Sunday October 10/99, BBC 2 19.30

Sunday October 10/99, BBC 2 19.30

Trading secrets
During the cold war, espionage was a powerful weapon in the global power struggle. In the modern corporate world, intelligence gathering has become equally potent in the battle for commercial power.
A burgeoning industry has developed to service the hunger for corporate secrets. Staffed by former state intelligence officers, private detectives and others recruited from police forces, these companies discreetly provide their clients with in-depth, comprehensive - and sometimes confidential - information about potential partners or rivals. They range from companies offering sophisticated market research to those prepared to bend the law in their search for competitive advantage.
John Penycate investigates the murky world of corporate intelligence and asks how far businesses should go in their search for trade secrets. More....

Rebuilding the Balkans
Richard Caborn is a man on a mission. The Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry is visiting Kosovo to examine the reconstruction job that needs to be done. For British companies, the opportunities could be huge. But will industry sieze them? And what will the Government do to help British firms win big contracts for rebuilding the Balkans?