Atlanta among most competitive cities in the world

December 19,2013

Metro Atlanta ranks among the most competitive cities in the world when it comes to attracting companies and international investment, according to a new report from IBM Global Business Services and Site Selection Magazine.

Among 100 cities featured in “The World’s Most Competitive Cities” report (download here), metro Atlanta ranks in the top five nationally for international headquarters operations, shared services, software development operations and financial services.

The region is the sixth most competitive city in the country for life sciences R&D and production.

The report shows rankings of cities around the world based on their competitiveness for attracting international investment projects from several types of operations. Here is how Atlanta ranks globally and nationally in key categories:

International Headquarters

• No. 14 most competitive city in the world for international headquarters operations
• No. 3 most competitive city in the United States for international headquarters operations

Shared Service Centers

• No. 8 most competitive city in the world for shared services center operations
• No. 4 most competitive city in the United States for shared services center

Software Development

• No. 10 most competitive city in the world for software development operations
• No. 4 most competitive city in the United States for software development operations

Financial Services

• No. 10 most competitive city in the world for financial services operations
• No. 5 most competitive city in the United States for financial services operations

Life Sciences R&D and Production

• No. 27 most competitive city in the world for life sciences R&D and production
• No. 6 most competitive city in the United States for life sciences R&D and production

“Metro Atlanta has continued to lead as a top location for companies, both nationally and globally and our thriving business ecosystem and talent pool continue to be a draw for businesses looking to grow,” said Hans Gant, senior vice president of Economic Development for Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Atlanta is home to some of the biggest global companies, including GE, AGCO, NCR, Siemens and others. In fact, there are more than 2,800 foreign companies with operations and facilities in Atlanta, including IHG, Sany, Porsche North America, Yamaha and TOTO. With our unparalleled market access, through the world’s busiest airport, to our low cost of doing business, metro Atlanta remains a highly competitive region for investment and business growth.”