Potential German foreign direct investors will visit Sri Lanka later this month for the German Business Forum (GBF) 2026, the state-run Board of Investment confirmed, in a push to deepen industrial and capital ties with one of the country’s largest European trade partners.
The forum is scheduled for Colombo from May 27 to 29 and is expected to bring together policymakers from both countries, business leaders, institutional stakeholders and prospective German investors. “This is a significant platform to strengthen economic partnerships and unlock new investment opportunities between Sri Lanka and Germany,” the BOI said in a statement.
Martin Klose, Chief Delegate of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK), and Sulakshana Jayawardena, Acting Chairman of the BOI, recently met to finalise plans for the event.
The bilateral trade relationship continues to be anchored by the textile, apparel and rubber industries, which account for a significant share of Sri Lankan exports to the German market. According to the BOI, more than 300 German brands maintain a presence in Sri Lanka and have continued operations even through the recent economic downturn, with sustained interest in logistics, precision engineering and renewable energy.
The German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) supports vocational training in the country alongside private-sector activity. The forum follows months of diplomatic and commercial groundwork on European market access, including continued EU-funded green and sustainable finance support for the Colombo capital market.
