英国外资吸引力调查-48页_5mb

EY UK Attractiveness Survey Summary (2023)

2022 marked a challenging year for the UK in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), as project counts fell by 6.4% to a record low of 929. France led with 1,259 projects, widening the gap in the European market where UK’s share dropped to 15.6%. However, despite lower project volumes, the UK performed better on project value and jobs. It secured Europe's highest number of announced jobs at 46,779 and continued leading in attracting Headquarters (HQs) and R&D projects.

FDI Trends: Volume vs. Value

• Reduced Project Count: UK project numbers declined, reflecting Brexit uncertainty and economic headwinds. London saw a 24.1% decrease, reducing its project share from 40.9% to 32.2%.
• Stronger Project Quality: Despite fewer projects, UK investments emphasized quality over quantity, attracting higher-value projects such as R&D, manufacturing, and logistics.
• Sector Highlights: Digital technology (234 projects) and financial services (76 projects) led by sector value. Renewables and pharmaceuticals sectors also performed strongly among European peers.
• Regional Performance: Non-capital regions like Scotland significantly outperformed London, securing 126 projects (+3.3%) and an 13.6% UK market share.

Investors’ Perceptions

• Attractiveness Decline: The UK slipped to third place in Europe for perceived attractiveness as per investor surveys, behind Germany (62%) and France (49%).
• Intention to Invest Strong: Surprisingly, 65% of surveyed investors planned FDI in the UK—an all-time record—even as regional sentiment toward London declined.
• Key Drivers for Investment: Positive sentiment in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and finance sectors outweighed concerns about regulatory burdens elsewhere, with incentives and geographic rebalancing (levelling up) viewed as priorities.

Policy Recommendations

1. Geographical Rebalancing: Policy should focus on attracting investment to non-London regions via incentives, devolution of authority, local ecosystems, and infrastructure support.
2. Sustainability & CleanTech: The UK must leverage its leadership in green energy projects (37 renewable projects) to foster cleantech innovation, aligning with growing investor focus on ESG.
3. Skills & Digital Infrastructure: Address skilling deficits and bolster digital infrastructure, especially in high-growth sectors like AI and FinTech.
4. Brexit Regulatory Certainty: Reduce trade barriers and align regulatory frameworks to restore attractiveness for EU market-dependent investors.
5. Skills-Based Immigration Policy: Streamline immigration to attract international talent, a critical component for sustaining competitiveness.

Conclusion

While the UK’s headline FDI performance in 2022 was mixed, the underlying quality (value, skills, job creation) suggests resilience that can be built on. Policy should reflect sector and regional priorities while delivering stability to counter challenges like energy costs and talent shortages.