With Spain and Portugal attracting more than 8% of Europe’s FDI last year, cities from the two countries are proving to be increasingly attractive to foreign investors. Barcelona ranked top of the major cities, while Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canaries led the medium-sized table. Geraldine Ewing and Christine McMillan analyse the results.

Island economies can hold unique advantages when it comes to FDI, but they also suffer from similar challenges – chiefly struggling to diversify their often small markets. fDi profiles these locations and looks at what they can do to keep their heads above water.

With aerospace a crucial job-creating sector, the industry's key hubs are working closely with local governments to keep their competitive edge through top-quality education and training programmes, tax incentives and logistical excellence. Cathy Mullan reports on the cities getting it right.

Faced with low oil revenues and sanctions against Russia, Tatarstan president Rustam Minnikhanov tells Courtney Fingar how he is promoting R&D, while diversifying the country’s economy away from its traditional industrial base and into Islamic finance. 

Europe's refuge crisis is taking its toll on the French coastal city of Calais where, as Natasha Turak reports, tourist numbers and commerce have decreased over the past year, put off by the unrest brought about by the 'Calais jungle' migrant camp.

Spain's capital region of Madrid continues to lead the country's return to prosperity after the crisis of 2008 thanks to its favourable business climate and pool of talent. Now the challenge is to bring leisure industry investment into line to keep up with soaring tourist numbers. 

The 'Grand Paris' initiative aims to increase the population and size of the French capital by incorporating the greater Paris region into the city. Jean Louis Missika, deputy mayor of Paris, tells Natasha Turak about the transport, housing and environmental projects in the pipeline to help the city realise this vision.