Having returned from her first MIPIM, a dazed Courtney Fingar suggests that IPAs need to be more creative if they are to distinguish themselves to investors.

US port and shipping chiefs have called for greater help from federal government to ensure port security in the face of competing demands on funds, such as improving infrastructure. The security issue was highlighted following the failed Dubai Ports World bid for certain US ports.

JPMorgan is expanding its Glasgow-based European Technology Centre (ETC) by creating 100 new jobs.

Ontario has launched a $500m loan programme aimed at helping the province’s companies stay at the forefront of innovation and advanced technology, as part of the Canadian government’s new Advanced Manufacturing Investment Strategy.

The US Treasury’s release of US-bound FDI statistics showed a substantial increase from just over $100bn in 2004 to almost $130bn in 2005. M&A was reported to have grown from $1,900bn in 2004 to $2,600bn in 2005.

Friends of the Earth has had a good start to the year. In late February, legal action by the environmental pressure group forced UK chancellor Gordon Brown to U-turn on company reporting rules.

Think London, the inward investment agency for London, has opened its first US office.

Singapore will need to double its number of hotels in the next few years if it is to live up to its tourism potential, say planning authorities.

A jury consisting of local bodies and town planning professionals has selected the winning developer, architect and investor team for the construction of the Euromed Centre in Marseille, France.

The Indian government’s new Special Economic Zone (SEZ) policy, which is expected to garner $22.6bn in investment and create half a million jobs by 2009, is now in place nearly a year after it was approved by parliament.

Construction on Russia’s ambitious ‘city of millionaires’ is due to start by the end of this year.

The city of Huntsville, Alabama, has broken ground on the site of a $130m biotech institute.

Lawrence Yeo explains the best way for companies to gain market entry in Asia by using a formula that identifies opportunities, explores resources and analyses core competences before making a move.

Legal challenges from the world of foreign direct investment by Luke Peterson.

Eisai Expanding in US and India:
Eisai Inc, the pharmaceutical arm of Japanese company Eisai Co Ltd, has announced plans for a $105m expansion of its Research Triangle Park operation in Durham County, North Carolina. Eisai has also announced plans to spend at least $43m to start producing drugs and chemical compounds in India. The company said it expects to create 84 new jobs in North Carolina by 2011.

Intel Breaks Ground on New Israel Plant:
California-based chipmaking giant Intel Corporation has broken ground on its new $4bn plant in Kiryat Gat, southern Israel.

Toyota to set up Parts Plant in Canada:
Toyotetsu Canada Inc, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, has announced the establishment of a $50m parts operation in Simcoe, Ontario, which will create 250 jobs.

Danish diabetes care specialist Novo Nordisk is expanding its Clayton, North Carolina, operation with a $100m investment that will create 187 new jobs.

Wavecom Asia Pacific contracts out its manufacturing, which is now based in mainland China. But its intellectual centre remains in Hong Kong. Karen E Thuermer reports.

London’s mayor wants his legacy to be that of bringing a successful Olympics to the capital and ensuring its benefits reach all of society. But how many rhetorical fireworks will he set off before the games get under way? Courtney Fingar reports.

Iceland’s prime minister, Halldór Ásgrímsson, says that his country has all the advantages foreign investors seek but is waiting to make an impact on the FDI map. He talks to Courtney Fingar.

Biotech companies are going out of their way to locate in places where they have access to skilled workers and talented managers, and experienced scientists are moving into areas that have biotech clusters. Innovation, collaboration and competition are the driving forces behind these trends. Karen E Thuermer reports.

With cities on the US eastern seaboard competing aggressively for large-scale distribution centres to attract more service at their seaports, Port of Charleston officials were frustrated.

Collaboration and a sense of community in Arizona’s bioscience cluster are just two of the factors driving the sector’s growth and attracting bioscience companies to the state, according to participants in fDi’s round table.

London is the city winner and Vilnius and Kaunas is the region winner in fDi’s European Cities and Regions of the Future 2006/07 awards. Charles Piggott reports on the winners and other top ranking competitors across Europe.

CITIES:

Western Europe: PARIS (France)

Runner up: Barcelona (Spain)

Despite slow steps towards modernisation and low levels of FDI, Slovenia’s economy is relatively robust. But as finance minister Andrej Bajuk tells Brian Caplen, the system needs greater flexibility.

A traditional transit point for goods moving in and out of Russia, Latvia is sinking money into its sea, road and air links in an effort to capitalise on swelling east-west trade flows. James Hydzik reports.

China is manufacturer to the world – but transporting goods around and out of the country is still a major task. Karen E Thuermer explains.

While some see the tightening of restrictions on sales of US companies to foreigners as a necessary evil for the sake of national security, others interpret it as protectionism by the back door. But what impression does this give would-be investors? Erika Morphy investigates.

As several western companies have discovered, India has been much more receptive to portfolio investment than FDI. The mixed signals are depriving local companies of sorely needed foreign know-how and capital, writes Kala Rao.

Washington-based international arbitration centre ICSID has seen a huge increase in its caseloads in recent years. These have grown proportionately with the rise in protection treaties. Luke Peterson explains.

High copper prices have had an uplifting effect on Chile’s GDP, trade terms and living standards. Still, the uphill climb into the ranks of the developed world is likely to take many years longer than the new president’s tenure, writes Jason Mitchell.

Sharing intellectual capital can benefit organisations in many ways but there are hurdles of trust and culture to overcome first. Sandra Higgison reports.

Developing countries could compete better in the global services market if they raise their standards of training and education – and this could lead to gains in other sectors of the economy, says Mohamed Elkeiy.

How much weight does the risk of terrorism carry in corporate location decisions? Daniel Wagner examines the evidence.

The UK must take the creation of knowledge-based wealth more seriously, says Deloitte on the strength of its competitiveness index. And, on p72, why Hungary is big in the contact centre business.

Hungary is among the cheapest places in Europe in human resources costs for contact centres, according to research from multilingual recruitment company BeesWax – hinting at one big reason why the country has been so successful in attracting contact centres, call centres and shared services centres in recent years.

The region of Murcia is transforming its workforce and its industries, producing everything from confectionery to chemicals, textiles to tomatoes. Rupert Eden charts its rise.

Murcia president Ramón Luis Valcárcel talks to Rupert Eden about regional government plans for creating a sustainable future for Murcia and for finding a way around central government reins on its projects.

Murcia’s agriculture has been hard hit by Spain’s drought. After much inter-region and governmental wrangling, measures are now being introduced to provide and conserve water, writes Rupert Eden.

Murcia is well placed to meet Spain’s growing energy needs, and is a prime site for traditional and renewable types of power generation, reports fDi.

Inemur managing director Gregorio Navarro has seen the family-run company founded by his father grow from a canning platform to one of the leading robotic production line suppliers in the world.

Murcia’s pristine coastline and countryside are prime tourist attractions and the regional government is keen to conserve this high quality by enforcing rigorous planning restrictions. Rupert Eden reports.

Ikea Group opened its eighth store in Spain in February just outside the city of Murcia, making it the sixth Spanish city to receive investment from the Swedish furnishing giant.