Edinburgh wins European cities award a third time

SCOTLAND’S capital has been named the top mid-sized European city in a business publication’s awards.

The latest award adds lustre to Edinburgh's reputation as a business and tourism destination. Picture: Ian Georgeson

It is the third time Edinburgh has been ranked top of its category in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) magazine’s cities and regions of the future awards.

The city’s strategy for attracting foreign direct investment has also been ranked the best of any mid-sized European city.

The FDI uses official statistics and expert opinions to rank the European cities and regions with the best prospects for inward investment, economic development and business expansion.

Councillor Frank Ross, economy convenor for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh has enjoyed a number of triumphs in the past year, including new direct flights to Chicago, Istanbul, Toronto and Qatar; record ticket sales at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; and the excellent progress on key infrastructure works, including our soon-to-be launched tram line.

“We’ve also welcomed over 25 new foreign investors to the city, including the luxury Italian retailer Gucci, American pharma giant Johnson & Johnson, the Swiss food and drink company Nestle, Australian renewables company Carnegie Wave Energy and the Germany electronics designer Dialog Semiconductor.”

Mr Ross added: “I’m delighted that the city has received these awards. This follows on from our success in the inaugural fDi Innovation Awards last year, in which we were recognised for our strategy for attracting investment from China.”