Building on its impressive FDI record, Ireland has set itself lofty job creation goals to be achieved via a network of 'urban gateways' – and hopes to reverse the brain drain.

Jaap Bond, vice-governor of Noord-Holland, explains how the province’s location and hardy agricultural workforce have enabled it to survive Europe’s financial wobbles.

Its stint as European City of Culture in 2016 should give San Sebastián a boost in tourism numbers, but it will also give the Spanish city an opportunity to showcase its skilled workforce and R&D excellence.

Diverse tenants and an innovative approach to energy efficiency are making Noord-Holland business site Agriport A7 a new kind of business hub.

World-class expertise in plant science makes Noord-Holland’s Seed Valley an agribusiness powerhouse with generations of experience to call upon.

Lucrative contracts across England and Scotland have brought Hitachi Rail to the UK, investing millions in a manufacturing facility and creating 700 jobs.

For a small region, Noord-Holland has a wide range of tempting investment opportunities in power generation, from wind turbines to nuclear reactors.

The province of Noord-Holland is leveraging its climate, location and research community to be a leader in areas from seed genetics to renewable energy. Unsurprisingly, this has had investors sitting up and taking notice.

The past 25 years have been turbulent ones in Serbia, with geopolitical, fiscal and economic problems plaguing the country at various points. However, a spell of political and economic stability has seen optimism in the country pick up, says Courtney Fingar, with a hope that it will finally start to attract the investment that its underemployed workforce warrants.

Germany is a major FDI player both within western Europe and globally. fDi takes a look at which cities and regions are the country's standout performers.