The competitive nature of investment promotion means that border cities still view their neighbours as rivals when it comes to investment promotion. But a handful of European border cities are bucking this trend.

The city of Katowice in southern Poland is reinventing itself, shedding its image as a mining town and diversifying into alternative sectors, according to mayor Piotr Uszok

Lublin province in south-eastern Poland is thinking outside its borders, its marshal, Krzysztof Hetman, tells fDi, thanks in no small part to a new airport and bridge connecting it with central Poland. 

Poland's minister of economy discusses with Michal Kaczmarski how the country's slowing growth is a 'problem' many of its European neighbours would like to have.

In stark contrast with the global decline in FDI, the number of FDI projects in Poland has increased in the first half of 2012, when compared to the same period in 2011.

The many advantages of public-private partnerships have seen the model utilised across the developed world. Now, countries in central and eastern Europe are looking to benefit from the model but governmental and legislative support can often be found lacking.

As the capacity for embassies and diplomats to target and attract investment grows, countries are becoming increasingly eager to restructure their operations in a bid to best utilise these new promotional agents.