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This essay addresses the recent deceleration in the pace of global FDI and asks whether multinational corporations are actually in retreat. It identifies the forces that are slowing the expansion of FDI, and sketches the role that multinational corporations will play in the future.

Research background: The authors are providing an update to the ongoing process of Brexit and the negotiations between the UK and the EU, following their own previous research in this area. Purpose of the article: In 2019, the aviation sector in the UK ranked as the third largest in the world. London Heathrow, a hub to many UK airlines, ranked as Europe’s busiest airport and seventh busiest in the world. [1] Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU, in the context of globalization and the existing deep ties within the EU institutions, presents a complex task. Following the Brexit referendum in June 2016, where the majority of the electorate decided that Britain should leave the EU, events have progressed significantly by the UK leaving the EU formally at 23:59 on the 31st January 2020. However, negotiations are still ongoing and when it comes to Aviation, the outcome in many key areas is still uncertain. Methods: The article is based on data and information collation as well as the authors’ experience within the industry. Findings & Value added: Once the transition period terminates on the 31st December 2020, Brexit will have a significant influence on trading in the European domestic market and globally on the international market. This paper discusses available options for the UK and the EU that follow from existing decisions in the Brexit bill, as well as outlining possible future developments. Furthermore, in light of the existing threats to the Aviation industry from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the cessation of air travel for many weeks, adjustments to the Brexit plan might be required.

This paper gives an overview of a combined experimental-numerical study on vascular self-healing (SH) systems for cementitious composite materials. The work aimed to bridge the gap between numerical and experimental investigations for this type of SH system and to provide a set of data for developing, calibrating and validating a finite element model for these materials. The study investigated both healing-agent transport and mechanical damage-healing processes, including healing-agent curing. The experimental programme included mechanical tests on notched concrete beams and compact direct-tension specimens with inbuilt vascular healing systems, as well as tests to measure the transport properties of healing-agent within discrete concrete cracks and through the concrete matrix. The new coupled model employs elements with embedded strong discontinuities to simulate cracks and mechanical healing behaviour. A damage-healing constitutive model is described that simulates multiple damage-healing ‘events’. This mechanical model is coupled to discrete and continuum flow models that simulate healing-agent transport. The transport model accounts for pressurised and capillary flow, as well as curing-dependent flow properties. The main focus of this contribution is to show how these parallel programmes of work were combined so that the experimental observations guided the numerical developments and modelling questions were answered using experimental findings.