Ostrava ranks among Europe’s most attractive destinations for investors
A panel of independent experts has named Ostrava as one of the top ten most attractive mid-sized cities in Europe for foreign direct investment. The European Cities and Regions of the Future 2016/2017 rankings were published by the British fDi Magazine on 15 February.
Ostrava was ranked in ninth place among mid-sized cities (between 200,000 and 750,000 inhabitants) throughout the whole of Europe. This follows on from an excellent performance in the previous rankings (2014/2015), when Ostrava also finished in the top ten – confirming that the city is currently one of the most attractive destinations in Europe for foreign direct investment.
Mayor Tomáš Macura welcomed the latest rankings: “Ostrava is developing in a very positive direction, and the fDi survey confirms this trend. Numerous companies, from both the Czech Republic and abroad, have already taken advantage of the city’s huge potential, and we remain a highly attractive investment destination. Investors particularly appreciate our strategic geographical location and excellent accessibility, our extensive network of suppliers, and the highly qualified workforce that is available in Ostrava and the wider region.”
One reason why Ostrava can be considered a true city of the future is the remarkable success it has achieved in transforming its economic base, shifting away from its former reliance on traditional heavy industries to become a burgeoning centre of modern, high-tech fields such as nanotechnology and ICT. Mayor Macura added: “I am convinced that our city offers huge potential for development, which may help us to move further up the rankings in the future. Now it’s our responsibility to make sure that we harness this potential to achieve the best possible results. We are currently working on a strategic plan that will help us to focus on achieving our development goals.”
fDi Magazine is part of the Financial Times group. This year’s rankings covered a total of 481 European cities and regions. In addition to evaluating the business environment and strategies for supporting foreign direct investment, the judges also took into account key factors such as economic potential, human resources, cost efficiency, infrastructure and quality of life.
The complete report for European Cities and Regions of the Future 2016/17 is available here:
http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Rankings/European-Cities-and-Regions-of-the-Future-2016-17