According to data from Thompson Reuters, M&A in Europe hit $215.3bn (£166.5bn) during the first quarter of 2017, a jump of 16% on the same period last year fuelled in large part by US organisations keen to take advantage of favourable exchange rates and a return to political optimism in the EU. We are also seeing a jump in the acquisition of technology assets – companies that have developed best-of-breed services, products or algorithms – by established players looking to adapt to changing customer needs and stay one-step ahead of competitors.

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