With the newly widened Panama Canal due to open in 2015, ports on the east coast of the US are jostling for position to ensure that they can cash in on the post-Panamax ships that will be able to access them. But with competition so fierce, and their west coast counterparts also upping their game, no clear front-runner has yet emerged.

An ever-rising population and unpredictable weather patterns are pushing the issue of food scarcity higher up the global agenda, with companies anxious to commercialise the rising demand for food and governments looking at ways to tackle the problems that are limiting production.

In the US, where tax policies are decided on a local rather than national basis, many states are using this power to attract investment. But how beneficial is this strategy in the long term?

German companies investing in the US are having to offer training to bring the local workforce up to German standards. 

Hong Kong's efforts to attract SMEs – global, Asian and Chinese – and its business-friendly policies are establishing the city-state as a major hub for such businesses.

The CEO of machining and assembled components supplier Metem tells fDi that innovation is at the core of his company's strategy, a mindset that enables its younger workers to thrive.

With global demand for new aircraft estimated to be 20,000 over the next 20 years, it is unsurprising that destinations the world over are queuing up to show off their credentials in the aerospace sector. But how many of them can provide the holy trinity of incentive programmes, close proximity to suppliers and customers, and a skilled employee base?