This paper was used by UK diplomats in Paris, New York and elsewhere. It formed the basis for a training seminar for UK Trade & Investment’s international staff in marketing communications. It also formed the basis for Globalisation and the agile economy: Great Britain as a case study in the EU, a 5200ww paper to accompany an official UK Trade & Investment seminar in Paris on 15 December 2004. Despite the massive quantity of books and articles on globalisation, few treat both the trade position and the international investment position of the UK economy in a systematic way. The paper shows how a unified conceptual approach to the outbound and inbound components of British business is both necessary and possible. It synthesises, in an interdisciplinary manner, theories of international investment and R&D with international historical economic data. It forecasts how Britain can make the most of globalisation over the next 20 years. The paper outlines the benefits of globalisation to the UK, applies the management concept of business agility to the UK economy, and situates macroeconomic agility within the current phase of globalisation. It also • explains why and how outbound investment and offshoring are rarely pure negatives for the UK • spells out how the UK can remain attractive to overseas investors • outlines why the UK will remain attractive to overseas investors. In terms of rigour, the paper is based not just on theoretical and statistical sources, but also on extensive interviews with influential companies and commentators, both British and foreign. These interviews were written up as case studies of globalisation around particular industries and firms.