The geography of foreign investment in OECD member countries : How investment promotion agencies support regional development

Foreign direct investment (FDI) can play a major role in supporting regional development, but it can also exacerbate existing regional disparities. This paper explores the geography of FDI disparities in OECD member countries, across countries and over time, as well as the role of investment promotion and facilitation. It reviews the governance settings, co-ordination mechanisms and strategic approaches used in national investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and presents classifications of countries based on the regional disparities of FDI and selected IPA characteristics.