Novartis is streamlining business so that its investments lie in countries that have a strong legal and regulatory framework and, above all, strong intellectual property rights on new medicines, chief executive Daniel Vasella tells Lara Williams.

Russian firm Sistema is putting its long-laid plan for international expansion into action with its move into the Indian market, Lara Williams reports.

Gray Construction has grown from a handful of employees building a barn to a multinational construction firm which has completed major projects for Toyota and Ikea. Lillie Guyer discovers how the family did it.

Volkswagen Group is moving its US headquarters to northern Virginia, an area which boasts one of the highest concentrations of Audi or VW owners in the country. Karen E Thuermer reports.

Bewildered by risk management? Duncan Martin has used extreme, life or death situations to formulate seven key rules which also have applications in the sometimes perilous environments in which international businesses operate.

In the wake of a failed takeover bid, Lear Corporation is focusing on its ambitious global expansion strategy. And company chairman, CEO and president Bob Rossiter is leaving the door open to investors, he tells Lillie Guyer.

Biotech research firm Biogen Idec has chosen a site in the heart of Medicon Valley life sciences cluster for its new manufacturing facility. Karen E Thuermer reports.

Business process outsourcing can pay spectacular dividends but if it is done wrong, it can have nightmare results. Philip McNamara reports on lessons learned from American companies that have made the transition successfully.

Having set up in Newport, Wales, in 2004, International Rectifier is planning to ramp up the manufacture of its power management technology products. Karen Thuermer reports.

Intel’s $1bn semiconductor assembly facility in Vietnam, currently under construction, will be more than triple the size originally envisaged. Nick Freeman explains.

What to do when a foreign investment does not work out? Kieron O’Callaghan and Clare Connellan list the types of protection available and provide practical tips on how to limit the fallout.

During an hour-long session at the CFO Strategies Europe conference in Monaco, chaired by fDi, panel participants discussed the challenges of corporate expansion decisions and strategies for coping with them – above all, the recruitment and retention of talent. Here are some excerpts.

As the outsourcing sector evolves, and new challengers threaten India’s dominance as a low-cost offshore option, paying due attention to the ‘four Ps’ – project, people, price and place – is vital in the decision making process, writes Graham Underwood.

BP Solar is working on a project to expand cell capacity at its Tres Cantos plant in Spain, where the market potential is attractive. Bertrand Boulin, vice-president for supply and manufacturing, talks to Silvia Pavoni.

The enlargement of the EU eastwards has contributed to the central and eastern European countries’ success in attracting FDI. David Bartlett explains how investors can best exploit their advantages.

Jerome Couturier and Davide Sola explain the role of local market specificities in determining the optimal design for a company’s entry into a foreign market.

Biopharmaceutical firm Protherics has an established presence in both the US and the UK and has its sights set on American and European markets for its new products. Karen E Thuermer reports.

Well-managed multinational corporations have ways of managing potentially disruptive events but how would they cope in a high-risk environment? Stephen Ladek offers some pointers.

Cement giant Cemex is involved in the biggest regeneration project in Europe: the UK’s Thames Gateway. Karen E Thuermer reports on the logistics involved and the firm’s continuing expansion.

Getting the back-office functions and legal structure right should not be forgotten in the excitement of setting up overseas operations. Mike Sable outlines some of the essentials for companies moving into the UK, and makes a case for outsourcing.