ATLANTA, November 3, 2015 – Site Selection magazine publisher Conway Inc., in concert with data and analysis contributors Moody's Analytics, Oxford Economics and Tractus Asia, has published the 2015 edition of The World's Most Competitive Cities, a unique index of recent economic development success and future potential in metro areas across the globe.
"World's Most Competitive Cities - 2015"
Combining real-world project data with focused area analysis, the report measures city performance across 12 business sectors central to national and regional economies. At the report's center is Conway Inc.'s proprietary Conway Projects Database, which tracks private-sector corporate facility investments worldwide.
"As they have since we launched the database years ago, those projects sketch out a landscape where dirt is turning, steel is going up and people are applying for work," said Adam Bruns, managing editor of Site Selection magazine and lead editor for the report.
To this data from thousands of investments the report adds real-world analytics to fill in the landscape of location decision-making with the colors, shades and textures that make certain geographies stand out for their attractiveness. The result is a measure of global metro-area competitiveness unlike any other.
"Metropolitan areas are the most dynamic component of any economy, and they are changing very rapidly," said Steve Cochrane, managing director at Moody's Analytics, a provider of global economic forecasts and analysis. "This report helps to understand the shifting industrial structure of metro areas around the globe, highlighting not only today’s well-known centers but also smaller metropolitan areas emerging as new global centers of industry and commerce due to investment and innovation."
"The report demonstrates that talent and investment continue to flow disproportionately to the most globally connected cities" said Dan Levine, practice leader, Location Strategies, at Oxford Economics, a firm whose models forecast economic performance in 200 countries, 100 industries and over 3,000 cities and regions. "The result is that these cities often have growth rates that are well in excess of their respective national economies."
Perched in some cases between presumed risk and perceived opportunity, some results in the rankings may raise an eyebrow. So too might some of the statistics and insightful quotes assembled in spotlights on the 79 cities that appear most frequently at the top of the sectoral rankings.
"Nowhere in the world has urbanization progressed faster than in Asia. Asia and Africa will dominate this demographic change for the foreseeable future," said Dennis Meseroll, co-founder and executive director of Tractus Asia. "Urbanization concentrates wealth, talent and knowledge and fosters an environment of innovation and growth when underpinned by the right government policies and regulatory environment. The next wave of economic growth in Asia will be driven by these factors in those metropolitan areas where the locational chemistry is just right."
"Though based on where real projects have occurred, the report is a forward-looking exercise, due to the need for long-term thinking by corporate leaders — even as their project completion timelines seem to grow shorter with each passing year," said Bruns. "Nothing can replace seeing a city for yourself. But the right sort of guide can give you a concise lay of the land before you get there. We hope this report proves a valuable tool in shaping influential readers' perspectives on global location decision-making."
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Conway, publisher of Site Selection magazine, the Conway Analytics Report and a family of online industry newsletters, has been a trusted advisor to corporations, government economic development and investment promotion agencies around the world since 1954. Conway owns and manages London-based Conway Events, organizer of worldwide FDI events; Berlin-based FDI advisory firm Terrain Consulting; and New York-based Conway PR & Marketing, a leading PR and lead-generation firm. Conway also manages the Industrial Asset Management Council and the Global FDI Association. Conway in 2013 launched a Custom Publishing Division that has published a number of prominent state economic development guides. Conway in 2015 cemented location advisory and lead generation cooperation agreements with Silverlode Consulting in the US and Tractus in Asia. Conway employs over 80 people in 10 offices in seven countries.
Contact:
Adam Bruns, Managing Editor, Site Selection magazine
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