With vast expanses of fertile land, a large labour force and a close proximity to raw materials, Ukraine's argiculture sector has enormous promise, and with global food shortages and price spikes, the time appears ripe for it to realise this potential. But first it must attract investors, and to do that it must reform its land policies.  

The Arab Spring protests, and the months of political instability that followed, slowed FDI inflows into north Africa. But rather than pulling out of the region entirely, many investors simply put their projects on hold or moved into other more stable economies such as Morocco and Algeria.

Ukraine has long been a sleeping giant of Europe. Strategically located with a large, skilled workforce and huge potential in the energy and agriculture sectors, foreign businesses are sitting up and taking notice of the country. All it needs is investment in basic infrastructure and logistics – and to press ahead with improvements to the investment environment.

South Korea has seen its export-focused economy slow in the global economic downturn, leading its government to launch a fiscal stimulus package to encourage growth and leaving investors hoping that the country can regain its momentum in the long term.

Ukraine's universities are producing tens of thousands of multi-lingual graduates every year, particularly in technology-related subjects. This, combined with low labour costs, is drawing the attention of a number of international companies.

The recent discovery of oil in Uganda has the potential to transform the country. However, its finance minister is keen to avoid the mistakes of others, and any oil revenues will be spent on public services and transforming the country's export strategy into a more Africa-centric one.

Despite a slight slowing in the first half of 2012, Latin America's software, IT and communications sector has been showing impressive growth in recent years, with Brazil being the star performer. 

A three-way management structure and an increasingly competitive market have provided a multitude of challenges for rail operator Eurostar. Now the liberalisation of the European passenger rail market is set to create yet more challenges, as well as opportunities, according to the company's chairman, Richard Brown.