Why Leeds has been named as one of best cities in the UK for foreign investment

Leeds has been named as one of the best-performing cities in the country for attracting direct foreign investment (FDI), with investment from overseas into Yorkshire having surged by 20 per cent in a year – creating 1,504 jobs in the process.
By Mark Casci
Published 28th May 2020, 05:21 BST

The city was ranked as the sixth best-performing place in the UK outside of London with 20 FDI projects in the city in 2019, according to the EY 2020 UK Attractiveness Survey.

One in three FDI projects in Yorkshire was made in Leeds in 2019 and it was the only town or city in the region to make the national top 10. Within the region, Sheffield was second placed with seven projects, while Hull, York and Wakefield won two each, and Grimsby recorded one project.

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The total number of FDI projects in the wider Yorkshire & Humber region was 59, up 20 per cent on the previous year and placed the region sixth in terms of total projects secured, but well above the national increase rate of 5.2 per cent.

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The estimated number of jobs secured by investments in Yorkshire & Humber in 2019 stood at 1,504, up from 1,345 in 2018.

Elsewhere in the region, Rotherham grew its number of projects from zero in 2018 to five in 2019, placing the city at joint 20th for number of projects alongside Crewe.

Sheffield increased its number of projects from six to seven in 2019, equalling the city’s decade high set in 2015.

The leading sector generating inward investment into Yorkshire & Humber during 2019 was digital.

The United States and Germany were found to be the most common origins of the investments.

Related topics:LeedsYorkshireSheffieldRotherhamHumberYorkLondon