Edinburgh has been crowed winner in the annual fDi awards within the mid-sized cities category for Business Friendliness. The Capital also makes the top 10 cities list for Human Capital and Lifestyle, and is runner-up mid-sized city for both Foreign Direct Investment strategy and Economic Potential.

Convener of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Economy Committee, said: “Edinburgh is a highly attractive place to do business. Last year, the city secured 40 foreign direct investments, equivalent to one every nine days, and this success is whetting the interest of more and more multinationals.”

“Organisations settling in Edinburgh can benefit from an impressive range of support from the Council, including the Business Gateway. This free service offers advice, training, seminars and networking opportunities for new and growing businesses. Add to this the Council’s ‘soft landing service’ and the UK’s best educated workforce, an enviable standard of living and a world-leading company base in sectors including finance and technology, and it is easy to understand why fDi recognises Edinburgh as one of Europe’s best places to do business.”

The magazine cites the City of Edinburgh Council’s work to maintain and build upon the relationships the city has with other global locations as a key driver for fDi, in particular with Munich and the Chinese city of Shenzhen. The Council works closely with the Bavarian government to promote the city to businesses in Germany, while it also has an agreement with Shenzhen to encourage more investment between the two locations. More incubator space has been created in both Edinburgh and Shenzhen to encourage investors, while the Council also offers free ‘soft landing services’ for newly arrived businesses, including advice on property and practical support for employees relocating to the city.