Foreign investors still rely heavily on France, preferring to bet on it than on Germany. This is what consulting firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) released in their latest report last week. This barometer analyzes the image European countries have among investors and business leaders around the world.
- The study states that France is the most attractive European country for industry with 339 industrial projects led by foreign investors in 2018 (323 in 2017). Turkey ranks second with 203 projects and Germany is third on the podium with 152 projects.
- The United Kingdom recorded a 35% drop in the number of projects on its soil (140 in 2018 compared to 216 in 2017), due to “the prospect of Brexit” the study notes, dropping from second to fourth place in the ranking.
- However, regarding strategic targets, the UK ranks first, with 679 headquarters projects and 1,971 projects in the digital sector, while France reaches third place after Germany.
The survey was conducted in 2019 among 210 executives involved in international investment decisions. It also analyzes the locations and expansions carried out by foreign investors between 2009 and 2018.
Upon the occasion of the Choose France summit – French President Emmanuel Macron is welcoming today 200 global CEOs in Versailles, on their way to Davos’ World Economic Forum, to promote France’s industrial attractiveness – we’ ve produced this graphic based on EY’s analysis.
