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International Update

July 22, 2013

New Kid on the Block

Croatia is the newest country to join the European Union (EU), which it did on 1 July, 2013. But investors still need to be careful where they tread. Croatia is full of history, but as it enters a new chapter, investors will find themselves surrounded by minefields if they do not stay on their guard.

June 12, 2013

A Spotlight on Site Selection Strategy

Site Selection magazine sat down with Atento CEO Alejandro Reynal to learn about the history of the company's massive international expansion of the last two decades as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telefonica, one of the world’s largest Telecom conglomerates, and what the future holds after the recent acquisition from Bain Capital in late December 2012.

June 12, 2013

‘Foreign Investors Should Talk to Me’

Former Guatemalan President (1996-2000) and current Guatemala City Mayor Álvaro Enrique Arzú Irigoyen addressed a Guatemala Investment Summit on May 30th to encourage investors to consider seriously his metropolitan area the next time they are seeking a location for BPO, manufacturing or other facilities.

June 12, 2013

Bahrain? Bank on It

Bahrain and banking used to go together. That is not so much the case now. The "bank king" of the Gulf has been dethroned. Before the global financial crisis and the Arab Spring, Bahrain was the banking and finance centre for the Gulf and the wider Middle East. The United Arab Emirates has now become the go-to location for many activities in this sector.

May 29, 2013

10 Countries. 10 Challenges.

The following is a compilation highlighting unique initiatives taking place in every South American country, each with its own unique approach to common challenges faced by investment promotion agencies. Examples range from tactical — such as the Peruvian approach to place branding — to strategic, such as Colombia's effort to improve its image.

May 14, 2013

Industrial Strength

Add the importance of the Mexican market itself to companies' lists of reasons to open operations in Mexico.

May 13, 2013

No Fanfare Please

Equatorial Guinea remains one of the lesser known destinations for investment in West Africa.

May 13, 2013

Imagine

A vision many years in the making aims to take both sides of the River Mersey's waterfront from myopia to utopia.

April 8, 2013

A Kingdom Updates Its Roadmap

The Arab Spring spared The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the level of protest seen in neighbours such as Bahrain.

March 27, 2013

The Great Dry Canal Race

The Panama Canal expansion, on target to be completed by 2015, has certainly put Panama and Central America back on the map.

March 11, 2013

New Features Emerge on Panama’s Logistics Landscape

Panama has been considered a logistics center since its discovery in 1513. Its location and native design provide unparalleled and unique geographical advantages. Above all, it has access to two seas: the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are 80 miles away from each other.

March 11, 2013

The Nearshore Market’s Greatest Resource

Nearshore outsourcing operations usually come to the countries bordering the Caribbean Sea. Historically, this region has been rich in agriculture, minerals and more recently, oil and natural gas.

March 11, 2013

The World’s Workshop

What if, instead of designing business incubators, accelerators and other science-inflected names for workspace, your whole city was that workshop, custom-designed for exploration, discovery and serendipitous interaction?

March 11, 2013

Diamond in the Rough

In three years time, Botswana will celebrate its fiftieth year of independence. Before it sees another 50, the extensive diamond deposits that have been its source of prosperity will have long run out.

February 14, 2013

Crossroads

Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo was able to crow at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, as his nation reaped a host of honors: Belgium was named the fourth most open economy in the world by Ernst & Young’s Globalization Index, while also coming in fourth among 123 countries in the Conference Board’s annual report on worker productivity.

February 13, 2013

Meanwhile, Morocco

In the past two years, the dramatic changes in Arab countries have been a primary focus of attention.

January 16, 2013

UAE Free Zones Hone Their Competitive Edge

New legislation in 2013 could overhaul financial regulation of free zones in the United Arab Emirates, making them even more desirable locations for capital investors.

January 16, 2013

Good Afternoon, Vietnam

Vietnam’s inexpensive and productive labor force has oftentimes earned it the title of the ‘Next China’.

January 9, 2013

Lead Us Not Into Recession

A president is chosen. World markets hold their breath, waiting to see what policies he will adopt that will have an impact not only domestically but in every corner of the world. It’s big news — and it’s not Barack Obama.

December 14, 2012

Well Connected

Pick your mode of transport. By any measure, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is Germany’s most connected federal state — to the rest of Germany, to Europe and to the world.