This Irish city has just been chosen as the best in Europe for business friendliness

Cork has also been ranked as one of the overall top 25 European Cities of the Future 2018/19 by the Financial Times’ fDi magazine

The south west region was named above global cities such as Copenhagen, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Zurich.

The "small city" category covers cities with a population of 100,000 to 350,000.

The fDi’s European Cities and Regions of the Future, which presents a league table of the most attractive locations in Europe for inward investment, is published every two years.

Furthermore, Cork was also included in the top ten small European cities for economic potential  - ranked 8th in European small regions of the future.

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Tony Fitzgerald said that Cork is proud of its "remarkable FDI success".

"Global giants including Apple, Intel, Boston Scientific, BNY Mellon and Huawei have significant and established operations in Cork.  We’re also attracting a new wave of leading investors in highly active sectors such as cyber, tech and pharma," he said.

Cork City Council Chief Executive Ann Doherty added that the city "is a place of collaboration and connectivity where businesses are enabled to grow and succeed".

Meanwhile, Limerick city has been named European City of the Future in the 'Micro City' category as well as ranking first for Business Friendliness and FDI Strategy in its population category.

Overall, the city is ranked 16th in the European Cities of the Future 2018/19, while obtaining a spot in the Top 10 Best Northern European Cities, a list which features London, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Dublin and Stockholm.

Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Stephen Keary said Limerick's international recognition "can only further boost the efforts to promote Limerick’s attractiveness as an investment location".

Dr Pat Daly Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Economic Development with Limerick City and County Council said that the council is "particularly pleased with winning the Best FDI Strategy category also as these recognise the work being undertaken to attract foreign investment into Limerick".

"FDI is a highly competitive business and having our work independently validated and awarded gives us an advantage when we pitch for future investments," he said.