Marine and air freight services, waste management and education are just some of the areas in which Sharjah is leading the way not only in the United Arab Emirates, but throughout the whole of the Middle East.

As animosity between North America and China grows, North America is being increasingly protectionist in its FDI policies, which Chinese investors are rebuffing with claims that they lack clarity and transparency.

Francesco Starace, CEO of Italy-based renewable energy company Enel Green Power, tells Barbara Njau where he sees the sector heading in 2013 – and where growth opportunities lie.

Businesses in Pittsburgh are rising to the green-technology challenge by constructing zero-impact buildings using locally sourced materials.

Built on steel and coal, Donetsk Oblast has a long history of industry, but now the region is looking to diversify its offerings. With investment opportunities in new technologies, tourism, logistics and warehousing, backed up by political will, the region looks set to prosper.

Dubai's economy has long been dependent on its real estate and tourism sectors but, in a bid to diversify, the emirate has started focusing on logistics, financial services and energy, with government-backed initiatives – including an airport city, a financial free zone and a new solar park – driving the rapid growth of each of these sectors.

Renewable energy is an increasingly convincing value proposition, not just for governments looking to become energy independent, but for private sector investors too.

As North America and Europe slow down, Sigieri Diaz Pallavicini, CEO of Greentech Energy Systems, says that the company must be selective with its investment and expand its focus to new geographies.