Mapping of investment promotion agencies in OECD countries

Abstract

Investment is central to growth and sustainable development. It expands an economy’s productive capacity and drives job creation and income growth. Recognising this, governments around the world have established investment promotion agencies (IPAs) to create awareness of existing investment opportunities, attract investors that can foster job creation and productivity growth, and facilitate their establishment and expansion in the economy. This report provides an inventory of existing practices among IPAs in 32 OECD countries. This mapping exercise covers a wide range of areas pertaining to investment promotion and facilitation with a view to enhancing peer-learning amongst practitioners. It will allow practitioners and policy makers to benchmark their IPAs against those of other countries and help them to better grasp the similarities and differences across agencies. The report has been prepared in close consultation with IPAs and is based on an extensive survey designed and conducted in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Using the same survey, the OECD and the IDB are preparing a further report covering countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This IPA mapping report paves the way for further analytical and evidence-based investment promotion work on topics of interest to OECD and non-OECD countries. The report has been prepared by Alexandre de Crombrugghe, Peline Atamer and Monika Sztajerowska from the Investment Division of the OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, under the supervision of Ana Novik, Head of the Investment Division, and Stephen Thomsen from the Investment Division. Comments were received from Christian Volpe Martincus from the IDB. The report was supported by financial contributions from the IPAs of the Netherlands, Chile, Ireland, Sweden and Germany. MAPPING