European agencies join forces to attract foreign direct investment

A group of European investment promotion agencies are taking their collaboration to a new level in the “Choose Europe” project. These public agencies have chosen to join forces in the competitive field of attracting foreign direct ​​investment, be it green field and relocation projects or talents, believing that shared success positively benefits the entire European region. Investment promotion agencies in several European cities and regions have been collaborating over the past years to improve their best practices and share a collective path for responsible development on the European continent. The network currently includes the metropolitan cities and regions of Amsterdam, Catalonia, Berlin, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Lyon, Munich, Paris, Riga, Stockholm, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich.  

Emphasising common values and differentiating specific assets to strengthen a prosperous European economic model is the objective of this informal group of European agencies that are committed to long-term cooperation. This collaboration has shared European values at its core: a human-centred model contributing to stability, sustainability and prosperity.  It is the first time in the field of foreign direct investment (FDI) that competitors have joined forces for the greater good.  

“We are different in terms of sectors and geographic distinctions, however, we’re ultimately still very similar. Serving at a metropolitan or regional level, we have been entrusted with the task of attracting responsible value-adding investments to our cities in order to foster innovation and job creation. But we aim to achieve this by abiding by our shared European values, and without compromising on social and environmental sustainability” says Peter de Kruijk, Director of Amsterdam International Business, founding member of the network.  

Neighbours with a shared vision

An extensive commitment to cooperation is shared by all agencies: “Often companies will have to choose between our regions, but we take comfort in the fact that the investment will settle with one of our neighbours sharing the same vision. This is part of our European spirit both in growth and resilience contexts. We feel that this sentiment, now more than ever, is a key argument to share with foreign investors and talents in the world” says Bertrand Foucher, General Direction of Invest in Lyon. 

In a world facing polarities and adversities, the mission of the Choose Europe campaign is to position Europe as the ideal location for international companies looking to achieve economic success and sustainable growth. 

The “Choose Europe” campaign will launch on 29th September in Helsinki, with representatives of the 14 cities, regions and metropolitan areas. The campaign will initially target North America and will focus on digital channels and several physical events taking place in European cities, such as Web Summit and MIPIM. This project marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between the 14 cities, regions and metropolitan areas.  

To know more about the project and the participating European Regions visit us at: www.chooseeurope.eu