Munich: fifth place ranking for Asian investment in Europe

(May 24, 2005) Greater London, the Rhine/Ruhr and the Rhine/Main regions are the top recipients of the wave of Asian investment sweeping over Europe, according to a study completed in mid-April by Swartzberg GmbH.

These areas account for more than a fifth of the 885 subsidiaries founded in Europe by the 1500 top techs from Taiwan, China, South Korea, India and five other Asian countries. Trailing these top three regions are Paris and Munich.

Other findings of the study: the Asian companies set up subsidiaries in Europe at a 50%+ annual clip during the last three years. This rate will be sustained in 2005. Nearly half (47%) of the Asian techs are reporting plans to set up subsidiaries on the continent during the year. The Asian techs' current favorites in Europe: the Rotterdam and Eindhoven regions in the Netherlands, Germany central and eastern Europe.

The size and strength of the wave of Asian investment should not be allowed to obscure a key point. Europe is the last major international market to be taken on by the Asians. The first one was Asia itself. Some 72% of the Asian techs have established subsidiaries in other countries in their home continent. China (by far) and Japan lead in this regard. Number two: the USA, in which 39% of the Asian techs maintain subsidiaries. The comparable figure for Europe: 24%.

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