GDP Europe

GDP Global specialises in European Trade and Investment promotion

From our UK base and with associates throughout Europe, our experience in promoting nations, cities, regions, business and science parks and industrial zones is unmatched in quality and depth.

GDP’s European Experience

GDP Global was founded in 1999 as a European company headquartered in London. We also have representatives in Estonia, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey. Our network of contacts with investment and trade promotion agencies, consultants and industry groups spreads across the continent.

Examples of our Consulting Work for European Clients

A selection of our consulting experience.

GDP’s IPA Performance and E-communications Benchmarking Programme. This unique multi-client benchmarking programme has supported more than 200 IPAs since 2002, to understand how they excel, and where they can improve.

Spain: A study on the potential for attracting foreign investment from the strategic sectors of the Regional Strategy Development Plan and to identify specific business opportunities in the Renewable Energy and Agroindustry subsectors for the Sociedad de Desarrollo de Navarra, SODENA (2020).

Austria: An FDI lead generation project in the UK on behalf of ecoplus International, the business promotion agency for Lower Austria in the following sectors – Materials, Medical Engineering, Surfaces, Tribology, Sensors, Actuator Engineering, Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing (2019).

Sweden: Midsweden – Jämtland Härjedalen review and development of investment value propositions, competitive regional positioning statements, strategic economic goals, FDI objectives, investor targeting and KPIs, current performance. Also a review of marketing brochures, resources, budgets, in comparison to similar other tech-driven city regions (2018).

UK: Built a database of 350 companies and secured 10 qualified leads with potential to invest in building new facilities, or HQ operations in energy and environment, health and med-tech and technology sectors for Keele University Science and Business Park in the UK (2017-18).

Sweden: Feasibility Study Focusing on Regional Inward Investment for the Härnösand Municipality on behalf of Västernorrland County in Sweden (2015).

Analysis of inward investment opportunities from the UK in the Creative, Biotech, Medtech, Precision engineering, Financial Services and Mechanical engineering sectors coupled with an investment promotion and marketing plan on behalf of

Switzerland Developed the UK FDI strategy and targeting database for Switzerland Global Enterprise (2014).

Sweden: Strategic and Operational Due Diligence and Investment Promotion Training for Invest in Skåne (2013-14).

UK: Investment Promotion Agency Marketing and Communications Benchmarking Research for UK Trade & Investment focused on the advanced manufacturing, construction, creative industries, energy, environment, financial services, ICT, Life Sciences and Agribusiness sectors and benchmarking against key competitors (annually, from 2010 to 2013).

Spain: Technical support for participation in international events to attract foreign investment in the agribusiness sector for the Agrifood City of Tudela in Spain (2011-12).

Spain: Technical advice on the attraction of FDI provided to the Sociedad de Desarollo de Navarra (SODENA) in Spain. This included investor targeting strategies, proposition-based marketing, and support for business development and investor relations (2010-12)

Spain: Image Audit of Madrid as an FDI destination, including a study of foreign companies’ perceptions of the city, on behalf of PromoMadrid (2011).

Spain: Technical assistance for the establishment of a regional investment promotion agency, the Instituto de Promoción Exterior (IPEX) – Invest Castilla-La Mancha in Spain (2006-2009).

Spain: Advisory consulting services to support the management team during the start-up phase of “Invest in Spain” during the start-up phase of the organisation, now known as the Instituto de Comercio Exterior or ICEX (2006).

Czech Republic: Advice on FDI strategy development and performance improvements for the Czech Republic. This included investor targeting strategies, an action plan, performance benchmarking and an in-house team building and training workshop in Prague (2006).

Iceland: Study of Non-Traditional Sub-sectors and Unique Business Opportunities to Attract FDI on behalf of Invest in Iceland (2005).

Ireland: Networking strategies and investor targeting programme developed and implemented for Shannon Development Ireland and the Ireland Shannon Free Zone (2004).

Delivering Training for European Economic Promoters

A selection of our training experience in and with European Clients

GDP Global’s flagship Complete Investment Promotion Programme: a comprehensive 4 or 5-day training, held once or twice a year since 2004, in London. This programme has served the needs of over 450 Investment Promotion Agencies from Europe and around the world.

International Investment Promotion Programme for Invest in Samara, Russia, (2018).

Investment Promotion Training for officials from the City of Sheffield in the UK (2017).

Investment Promotion and International Marketing Programme for the Stockholm Business Alliance in Sweden (2015).

Delivery of a national investment promotion training plan for the Moldovan Investment and Export Promotion Organization (MIEPO) and local authority officials in Moldova (2014).

Securing Investment for Turkey Programme, Istanbul. Included strategies and best practices in investment attraction and a strategic workshop to identify investment opportunities (2013).

Securing investment for Serbia Programme, Belgrade. Focused on best practice in investment promotion for the Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency, SIEPA (2013).

Winning Investment for Gävleborg: best practice investment promotion workshop programme and regional strategic session, Sweden (2013).

Emerging markets and non-traditional forms of FDI – a one day workshop held in London for CEOs of UK Trade & Investment, Invest in Denmark, Invest in Finland, Business Sweden, and Innovation Norway (2013).

International Investment Promotion Programme for officials from Novi Sad, Serbia (2011).

International Investment Promotion Programme for officials from Adana, Turkey (2010).

International Investment Promotion Programme for Invest in Spain. A 3-day training workshop for recent recruits to the newly established agency (2006).

4-day International Investment Promotion Programme for FIPA, the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia-Herzegovina (2005).

3 day International Investment Promotion Programme for Czech Invest marketing staff (2005).

Investment Promotion Academy – staff development programme for personnel from MIDAS, the investment promotion agency for Greater Manchester in the UK (2005).

Contact us here for more information about how we can help you develop your strategy, measure or improve your operational performance, or develop the capacity of your staff please contact us here.