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UK Trade & Investment’s UK Inward Investment Report on inward investment shows that the UK remains Europe’s top destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), attracting 28 projects and generating nearly 2,000 jobs every week. In total, inward investment created or safeguarded 94,598 jobs in 2010/11, with almost two thirds coming from existing investors. The US continued to be the largest source of jobs, generating more than 36,000 – a 15 per cent increase year-on-year – and Australia generating 4,344 jobs, up 458 per cent on 2009/10. The report also highlights the attractiveness of the UK economy as the preferred location for European HQ operations with more than 270 companies last year alone creating international business bases here. The UK continues to be home to more European HQ than all of the other European economies combined. In the report, Andrew Levi, managing director, business at

UK Trade & Investment, writes: “The UK has an exceptional track record over many years as one of the world’s top

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two or three locations for FDI. Our FDI stock of more than US$1trn refl ects the UK’s many great strengths – such as our advanced industries, and business and political environments – as a global investment location, and a springboard to the rest of the world. Commenting on the launch of the report, Business

Secretary Vince Cable described 2010/11 as “a good year”. In a statement he said: “When a business locates in the UK it can have a positive impact on local jobs and on improving skills across the country. With more overseas companies choosing the UK to set up their headquarters than anywhere else, we are in a position to capitalise on these opportunities.”

NEXT STEPS Download the UK Inward Investment Report at

www.ukti.gov.uk/pt_pt/uktihome/about ukti/ourperformance/offi cialreports.html

BIENVENIDA UK leads European FDI

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