The US midwest was hit hard during the financial crisis but an unlikely source is helping to spark its revival, with Chinese firms making their presence increasingly felt in the region with a series of investments

Businesses in Pittsburgh are rising to the green-technology challenge by constructing zero-impact buildings using locally sourced materials.

Antigua and Barbuda was a pioneering player in the online gaming industry, and can list a host of successes among its homegrown tech businesses. Now the launch of the country's Government Assisted Technology Endeavour looks set to enhance its reputation in the information and communications technology sector.

Antigua and Barbuda's farmers produce a wide variety of fruits in abundance, the vast majority of which is consumed locally. Steps have been taken to export these products, but the industry is very much in its early stages, meaning opportunities aplenty for investors.

Thanks to its profusion of sun-soaked beaches, tourism will always be a pillar of Antigua and Barbuda's economy, but its government is keen to diversify the country's appeal beyond traditional leisure tourism and into medical tourism and offshore learning. It has also proposed a new citizenship programme, aimed at attracting high-net-worth individuals to invest in the country.

Three US players in the automobile industry describe how they have fended off the economic downturn by investing in technology and realigning internal practices.

Panama's minister of economy and finance, Frank De Lima, explains how the increased capacity of the Panama Canal, coupled with an influx of investment into the country's mining sector, is offsetting any negative impact of the US recession on its dollarised economy.

Pittsburgh’s fertile environment of support, funding and intellectual capital is helping technology start-ups get a foothold in the world of business.