fDi Intelligence Ranks Four Bulgarian Cities among the Most Attractive International Investment Locations
Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Ruse rank among the most attractive locations for foreign investment in the next 2 years in the “European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/19” ranking of fDi Intelligence – a department of Financial Times, specializing in areas relating to investment and promotion of the investment climate globally. The ranking is conducted every two years on the basis of a macroeconomic analysis of nearly 500 cities and regions across Europe in a total of 5 categories – economic potential, working environment, cost efficiency, infrastructure and good conditions for business development.
The place of Sofia in the ranking
The capital is also ranked in the Top 10 “Eastern European Regions of the Future 2018/19”, where it takes the eighth position. The top seven regions in the ranking are the Russian Central Federal District with Moscow as its administrative center, Bratislava, Prague, Bucharest, Mazovia – Poland, Central Hungary, Lower Silesia – Poland, and Plzeň and South Moravia in the Czech Republic, coming right after Sofia.
Sofia region is ranked eighth in the “Small European Regions of the Future” and the city of Sofia is second in the category “Major European Cities of the Future 2018/19 – Cost Effectiveness”.
The other Bulgarian cities holding top positions in the ranking
Another 5 Bulgarian cities ranked in the top 10 of “Small European Regions of the Future 2018/19 – Cost Effectiveness” – Stara Zagora comes first, followed by Ruse, Burgas, Plovdiv, Varna, and Sofia. This is the category where Bulgaria has the strongest presence with a total of 7 positions.
Plovdiv and the region are in the top three in the “Strategy for attracting direct foreign investment” category and are the only Bulgarian representatives here. The region of Stara Zagora is presented with a special separate analysis in the ranking as the most dynamically developing region in Bulgaria. The report describes the region as a pleasant and lively city, with 8000 years of history. Ahead of Sofia and Plovdiv with its 19% annual growth, the region has the fastest pace of development, as well as a considerable potential to attract fresh investments with its new industrial zone and a high-tech park.
A description of the fDi Intelligence methodology and ranking in other regions of Europe are available in the full document here:
