2015 was a record-breaking year for foreign direct
investment (FDI) in Scotland, according to the
2016 EY Scotland Attractiveness Survey.
Scotland retained its position as the top location in the UK
outside London for FDI with a record level of investment projects
won; total FDI projects are up by 51% and job creation up 52% in
2015.
2015 was also a record year for Scotland in attracting R&D
inward investment; with 23 individual projects, up from 17 in
2014. Scotland is now the top UK region for R&D
projects.
Notably, Scotland's share of FDI projects is also increasing; in
2015 Scotland won 11.2% of all FDI projects into the UK, up from
5.9% in 2005. In terms of projects secured, Scotland has three
cities in the UK top 10, with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen
featuring in third, sixth and tenth place respectively.
The top five countries investing in Scotland in 2015 were the
USA, France, Germany, Norway and Canada. Paul Lewis, Managing
Director of
Scottish Development International, said: "We continue to
promote Scotland as a country which is brilliantly connected for
business, in sectors such as technology, life-sciences and
financial services, where Scotland is internationally
competitive."