UK named top European country for foreign IT investment

The UK has been named the most attractive European country for foreign firms to invest in computer hardware and software development, according to a new survey.

London, meanwhile, was named the top city in the eighth annual Ernst & Young European Attractiveness Survey, securing investment in 12 hardware projects and 49 software projects in 2009.

The report examines figures for international investments into Europe. Despite the economic downturn, the region still secured 3,303 investment announcements, down from 3,718 in 2008, a modest 11 per cent decline.

As a whole, the UK attracted foreign direct investment in 119 software projects – 17 more than it secured the year before. In hardware computing, meanwhile, foreign direct investment funded 17 major projects, more than double 2008’s figure. American firms were the biggest investors in British software and hardware ventures.

See the ‘attractiveness charts for hardware and software investment below.

Software cities:

1. London
2. Paris
3. Munich
4. Dublin
5. Frankfurt
6. Madrid
7. Warwick
8. Toulouse
9. Belfast
10. Copenhagen

Software countries:

1. UK
2. France
3. Germany
4. Spain
5. Ireland
6. Netherlands
7. Switzerland
8. Italy
9. Belgium
10. Denmark

Hardware cities:

1. London
2. Lyon
3. Evry
4. Boulogne
5. Budapest
6. Ayr
7. Magor
8. Riga
9. Moscow
10. Cambridge

Hardware countries:

1. United Kingdom
2. France
3. Spain
4. Germany
5. Belgium
6. Hungary
7. Russia
8. Romania
9. Switzerland
10. Slovakia