The FIA in 2025: Perspectives on International Outreach

Through major events, strategic partnerships and expanded member engagement, the FIA has continued to reinforce its position as a leading voice in fire safety worldwide. From Gibraltar to Helsinki and Singapore, the Trade Association’s work this year highlights not just the depth of UK expertise, but also the power of collaboration and shared purpose across borders.

Strengthening regional ties: FIA Fire Safety Summit Gibraltar

The year began with a milestone event: the first-ever FIA Fire Safety Summit Gibraltar, held on 15 May aboard the Sunborn Gibraltar Hotel. Bringing together fire safety professionals, regulators and industry leaders from across the region, the FIA Summit offered a full day of meaningful discussion, technical insight and collective ambition.

FIA CEO Ian Moore OBE opened the event by emphasising the Trade Association’s mission to raise competency standards, while strengthening both regional and international ties.

The seminar programme featured respected speakers including Colin Ramirez (Chief Fire Officer of the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service), Sir Ken Knight (former Chief Fire Adviser to the Government in England) and a number of senior experts who examined topics ranging from operational challenges to lessons learned from major incidents such as Grenfell, alongside updates on evolving European fire standards and new technological developments.

The exhibition element of the FIA Summit created an additional layer of engagement, with Aico, AJ Sheriff Electrical, Britannia Fire, C-TEC, The Fire Door Inspectors and Hyfire showcasing products and services that are helping to shape the future of fire protection.

The strong turnout and high level of interaction throughout the day ensured that the FIA Summit not only strengthened relationships within Gibraltar, but also laid the foundation for future FIA activity in the region.

Expanding influence in Northern Europe: FinnSec

As autumn approached, the FIA travelled to Finland for FinnSec 2025, which ran from 8-9 October at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. Widely recognised as Scandinavia’s leading trade fair for security and fire protection solutions, FinnSec offered an ideal platform for the FIA to engage with an exceptionally broad network of industry professionals across Northern Europe.

The FIA was joined by a strong group of member companies, among them C-TEC, Vimpex, Eurotech Fire Systems, Kidde Global Solutions, Patol, Protec Fire and Security Group, Coopers Fire and detectortesters, each showcasing of them showcasing high-quality fire safety products and technologies that position the UK as a global leader in the sector.

This was a ‘first’ for the FIA and its members, as the Trade Association committed to underwriting the cost of the stand space to allow multiple members to use the event as a platform to promote their products as a communal FIA Members stand.

Across two productive days, these companies helped to demonstrate the depth and diversity of the UK’s fire industry, attracting interest from manufacturers, innovators and decision-makers alike seeking cutting-edge fire protection solutions. The event’s wide-ranging exhibition (spanning fire protection, occupational safety, electronic security, data protection and risk management) reflected the rapid evolution of the safety and security landscape in the region.

For the FIA, FinnSec once again proved to be a valuable opportunity for strengthening relationships, sharing knowledge and highlighting the expertise that UK companies bring to international markets.

Showcasing UK innovation in Asia: The Fire Safety Event Asia

The FIA’s international programme concluded on a high note at The Fire Safety Event Asia 2025, held from 11-13 November at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre in Singapore.

For the show’s inaugural edition, the FIA proudly partnered with the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) to co-host a UK Pavilion. This joint effort brought together four leading UK manufacturers (namely Vimpex, Patol, Coopers Fire and Eurotech Fire Systems) who showcased the strength and innovation of the UK’s fire sector to delegates and buyers from across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

Chris Tilley (head of commercial at the FIA)  described the enthusiasm and quality of engagement at the event as “remarkable”, duly highlighting strong conversations with visitors from the APAC region and beyond, while also praising Nineteen Group for delivering an exceptional inaugural show.

This collaboration with the BSIA also reflects a broader strategic partnership that continues to benefit FIA members. In addition to the joint Pavilion in Singapore, the BSIA has successfully managed UK Pavilions at major events including Intersec Dubai and Intersec Saudi Arabia.

Supporting UK export growth

Alongside these international exhibitions, the FIA continued to strengthen its support for UK companies through the work of the Export Council, which plays a central role in helping FIA members to access overseas markets, develop strategic export capabilities and collaborate on shared trade objectives.

The Export Council’s work ties-in with the growing interest among members in international expansion. On that note, we would encourage any organisation looking to broaden its global reach to join the Export Council and take an active role in shaping the FIA’s international strategy.

Across all of this year’s international engagements, a consistent theme has emerged: the FIA’s commitment to raising standards, supporting competence and building meaningful partnerships across the world. Whether fostering dialogue in Gibraltar, engaging with innovators in Helsinki or opening new opportunities in Singapore, the Trade Association has worked tirelessly to ensure UK leadership in the fire domain remains visible and influential in what’s now a rapidly changing global industry.

As we look ahead to 2026, the FIA is poised to build on this momentum, expanding its international collaborations, supporting member exports and strengthening the global conversation around fire safety excellence.

This year has marked a clear step forward in the Trade Association’s global journey. We look forward to continuing that progress together with our members, partners and international colleagues in 2026.

Helen Whittington is Head of Marketing at the Fire Industry Association (www.fia.uk.com)