Dynamic Edinburgh ranked 12th in investment index of European cities

Edinburgh ranks as the 12th most dynamic city in Europe, according to a new investment index.

Edinburgh Old Town skyline from Princes street. Picture Ian Rutherford

Savills Investment Management’s Dynamic Cities index rated 130 European cities across six different categories and assigned an overall score to highlight those with solid foundations for commercial property growth. It aims to draw attention to places which encourage wealth and population growth by being able to attract and retain talent, drive innovation and increase ­productivity.

London topped the rankings for the second year running, with Cambridge, Oxford and Bristol also making the top 20.

In addition to being ranked as the 12th most dynamic city overall, the Scottish capital achieved fifth place in the inclusion table, which measured a city’s diversity, public transport and cost of living.

Edinburgh also ranked ­seventh for inspiration, which was defined by the number of cafes, green spaces and ­cultural amenities such as museums. The four other ­categories were innovation, interconnection, investment and infrastructure.

Irfan Younus, head of research, Europe, at Savills IM, said: “Beating the likes of Frankfurt, Vienna, Madrid and Barcelona, Edinburgh’s success as a dynamic city shows it’s punching well above its weight and is well placed to grow in influence over the coming years. The city’s high score for both inclusion and inspiration are two major factors that will make it increasingly attractive for commercial property investment.”

The index made particular reference to the city’s commitment to the arts and culture, its stable to positive population growth forecast, and the likelihood of residents to engage in community activities.

Younus said: “Europe’s most dynamic cities are creating environments that encourage and celebrate diversity, which is something we are seeing increasing evidence of in Edinburgh.

“The city has what it takes to attract investors, namely infrastructure investment projects, fast-growing knowledge networks, high quality universities, innovative businesses drawing from a global talent pool and strong cultural amenities to help retain that talent.

“Our Dynamic Cities index identifies cities with sound fundamentals which are best placed to take advantage of developments such as urbanisation, the knowledge economy and technological change.”

Edinburgh scored higher than Copenhagen and Madrid, which placed 14th and 20th, respectively.