European cities: A favorite hub for global investors

Europe is fast becoming one of the most loved destinations by investors from the United States and other parts of the world due to modern amenities.

Europe is vast, beautiful and a great place to invest. Blessed with some of the most alluring cities, the continent is fast becoming a popular choice for businesspersons from across the globe. Several European companies, in the recent past, have opened new offices at different locations in other countries. Similarly, various companies based in the United States are looking to branch out across different locations in Europe. The fact that European cities easily qualify the litmus test on various grounds instills confidence in the investors. Whether it is about infrastructure, skilled staff, costing, incentives, language, transportation, or any other factor, the cities here offer lucrative alternatives too hard to ignore.

Top ranking European cities for capital investment

The prestigious fDi Magazine, a Financial Times Group publication, recently published its latest rankings naming top 25 cities in Europe that are best suited for foreign direct investment (FDI).  The rankings were published in a report “European Cities and Regions of the Future 2014/15”. The study said that FDI has emerged as a major economic driver of globalization. The study indicated that FDI accounted for over half of all cross-border investments.

According to the study, London continues to maintain its unassailable No. 1 position in a list of 25 cities. Helsinki ranked second, while Eindhoven, a city in the Netherlands, was placed in the third spot. Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region made it to the top of the ranking of European regions considered hot for FDI. The rankings were based on a survey comprising 468 locations, including both regions as well as cities. The rankings were based on five categories such as business friendliness, infrastructure, cost effectiveness, human capital and lifestyle, and economic potential.

Of the many cities here, let us look at the top five.

London
London is one of the prominent gateways into Europe. The British capital is one city that allures investors from far off corners on the planet. The city features as the most loved city for business investments in various surveys across the world. It offers world-class infrastructure, and other top amenities to the ones keen on investing here. London shares an excellent rail and road network and is well connected even to the outskirt parts of the city. The accessibility provided here is unbeatable and help the businessmen in setting up their ventures with ease. Pollution free, clean, and green, its freshness infuses a new zeal to tread ahead in style. Though the city can be a little expensive to live in, yet being a hub it opens different avenues for businessmen to interact with their peers and different marketers. Being a multilingual city, it opens up chances for the opportunists in the right direction.

Helsinki
Helsinki is ranked second in the list of top 25 European cities, according to a recent study “European Cities and Regions of the Future 2014/15”. The capital of Finland has received increased attention for extensive efforts it has been making for attracting FDI. The city has particularly scored quite well for FDI Strategy. The city is currently focusing on three key areas for promoting FDI. These core areas include hi-tech startups, growth capital, and research, development and innovation. The city is also emphasizing to attract FDI in transnational functions like air and sea links.

Eindhoven
Eindhoven, a city in the Netherlands, is a new entrant and proud to make it to the third ranking in the list of top 25 cities in Europe. The city was placed in the first position in the FDI Strategy category for all small European cities. Eindhoven owes its success in attracting FDI because of its incubation facilities currently existing at the University of Technology Science Park as well as the High Tech Campus. Apart from this, the provision of ‘soft-landing’ services offered by the city allows investors to promptly establish connections and develop a base here.

Amsterdam
Amsterdam ranks number four on the list of European cities best suited for business opportunities. The Dutch capital is beautiful and a popular hub for investing in business ventures within Europe. The city offers a perfect ground for investment. No matter the transportation, languages, market accessibility, and other amenities, its scores are enticing. However, the best part about this city is the costing, which is not as expensive as the British and the French capital cities.

Paris
Paris is yet another popular European gateway, which serves as a preferred destination by businessmen from all over the globe. The French capital ranks on Number 2 only after London in terms of the best lookout destination in Europe. The city offers various benefits like accessibility to the market, communication, competent staff, transportation, and other facilities. The city also scores points for being little polluted, costing, and the quality of life.