment with the Connected Places Catapult, with a focus on FDI around the built environment and mobility, working across NetZero mobility projects in the UK and globally, and recently launched an overview of maritime innovation in the UK to showcase opportunities for investment. She spent six years living and working in the Middle East, with the Department for Business and Trade. Based first in Oman, where she spent four years leading on a number of sectors, from Education to Infrastructure, followed by two and a half years in the UAE, setting up the Technology and Smart Cities sector, with a core focus on AI and Fintech. She is passionate about international trade & investment, the green agenda and the decarbonisation of transport.