S

ite Selection is pleased to present its fourth annual Best to Invest rankings of nations and metro areas for investment-attraction activity in 2011. The national Investment Promotion Agencies recognized here were particularly successful in 2010 at attracting capital investment projects — both expansions of existing facilities and new projects — from investors at home and abroad.

This year, Site Selection is proud to welcome the participation of Amsterdam-based FDI advisory Investment Consulting Associates (ICA) and its LocationSelector.com FDI software solution, a comprehensive suite of market analysis tools and research used by corporate executives and site location experts worldwide.

The national Best to Invest rankings are determined 50 percent by LocationSelector.com-supplied analysis in these categories — business environment, business risks, foreign direct investment and infrastructure; and 50 percent by new and expanded facilities announced in 2011 and tracked by Site Selection publisher Conway Data Inc.'s (CDI) New Plant Database.

The Best to Invest metros rankings were determined 40 percent by LocationSelector.com-supplied analysis in the areas of business environment, business risks, foreign direct investment, infrastructure and accessibility; 20 percent on an unscientific survey of global site consultants; and 40 percent on New Plant Database projects.

CDI has been tracking project data for nearly six decades. The New Plant Database is the basis of much of Site Selection's editorial content throughout the year. It is the foundation of such prestigious honors as the Governor's Cup (March issue), the Competitiveness Award, Top Economic Development Groups and Top Deals (May), Canada's Top Locations (September) and Top State Business Climates (November). Projects resident in the New Plant Database meet one or more of these criteria: a minimum investment of US$1 million, creation of 50 or more new jobs or new construction of at least 20,000 sq. ft. (1,860 sq. m.).

Site Selection is grateful for the time and information invested into this ranking by ICA, and we salute this year's winning national investment agencies and the metro areas globally that in 2011 could not be beat.

—Editor



Photos in circles (l. to r.): Dublin, Ireland (PD); Budapest, Hungary (Photo by Marc Ryckaert/Naamsvermelding vereist); Singapore (Photo by Adam Jones-Kelley) WESTERN EUROPE EASTERN EUROPE ASIA-PACIFIC Top Countries

1. Ireland

IDA Ireland

idaireland.com



2. United Kingdom

UK Trade and Investment

uktradeinvest.gov.uk



3. Germany

Germany Trade and Invest

gtai.com



4. Austria

ABA – Invest in Austria

investinaustria.at



T5. Switzerland

Switzerland Trade and

Investment Promotion

invest-in-switzerland.com



T5. Italy

Italian Trade Commission

italtrade.it Top Countries

1. Hungary

Hungarian Investment

and Trade Agency (HITA) hita.hu



T2. Poland

Invest in Poland

paiz.gov.pl



T2. Slovak Republic

SARIO (Slovak Investment

and Trade Development

Agency)

sario.sk



T4. Estonia

Estonian Investment and

Trade Agency

investinestonia.com



T4. Czech Republic

CzechInvest

czechinvest.org Top Countries

1. Singapore

Singapore Economic

Development Board

sedb.com



2. Australia

Austrade

austrade.gov.au/invest



T3. Malaysia

Malaysian Investment

Development Authority

mida.gov.my



T3. South Korea

Korea Trade Investment

Promotion Agency (KOTRA)

kotra.or.kr



5. Vietnam

Ministry of Planning and

Investment

mpi.gov.vn Top Metros

1. Dublin, Ireland

2. Frankfurt, Germany

3. Edinburgh, Scotland

4. Birmingham, England

T5. Belfast, Northern Ireland

T5. Paris, France Top Metros

1. Budapest, Hungary

2. Moscow, Russia

3. Bucharest, Romania

T4. Prague, Czech Republic

T4. Warsaw, Poland Top Metros

T1. Beijing, China

T1. Shanghai, China

T3. Chongqing, China

T3. Chennai, India

5. Bangalore, India

Photos in circles (l. to r.): Cape Town, South Africa (Photo by Andreas Tusche); Cancún, Mexico (Photo by Mike Liu – Fotolia.com AFRICA AND

THE MIDDLE EAST LATIN AMERICA Top Countries

1. South Africa

TradeInvestSA

tradeinvestsa.co.za



2. Bahrain

Bahrain Economic

Development Board

bahrain.com



3. United Arab Emirates

Dubai Development &

Investment Authority

emiratesfreezone.com



4. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian General

Investment Authority

(SAGIA)

sagia.gov.sa



5. Qatar

Qatar Investment

Promotion Department

investinqatar.com.qa Top Countries

1. Mexico

ProMexico Trade and

Investment

promexico.gob.mx



2. Brazil

APEX Brazil

apexbrasil.com.br



3. Costa Rica

Costa Rican

Investment Board

cinde.org



4. Chile

Chilean Economic

Development Agency

hightechchile.com



5. Argentina

Invest in Argentina

inversiones.gov.ar Top Metros

1. Port Elizabeth, South Africa

T2. Nairobi, Kenya

T2. Cairo, Egypt

T2. Kinsasha, Congo

5. Casablanca, Morocco Top Metros

1. São Paulo, Brazil

2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

3. Mexico City, Mexico

T4. Guadalajara, Mexico

T4. Monterrey, Mexico