Internet giant plans to relocate EMEA HQ from London to Geneva in strategy to increase competitiveness.

Why the hullabaloo about bio in Europe? Biotechnology is said to be a key enabling technology for the 21st century. The DNA, protein, metabolite and cell-based technologies and supporting tools are helping to address global challenges.

China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile phone operator, has embarked on a European expansion strategy targeting its overseas Chinese customer base.

Hotel and restaurant group Whitbread’s Costa Coffee has opened its first outlet in Moscow, with the aim of Russia becoming the firm’s biggest single market within five years.

The chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs tells Courtney Fingar that the credit crunch will not be catastrophic for FDI flows but the protectionist policies that are synonymous with times of recession may hinder growth.

With its shift of gravity outside the US, GE International is slowly becoming a more global company under the guidance of its president and CEO. Interview by Lara Williams.

Since accession to the EU, Malta’s strengthened regulatory framework, combined with its favourable tax regime and professional workforce, has been increasing the country’s appeal for financial services start-ups, reports Polly Botsford.

A cheap, educated labour force; vast areas of available land; a reputation for manufacturing excellence; generous discounts and tax incentives for foreign businesses. For how much longer will international investors be able to ignore Konya’s charms? Lara Williams reports.

In a bid to secure its competitiveness, Nokia is relocating its German production operations to eastern Europe.

Businesses go to where the markets and the best people are; and the development of the commercial property market follows where the businesses are going. Are businesses getting the best out of property in Europe? The economic growth experienced across Europe over the past few years has improved take-up levels, boosted investment activity and raised rental levels in many locations.

Half of the world’s freest economies are in Europe, reveals research carried out by The Heritage Foundation in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal.

The single euro payments area (SEPA) was formally launched in January with EU ministers recommending public authorities be the early adopters of the European-wide payments system.

Forget ‘dangerous’ China – the emerging Balkan countries are the markets with the fundamentals to offer high returns in the long run, global investment adviser Pravin Banker explains to Lillie Guyer.

North Cyprus’ untapped potential means that once-cautious investors are looking at the politically turbulent region with renewed optimism, says Nick Kochan.

Following a decade of marked economic growth and financial restructuring, the Russian economy is now in a strong position to capitalise on direct investment from foreign shores, reports Paul Forrest.

The tiny country of Moldova has its eye on the foreign capital flowing into neighbouring economies, and is hoping for a piece of the pie, writes Courtney Fingar.

Extremadura’s proximity to Madrid, Lisbon and Seville combined with its diverse range of industries, from R&D and IT to mining and biotechnology, has meant that investors can no longer ignore Spain’s rising star, says Jules Stewart.

Junta de Extremadura President Guillermo Fernández Vara tells Jules Stewart how the Spanish region’s plans for its industry and tourism sectors will finally shake off the negative stereotypes of its past.

Resilux established its inaugural overseas production unit in Extremadura, attracted by the region’s stable environment, significant export network and the pace at which local officials make decisions.

Report urges raising of total number of firms that export at expense of assistance for existing large exporters.

Remember when we used to hear a lot about e-business? Well, thankfully the ‘e’ has been dropped and we are back to business – a sure sign that we are fully comfortable with the digital world, which is now a vital part of all our business activities.

Geneva has landed two regional headquarters facilities of US companies. Minnesota-based grains, food and energy company CHS and Diebold, an Ohio-based provider of integrated self-service delivery, security systems and services, will set up their European, Middle East and African (EMEA) headquarters in the Swiss city.

Wyeth, one of the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare product companies, plans to invest more than €24m in the establishment of a new Pharmaceutical Development Centre at its Wyeth Medica Ireland facility in Newbridge, County Kildare.

Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham spent several years as the spokesman for British business. He tells Courtney Fingar how his government role promoting trade and investment is not so different.

During his visit to the UK in November, Hungarian prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány sat down with Courtney Fingar to discuss which sectors the country is concentrating on in terms of encouraging investment.

The Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey supports potential investors without discrimination of sector or origin, its chairman Alpaslan Korkmaz tells Metin Demirsar.

The Kosovo question continues to hang over the region. But fears of instability must be considered in the light of the Balkans’ good progress towards EU membership. Tom Blass reports.

Recovering from its war-damaged image, in terms of investor attraction Serbia is benefiting both from being outside the EU and from its prospective accession, as well as from its location and improving standards of business governance. By Tom Blass.

Macedonia is making economic and social progress,but its destiny is highly dependent on events and actors elsewhere in the region, writes Tom Blass.

Though small and sometimes overlooked, Macedonia has shown it can attract a diverse portfolio of investors, writes Tom Blass.

A KPMG study shows that European Commission proposals for a harmonised corporate tax system are welcome.

High tech is technology at the cutting edge. Think of high tech industries and you imagine people playing around with 3-D computer images or people with white lab coats and protective glasses concocting new formulae. In Europe, however, they also wear lumberjack shirts and safety helmets and mining boots.

US-based internet search company Google is on a hiring spree in Europe as it seeks to expand its employee base in the region to help it adapt its product suite to local markets.

Manchester has overtaken Birmingham in this year’s UK Cities Monitor business survey, which ranks the country’s major cities against a number of criteria that are considered essential for good business.

IN a breakfast meeting at Bercy, the finance ministry’s Paris headquarters, French finance minister Christine Lagarde talks to Courtney Fingar about the tax and labour reforms being pursued by the Sarkozy administration.

State-of-the-art office space construction in Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city, is attracting record investment from the likes of the Carlyle group, writes Karen Thuermer.

Euratlantic, a grouping of 13 regions in the western-most countries of Europe, is forging a common identity in order to attract US investment.

Wendy Atkins reports.

The UK’s Ebbsfleet International railway station in north Kent will provide faster access to The Thames Gateway, Europe’s biggest regeneration project, writes Peter Prowse.

Where does Europe begin and where does it end? According to an old Austrian saying, it ends somewhere south of Vienna. Maybe so in the past, but now Europe spreads much further, and grows bigger by the day.

Is manufacturing in Europe a picture of gloom or glitter, or somewhere in between?

The optimists are winning and the numbers look good: the latest monthly Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index shows almost two years of continued growth, and employment at its highest since 2000.

London is on top of the world. It continues to lead over the Big Apple as the number one international financial services centre. The recent Global Financial Centres Index produced by Z/Yen, places London at number one with the other only truly global centre – New York – at number two.

Remember the wild days of the dot-com boom, when the internet would change everything? They said geography was dead and distance did not matter. Pure shenanigans… or is there something in it?