Global Locations Trends 2018

This annual report analyzes the latest trends in where companies locate their (new) operations around the world, and what drives these decisions.
The report is produced by Plant Location International (PLI), the global center of excellence in IBM Global Business Services for location strategy and economic development consulting.

Some of the key highlights from this year's report are:  

• Global foreign investment activity showed very mixed results in 2017: the number of foreign investment projects increased by 10 percent, but the expected job creation from these projects decreased by 5%
• United States reclaimed the top position as FDI destination country after a few percent growth
• Many of the key emerging markets experienced decreases in job creation. The decrease was most evident in production activities
• Africa is an exception. The continent shows continued growth, a lot of which is driven by Chinese investment.
• Technology investment drives a lot of the growth in mature markets: ICT has become a leading sector in multiple countries and digital technologies are disrupting investment across many industries.
• Ireland continues to lead the world in attracting high-value projects, but its dominant position is challenged by various countries
• Similarly, London continues to be the leading global city for attracting foreign investment projects; but Paris has become a strong contender

  Key rankings:  

We hope that this new Global Location Trends report provides you with valuable insights into current location decisions by companies around the world.
Please visit ibm.biz/GLTR2018 for more information