Accomplishing a goal widely shared by emerging economies but achieved by few, East European countries attracted large amounts of FDI, especially export-oriented FDI, easing their transition from communist into market economies. This Perspective highlights key factors behind the EU11's success...

Countries offer hundreds of billions of dollars for semiconductor, electric vehicles and renewable energy projects, super-charging a global FDI incentives race. This Perspective suggests that countries providing incentives should do that in a manner that results in wider benefits for the host...

Large roles of foreign firms in Central and Eastern Europe are seen as risky and disconcerting to some. They, however, largely reflect FDI contributions critical for economic development ̶ and difficult to achieve with domestic resources ̶ which can continue in the foreseeable future.