London is Europe’s most attractive city for businesses and employees for the second year running, according to Colliers International’s latest European Cities of Influence report.
The report reviews and ranks cities based on their occupier attractiveness, availability of talent, and quality of life factors alongside economic output and productivity. Paris, Madrid, Moscow and Birmingham make up the rest of the top five.
David Hanrahan, co-head, London Agency and Development at Colliers International said; 'London has proved its resilience and magnetism as a global hub in the wake of the EU referendum with a diverse spectrum of investors and occupiers identifying the city as the best place in which to conduct their business. Concerns about a mass post-Brexit exodus from London to the Continent have been tapered as the market has rallied, with European businesses close to quadrupling their activity in London last year. This is indicative of the wider factors at play that influence employees and employers alike, not least, striking the right balance between talent, quality of life, cost and risk.'
The report demonstrates that the UK remains a highly desirable destination for capital and occupiers, largely driven by its magnetism as a centre of diverse high-quality service sector talent, which, in turn, is helping to drive economic output and productivity. Other UK cities which score in the top 10 include Birmingham (5th), Edinburgh (7th) and Manchester (10th).
Madrid jumps high up the rankings into 3rd place, despite being only 8th in the inaugural study in Q1 2017. This is the result of a shift in occupier strength and attractiveness which has also run hand-in-hand with a significant jump in investment volumes in Madrid over the last year. In 2017 Madrid recorded a 72% increase in acquisitions, making the Spanish capital the third-largest investment market in Europe for the first time as investors buy into the significant long-term potential of the city.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is Edinburgh, which is the only ‘small’ market (a population catchment of less than two million people) to make it into the top 10, despite not even been featured as a top 30 European investment market over the past decade.
'It is significant that the gold, silver and bronze positions in our Cities of Influence index mirror investment volumes over the course of 2017, suggesting that investor activity is becoming closer aligned to broader, long-term drivers of occupational growth,' explains Damian Harrington, head of EMEA research at Colliers International.
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