A network of businesses is springing up in Newcastle and the north-east of England, catering to the demands of the offshore oil and gas industry. But can the region overcome perceived supply chain shortcomings while addressing a dearth of skilled labour? 

Guatemala may not be enjoying the same sort of economic success as many of its Latin American counterparts, but the country's minister of foreign affairs, Fernando Carrera, explains how this will change as it works on increasing its security and regulation, while strengthening its relationships with its neighbours to the north and south

Finland has been hit hard by the downturn in the fortunes of phone firm Nokia, but the wealth of expertise and the spirit of enterprise that made the company such a success has been channelled into a fertile nursery of start-ups.

It is often cited that the BRIC economies – Brazil, Russia, India and China – offer the best opportunities for growth. It would therefore follow that outward FDI flows from these countries are also expanding but only one of the so-called 'big four' appears in the top five countries in terms of outward FDI growth.

The republic of Macedonia has undergone a radical transformation in recent years thanks to its government's efforts to revitalise the country's economy, business environment and the look of its capital city, Skopje. The result is new buildings, new businesses and record inflows of FDI.

For decades the textiles industry was Macedonia's specialty, but the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s caused production to slow dramatically. However, the industry is showing signs of a revival, led by the likes of Comfy Angel and Moda Sveti Nikole, both of which have attracted interest from western Europe.

While some IT hotspots in central and eastern Europe are overheating, with rising demand leading to a hike in wage expectations, Macedonia is positioning itself to take advantage, investing in developing the IT expertise of its graduates and establishing a business incubator to assist new businesses.

The service levels shown to foreign companies locating in Macedonia's free zones have come as a pleasant surprise to even the most seasoned of professionals, giving the country a further competitive advantage on top of its tax incentives and cheap labour.