About this interview

On October 1, we will interview Laura Suarez, Global Networks Manager at Scottish Development International, Scotland’s trade and inward investment agency that helps businesses from around the world do business in or with Scotland. 

Watch the interview for insights on:

• Utilizing global networks and the diaspora to deliver on the strategy
• Various methods to engage global networks including the Scottish diaspora  
  
• How these engaged networks can advocate for and support talent attraction  
  
• Aspects of Scottish Enterprise’s FDI attraction strategy 
  
• Gender equality within Scottish Development International

About this interview

On April 9, we interviewed Heather Taylor-Strauss, Economist at UN ESCAP, the intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region to promote cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• Why gender equality is important in FDI and investment attraction 
• The degree to which FDI can play a role in promoting gender equality 
• What specifically investment promotion agencies can do to increase their contribution to gender equality 
• The work of UN ESCAP in the field of gender equality and FDI 
• Best practice examples of IPAs working on this area 
• The challenges affecting IPAs’ ability to focus on gender equality 

About this interview

On February 20, we interviewed Alina Harastasanu, Director of European Business Development at JobsOhio, the state of Ohio’s investment promotion agency, on project drivers and incentives, including federal funds.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• The main drivers of FDI projects and how they’ve changed over time
• Insights into the decision-making processes of investors
• The impact of US federal funds on investors’ decisions, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
• Access to incentives or the most optimal location? What really matters in the final site selection
• The influence of European companies and European ESG requirements on business practices in the US, including those related to SDG 5: Gender equality

About this interview

On January 25, we interviewed Rita Szép-Tüske, Deputy CEO at the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency on how to win and facilitate mega projects.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• The team, services and skills required to effectively respond to and facilitate such large-scale projects
• What role geo-political relations play within these agreements
• The (un)important role of incentives and ROI estimations of taxpayer money
• The benefit vs cost issue of public opposition to mega projects
• What part gender equality plays at HIPA

About this interview

In October, we invited Annelize Van der Merwe, Director of Green Economy at the dti (Department of Trade and Industry: Republic of South Africa) for an interview on investment opportunities for a sustainable future.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• The investment potential of the green economy
• Investment attraction for renewable energy
• How to leverage networking events for investment attraction
• The role of gender equality in the dti’s work

About this interview

In September, we invited Marina Lamptey, Head of Diaspora Relations at Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) for an interview on cultivating investments through diaspora relations.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• The role of diaspora in investment attraction
• Effective ways of engaging with the diaspora
• How to identify relevant decision makers
• How gender equality manifests itself within GIPC’s work

About this interview

In May, we invited Didi Caldwell, President and Founding Principal at Global Location Strategies for an interview on revolutionizing site selection through the use of technology.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• New trends and criteria in corporate location selection, both in the US and internationally
• How new technology is changing site selection processes
• The implications of technological changes for the work of IPAs
• Experiences working in the male-dominated construction industry
• Industry progress in terms of gender equality

About this interview

In April, we invited Ana Paula Repezza, Business Director at APEXBrasil for an interview on gender equality in FDI: how to put it into practice.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• APEXBrasil’s new commitment to sustainability, including gender parity, in the agency’s activities 
• Economic advantages of a stronger focus on gender equality in foreign direct investment
• How the new commitment will affect APEX’s ability to attract foreign direct investment 
• How APEX’s partners, including the state IPAs, will support the initiative
• What APEX does to promote gender equality within its own organization
• How to measure the performance of the initiatives introduced under the new approach

About this interview

In March, we invited Vanessa Séverin from InvestChile for an interview on how to generate results through investor aftercare.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• Why investment promotion agencies should dedicate resources to aftercare
• The potential returns on aftercare relative to attracting new investment
• Identifying partners in the public and private sector that can help to assist existing foreign investors and obtaining their support
• How IPAs can select priority companies for aftercare and provide different levels of aftercare support
• How Invest Chile has used aftercare to promote gender equality and other sustainable development goals

About this interview

In February, we interviewed Christina Liaos, from the UK’s Department for International Business and Trade on delivering results: attracting investment across Europe.

Watch the interview for insights on:

• The best methods for identifying and approaching potential investors
• How methods differ in the various markets that Christina covers
• How to best organize a team to achieve results
• Expectations for individual team members and how to ensure that these are met
• How an investor’s approach to gender equality can play a role in targeting
• Gender balance within a team and internal initiatives

About this webinar

In continuation of our Towards Gender Equality in FDI initiative, FDI Center hosted a second webinar on the 26th September on the topic of: How can investment promotion agencies contribute to gender equality in society through the type of investment they attract? 

FDI Center’s Managing Director Andreas Dressler moderated the panel and was joined by a number of industry leaders and experts including; Natalia Guerra, Investment Promotion Senior Capacity-building Coordinator and Gender mainstreaming focal point at the UNCTAD; Nangula Uaandja, CEO and Chairperson of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB); Hilde van der Meer, Commissioner for Foreign Investments at the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA); Pilar Madrigal, Director of Investment Advisory at CINDE and Letizia Montinari, Economist – Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs at OECD. 

They discussed:

• The importance of gender equality as a goal for IPAs
• IPAs as a potential bridge between government and investors in regards to coordinating policy with investment attraction activities
• Practice IPAs can implement to support gender equality and how to track and report their contribution
• Thoughts of investors towards a gender equality focus

This was the second webinar as part of our wider initiative Towards Gender Equality in FDI, in which we aim to bring disparities in gender equality in the FDI and investment promotion industry to the forefront of discussion as well as provide practical advice to work on the issue.

About this webinar

FDI Center hosted a webinar on the 15th September on the topic of: How can investment promotion agencies create an environment in which female leaders can develop and be successful within the IPA?

In this webinar FDI Center’s Director Kim Zietlow was joined by a number of industry leaders and experts including; Racquel Moses, UNFCCC Global Ambassador and CEO of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator; Anna Gissler, CEO of Invest Stockholm; Nicola Watkinson, Managing Director of International Trade and Investment atTheCityUK; Catalina Valencia, Executive Director of Business Development at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Heather Taylor-Strauss, Economic Affairs Officer at the Technology and Innovation Section of the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division at the UNESCAP.

They discussed:

• Findings from our survey on current gender equality figures within IPAs
• Current demand for and obstacles to implementing gender equality initiatives
• Insights and experiences of our female industry leaders
• What steps IPAs can take to close the gender leadership gap and strengthen gender equality at all levels internally

This was the first webinar as part of our wider initiative Towards Gender Equality in FDI, in which we aim to bring disparities in gender equality in the FDI and investment promotion industry to the forefront of discussion as well as provide practical advice to work on the issue.

About this webinar

FDI Center’s Andreas Dressler joined Jacopo Dettoni, host of fDI Intelligence’s series, Next FDI to talk about Quality over Quantity FDI. 

Attracting “quality” investment is at the top of the agenda of countries and investment promotion agencies around the world. It sounds great, but it also brings along numerous challenges when it comes to defining, and measuring success. What is “quality” investment in the first place? Is it about job creation, environmental impact, or ESG measures as a whole? What are the best KPIs to keep track of it? Watch the recording to gain the answers to some of the most pressing issues IPA’s are facing today. 

About this webinar

The world is facing an unprecedented economic challenge. Companies have announced massive lay-offs, closure of several operations, and plans to relocate facilities. Industrial and special zones are an important destination for FDI in many countries worldwide, especially in developing countries. These zones play an essential role in supporting companies and regions to create sustainable economic growth.

In this panel, we discussed the role of industrial and special zones in the economic recovery. This panel addressed topics such as:

• How can zones contribute to the economic recovery efforts of their regions?
• What are the main challenges that zones are facing at the moment?
• Which type of opportunities exists for zones to attract new investment projects?
• When should zones adapt their strategies and operating models to the new environment?
• Why is it essential for zones to continue investing in sustainable projects?

This discussion provided crucial and practical advice for industrial and special zones as well as entities working together with these institutions that are looking for innovative ways to remain competitive in the modern economy.

About this webinar

The adoption of digital technologies by investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and other organizations responsible for attracting investment to their locations is growing. Digital approaches have the potential to increase the effectiveness of all of an IPA’s activities, from promoting the location and identifying potential investors to engaging with decision makers and providing value through digital service delivery. This discussion focuses on the increasing use of digital technologies by IPAs and similar organizations and the key success factors for digital transformation in investment promotion. Topics addressed include:

• In what areas of investment promotion, attraction and facilitation can digital technologies have the greatest impact?
• What are the advantages of digital technology relative to conventional approaches and how can the two be combined?
• To what degree can digital technologies enhance IPA performance and generate greater results?
• What are the prerequisites and key success factors for successful digital transformation in investment promotion?
• What are the potential costs and returns of implementing digital technologies?
• What organizational changes are required for digital transformation to be possible?

This discussion provides essential and practical advice for all investment promotion and economic development agencies seeking to use digital technologies to their full advantage.

About this webinar

The global economic and political environment is changing dramatically. This will create significant challenges – but also opportunities – for investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and other organizations responsible for attracting investment to their locations. IPAs will need to change their business models and, in some cases, reinvent themselves to continue delivering value.

FDI Center, in collaboration with WAIPA, organized this panel discussion on the future of investment promotion. Some of the topics addressed include:

• What are the main challenges that IPAs will face in the near to medium term
• How can IPAs contribute to their government’s economic recovery efforts?
• What opportunities exist for IPAs to attract new investment?
• How will the role of IPAs and similar organizations change?
• How can IPAs adjust their strategies and operating models to adapt to the new environment?
• How can IPAs remain relevant and continue to generate economic returns and societal value?

This discussion provides timely practical advice for economic development agencies and investment promotion agencies from around the world that are seeking to remain competitive in the new environment.

About this webinar

FDI Center was invited by AZFA (The Free Trade Zones Association of the Americas) to present at the Virtual Trade Summit „Reinventing foreign trade in the era of COVID-19” on April 2, 2020. FDI Center’s Paola Suarez Buhrmann provided an overview of the impact of coronavirus on the economy, focusing on foreign direct investment, and provided practical measures for free trade zones, investment promotion agencies, and governments to continue attracting and retaining foreign investment. More than 1,600 attendees from 196 cities in 58 countries participated in the event.