There’s international recognition for the Midlands as an investment destination, as Athlone is again named a Top 10 City for Foreign Direct Investment for 2023 by FDI Intelligence from the Financial Times.
The influential rankings highlight the best and brightest among Europe’s Investment Destinations. This years report featured over 370 cities, from major cities such as Amsterdam, London and Dublin, to micro cities/towns such as Athlone, across the continent included in the influential rankings.
Athlone was named as a Top 10 Micro City in the Human Capital and Lifestyle category. Key to the ranking is the presence of Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone, the regions status as Ireland’s youngest region, as well as the strong quality of life metrics, with shorter commute times and a wealth of natural amenities on the doorstep such as Lough Ree on the River Shannon. All have made Athlone, and the broader Midlands region, a popular investment location for both FDI and indigenous Irish companies.
The results come as annual results from the IDA, Ireland’s inward investment agency, show the broader Midlands region recorded a 10.5% increase in FDI employment numbers last year, one of the fastest regional increases in the country. Major FDI announcements for the Athlone region for 2022 included 250 software engineering roles at the Ericsson Software Campus, and 170 roles at Enermech in the area of mechanical and electrical services for the energy sector. Industry Clusters in the Midlands region include Advanced Manufacturing, ICT, Engineering and Food & Drink. Learn more on smart specialisation in the Midlands here https://www.midlandsireland.ie/business/clusters/
Europe was the top region globally for FDI in 2022, despite a challenging year. Across the continent, the top 5 industries for FDI investment for 2022 were:
- Renewable Energy
- Transportation and Warehousing
- Software and IT Services
- Electronic Components
- Semi-conductors
To discover more about the Midlands region as an investment destination, visit our homepage https://www.midlandsireland.ie/ or to learn more about the IDA in the Midlands region visit https://www.midlandsireland.ie/work/ida-midlands/