What are the prospects for FDI growth in your region in 2002?

Foreign investment committee of Chile, Karen Poniachik, executive vice-president Cross-sector investments, including the automotive industry, in geographically isolated regions of Chile

FDI in Chile reached $5.5bn in 2001 (around 7.5% of our GDP), up from $3.7bn in 2000. Investment flows are difficult to predict, because large mergers and acquisitions can have an enormous impact. However, new investment in Chile during 2002 is expected to focus on the government’s infrastructure concessions programme and on the services and technology sectors.

Alberta Economic Development, Susan Henderson, director of investment attraction, Europe Sector targeted: biotechnology

Alberta has had the fastest growing economy in Canada over the past five years, with the annual real rate of growth averaging 4.5% attracting strong investment interest. Stronger than average FDI has occurred over the past few years because of substantial investments in Alberta’s oil sands. For 2002, Alberta is expected to be one of the top two provinces, with growth forecasts ranging from 2.1% to 4%.

Costa Rican Investment Board, Anabel Gonzalez, director-general Sector: information technology

We will continue working strongly in attracting companies in the IT sector, both for services and manufacturing. In this time of contraction in the high tech sector, particularly in the US, Costa Rica offers the opportunity to establish a competitive operation at competitive costs in a safe, stable and friendly country. That is why we expect continued FDI growth.

CzechInvest, Martin Jahn, chief executive officer, Sector: outsourcing – shared service centres

There has been steady growth in FDI, with an inflow of $44.6m in 2001. Looking at the FDI inward stock per capita as of 2000, with more than $2000 per head, the Czech Republic is the regional leader, overtaking Hungary and Poland. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the FDI inflow should continue growing, reaching $6.2bn this year.

Estonian Investment Agency, Andrus Viirg, director, Sector: information technology

We forecast a stable and continued growth of FDI in the Baltic Sea region. The privatisation process, which favoured foreign capital, is essentially over in Estonia. Some good clusters, like ICT and engineering, with the presence of international companies, are increasingly attracting players and linkages. This year several big greenfield projects may get under way.

Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency, Lajos Csősz, marketing director, Sector: automotive

By 2001, FDI had gone beyond e25bn in Hungary. The growth forecast annually is e1.6bn–e2.0bn in the next three years. Hungary is still the major country to attract FDI per capita in Central and Eastern Europe. Its productivity is also outstanding.

Invest Hong Kong, Mike Rowse, director-general, Sector: telecoms, IT, tourism, technology, financial services, business services, transportation

FDI flows to and from developing Asia reached record levels in 2000. With $64bn of FDI inflows, Hong Kong was the largest FDI recipient in Asia. Yet the 2001 World Investment Report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development says global flows of FDI are expected to decline in 2001 due to the decrease in cross-border M&As. That may continue in 2002.

Invest in Iceland, Gardar Ingvarsson, managing director, Sector: energy-intensive industries

Very good.

IDA Ireland, Brendan Halpin, marketing and services manager, Sector: IT, pharmaceutical/ health care/ financial and international services

The prospects for continued growth in Ireland are still good. Nevertheless, the global economic slowdown, and in particular the slowdown in the IT industry, will have an effect on all investment in Europe particularly from the US.

Jamaican Export & Investment Facilitation Agency, Julian J Robinson, manager, Sector: IT and international business, IT outsourcing

The prospects for FDI growth are attractive in this region, as the market for IT outsourcing is moving offshore from North America and the United Kingdom. Many investors have explored and made investments in Asia but they are continuing to look for other regions which possess a well-educated population and a good infrastructure, where cost savings can be derived.

Government of Trinidad & Tobago, Candyce Kelshall, commercial attache, Sector: down stream petrochemicals and chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, specialty chemicals, paints and cosmetics, perfumes and toiletries

We have the highest FDI per capita in all of Latin America and the Caribbean and we anticipate that this will remain so for quite some time into the future, based upon the dollar value of the projects currently in development.

Western cape Investment and Tarde Promotion Agency, Roland Hein, chief operating officer, Sector: automotive components

WESGRO currently has on its database, ‘investments in the pipeline’ worth around $181m, mostly in smaller less ‘lumpy’ investments (across a broad variety of industries) and the trend continues to be very positive, but incremental – that is a large number of relatively smaller investments.