Sister city partnerships are not in themselves conduits to economic flows. For both cities to benefit from a partnership, the coupling must be chosen carefully, with relevant connections between the two locations that can translate into real business opportunities.

Logistics and transport company Pilot Freight Services used the global recession to its advantage, expanding aggressively and taking on more staff, all with a view to providing a better service to its clients. The results so far suggest that this bravery has paid off.

The Netherlands is altering its business landscape by bringing in a series of laws intended to make it even easier for foreign companies to invest in the country.

By encouraging an interdisciplinary approach to production and a co-operative approach to research and development, Eindhoven in the Netherlands has transformed itself from a city reliant on the economic output of two companies to the home of a campus designed to inspire collaboration and innovation between the hundreds of companies based there.