Belfast's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) strategy has been awarded second place at the Financial Times FDI Magazine Editor's Choice Awards today, 13 March.

The announcement was made at MIPIM, the world's top property development and investment event in Cannes, France, where Team Belfast lost out to Hong Kong.

The city collected a total of eight accolades, however, marking the fourth consecutive year of recognition at the ceremony. Among the awards was first prize for business friendliness.

Belfast's position is also secured in the Top 25 emerging and developing global markets, with the following positions secured on the mid and small sized cities leader board:

• Top 10 overall (#2)

• Top 10 economic potential (#5)

• Top 10 human capital and lifestyle (#3)

• Top 10 business friendliness (#1)

• Top 10 cost effectiveness (#6)

• Top 10 connectivity (#4) Editor's choice award FDi strategy #2

Councillor Dónal Lyons, Chair of Belfast City Council's City Growth and Regeneration said: "These fDI Magazine awards demonstrate just how far we've come on our journey to achieving inclusive regeneration in Belfast. We've still got a long way to go; but for now, this is welcome recognition of the energy that Team Belfast is investing on a daily basis, with strong partnership and collaboration in place across public, private and third sector to promote the city and region as a prime location for inward investment.

"Today's awards show we're on target to achieve our Belfast Agenda ambitions. Since 2015, £100m of office space has been developed, and there's currently another £100m under construction. We're focused on securing further investment so that our economy can support an additional 46,000 jobs, our city can become home to an additional 66,000 people, and every young person leaving school has the opportunity to fulfil his or her potential."

Councillor Lyons, who is leading the 98 strong Team Belfast MIPIM delegation added: "Investors are looking for connected, innovative and resilient cities with highly skilled workforces, extremely competitive prime office rates and a high quality of life for employees and their families. We're embracing new technology to help us share all the reasons why it makes great business sense to invest and locate in Belfast through an app, a touch screen map thanks to a partnership with Tourism NI, and VU city, a digital 3D model that gives interactive views of the city.

"We offer a connected, reliable outreach centre for businesses across the world, as well as globally recognised research centres in secure information technologies, cognitive robotics, renewable technologies and cancer research.

"Our office rents are half those of Dublin and one third of the rents in London. We're already home to 900 international companies and almost 75% per cent of new investors reinvest. We offer a great quality of life here. We're very fortunate to have access to green space, a thriving cultural scene and the countryside and seaside, which makes Belfast and the surrounding region a great place to live, work, study and visit.

"Taking all of these factors into consideration, I think Belfast has earned the global recognition here at MIPIM and we look forward to building on our successes with our wide range of private, public and third sector partners," concluded Councillor Lyons.



(JG/CM)