Presenting a rich collection of insights into investment by foreign corporations into different types of cities around the world, Foreign Direct Investment and Cities uses original and revelatory case studies to help readers to turn theory into practice.
The book offers a structured set of case study chapters, with a diversity of location, setting, and industry, focus on macro-, meso-, and micro-level factors, and outcomes in economic and non-economic terms. The chapters are authored by a diverse collection of international experts. The text is also supported by digital learning resources, including PowerPoint slides and video clips.
Foreign Direct Investment and Cities will be relevant to courses in international business and economic geography and will be key reading for academic researchers in business schools and wider social sciences, as well as the global practitioner community in investment promotion.
Edited by:
Christopher Williams,
Martin Kaspar
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9781032774817
ISBN 10: 1032774819
Pages: 284
Publication Date: 29 July 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Introduction. PART I: Cities in Advanced Economies as Locations for FDI 1. Case 1: London’s Royal Albert Dock redevelopment: a Chinese dream turned nightmare (Jacopo Dettoni) 2. Case 2: Gorillas in New York: The Role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the expansion of delivery services (Petra Smith) 3. Case 3: Building the shop window for inward investment into Cambridge, UK (Harriet Fear, Duncan McCunn and Christopher Williams) 4. Case 4: From Nokia to Unicorns, the Evolutions of FDI in the Helsinki Region (Michel Lemagnen) 5. Case 5: The failure of China State Grid in acquiring Eandis in Flanders: A marriage takes more than two (Haiyan Zhang and Zhiping Zhu) PART 2: Cities in Transition and Emerging Economies as Locations for FDI 6. Case 6: The evolution of FDI across the value chain –Johannesburg (South Africa) (Davide Castellani, Katiuscia Lavoratori and Frans Van der Colff) 7. Case 7: FDI-led development in Ho Chi Minh City (Tom Becker) 8. Case 8: International Capital, National Politics and Investment in Secondary Cities in Africa:The Case of the Stalled Bagamoyo Port Project in Tanzania (Kristian Hoelscher) 9. Case 9: From coal town to Esports hub: Katowice’s path to post-industrial revival (Alex Irwin-Hunt) PART 3: Technology, FDI and Cities 10. Case 10: Hi-tech investment in Paris (Ana Colovic) 11. Case 11: Attracting Cutting-Edge Technologies to Local Ecosystems - the Scaleup Landing Pad Hamburg (Joachim Arnold) 12. Case 12: Tel Aviv - Yafo: The Rise of a Start-Up Powerhouse attracting Global FDI (Ruxandra Steriu) 13. Case 13: Inward Greenfield R&D Foreign Direct Investment and the Development of Shenzhen’s Innovation Ecosystem (Ludan Wu and Dylan Sutherland) 14. Case 14: Foreign Direct Investment, international collaboration and knowledge community development: a case study of Suzhou Industry Park (Juana Du and Charles Krusekopf) PART 4: Sustainable Development and Resilience in Cities through FDI 15. Case 15: Diffusing water management know-how between a French MNE and an Indian utilities company in Chennai, India: la mayonnaise n'a pas pris (Akil Amiraly) 16. Case 16: FDI on the Frontlines: Kingspan’s Wartime Investment in Lviv (Courtney Fingar) 17. Case 17: Revitalizing Teesside, UK: The Remarkable Journey from Loss-Making Steelworks to a Renewable Energy Hub through FDI and Local Government Support (Maurice Wokke)18. Case 18: Going for Green: Competing for Green FDI Projects in the Nordics (Iiris Saittakari and Douglas van den Berghe). Concluding comments.
Christopher Williams (PhD) is Professor in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship and International Business Department at ESSCA School of Management in Paris. His research interests include international strategy, innovation in international firms and contexts, R&D and organizational resilience. Martin Kaspar (PhD) is Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development at Fränkische Industrial Pipes, a German Mittelstand’s company and hidden champion in the automotive industry, where he is primarily responsible for internationalization projects.
Reviews for Foreign Direct Investment and Cities: Global Case Studies for Theory and Practice
“In the International Business (IB) field there is an increasing emphasis on the societal impacts of IB (including its interactions with government policies and geopolitical relationships), and on the role of IB at the level of cities. This book nicely brings these themes together through some rich case study comparisons.” John Cantwell, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University, US “As the saying goes, “all politics is local”. This book brings an extremely useful collection of stories of regional / city foreign direct investment experiences. Fascinating real-life stories told by experts from different regions of the world, inviting a reflection on challenges and successes. And they are fun to read too!” Victor do Prado, SciencesPo Paris, former Director of Council and Trade Negotiations Committee at the WTO “The authors have put together a remarkable collage of FDI case studies on a city/regional level that can serve as roadmap and offer invaluable lessons to many local and regional IPA’s on how to focus resources, shape strategy and win in the highly competitive FDI attraction contest.” Viktor Mizo, Vice President Government Affairs at Kostal Group and former CEO of Invest in Macedonia “FDI has the potential to reinvent cities and regions, and this book captures that dynamic perfectly. Its practical and academic perspectives make it an indispensable guide for understanding the evolving world of investment.” Andrew Wrobel, Chief Reinvention Officer, Emerging Europe
