The 2009 Global Best to Invest Rankings

he Site Selection editors are pleased to present the second annual Global Best to Invest rankings.

Three prestigious data sources were mined to ascertain which national investment promotion agencies, and regional and metro economic development agencies across five regions were most successful in attracting capital investment and creating jobs in 2009. The sources are Site Selection's own proprietary New Plant Database, Ernst & Young's European Investment Monitor powered by U.K.-based Oxford Intelligence and Brussels-based IBM Plant Location International, which maintains the GILD database of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with these experts in FDI activity.

Areas were evaluated according to projects announced, capital invested and jobs created in total and per capita. This year, we are featuring an auxiliary look at 10 European cities — five Western and five Eastern — that demonstrated in 2009 a unique ability to garner more investment per capita than larger, better-known metro areas in Europe. They might otherwise not come to your attention, so get to know them here, and explore their potential for your organization when the time is right.

Meanwhile on behalf of our project data collaborators, Oxford Intelligence and IBM-PLI, we congratulate all of the locations and IPAs in these rankings for their success in attracting foreign direct investment in 2009.

WESTERN EUROPE

Top National Investment
Promotion Agencies and Regions

1.Germany Trade and Invest (www.gtai.com)

Top Federal States

1. Thuringia

2. Saxony-Anhalt

3. Berlin

2.IDA Ireland (www.idaireland.com)

Top Counties

1. Dublin

2. Cork

3. Galway

3.UK Trade & Investment (www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk)

Top Regions

1. Yorkshire

2. South East England

3. Scotland

EASTERN EUROPE

Top National Investment
Promotion Agencies and Regions

1.ITD Hungary (www.itdh.com)

Top Regions

1. Budapest/Capital City

2. Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg

3. Gyõr-Moson-Sopron

2.Invest in Poland (www.investinpoland.pl)

Top Regions

1. Lower Silesian

2. Lód´z

3. Greater Poland

3.CzechInvest (www.czechinvest.org)

Top Regions

1. Moravian-Silesian

2. South Moravian

3. Ústí nad Labem

ASIA-PACIFIC

Top National Investment Promotion Agencies and Regions

Invest in Australia (www.investinaustralia.com)

Malaysia Industrial Development Authority (www.mida.gov.my)

Singapore Economic Development Board (www.edb.gov.sg)

Top Metropolitan Regions

1.Shanghai, China

2.Tianjin, China

3.Bangalore, India

T4.Suzhou, China

T4.Pune, India

6.Penang, Malaysia

T7.Ahmadabad, India

T7.Hyderabad, India

T7.Seoul, South Korea

T7.Chennai, India

T7.Hangzhou, China

T7.Qingdao, China

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Top National Investment Promotion Agencies and Regions

Emirates Free Zones, United Arab Emirates (www.emiratesfreezones.com)

Qatar Investment Promotion Department (www.investinqatar.com.qa)

The Omani Center for Investment Promotion and Trade Development (www.ociped.com)

Top Metropolitan Regions

1.Dubai, United Arab Emirates

2.Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

T3.Lagos, Nigeria

T3.Doha, Qatar

T3.Johannesburg, South Africa

T3.Jafza, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

T3.Cape Town, South Africa

T8.Damman, Saudi Arabia

T8.Amman, Jordan

T8.Suez, Egypt

T8.Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

T8.Ruwais, United Arab Emirates

T8.Kempton Park, South Africa

LATIN AMERICA

Top National Investment Promotion Agencies and Regions

ProMexico Trade and Investment (www.promexico.gob.us)

APEX Brazil (www.apexbrazil.com.br)

Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (www.cinde.org)

Top Metropolitan Regions

1.Nuevo Leon, Mexico

2.Tamaulipas, Mexico

T3.Jalisco, Mexico

T3.Queretaro, Mexico

5.São Paulo, Brazil

T6.Guanajuato, Mexico

T6.San Luis Potosi, Mexico

T8.Baja California, Mexico

T8.Chihuahua, Mexico

T8.Coahuila, Mexico

T8.Sonora, Mexico