Derby's industrial excellence has never quite been reflected in its city centre's offering. However, a flurry of new office developments – as well as a resurgence of the city's residential market – look set to change all of that.

Though Derby may appear small when compared with other business hubs in the UK and Europe, this works to the city's advantage, as its business community is welcoming, interlinked and possesses a real zeal to move the city forward.

Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone covers three sites along the M1 motorway, with each site catering  for different business types. This, the chairman of Sheffield City Region’s LEP tells fDi, gives the zone an edge over its UK counterparts

The US city of Houston has a lot to offer as a business destination, as its strong record in FDI proves. Its only problem, says the city's mayor, Annise Parker, is in trying to shake off outdated negative perceptions.

The Russian city of Volgograd has traditionally shied away from promoting itself as an investment hotspot, despite boasting a large, educated workforce and being abundant in natural resources. However, this state of inertia is about to change.

Paris may attract the lion's share of France's FDI inflows, but the leaders of other French cities – Toulouse, Nice, Marseille and Lille – argue that there are just as many opportunities for investment elsewhere in the country, with specialist hubs and clusters growing in the life sciences, aerospace and textiles sectors.

At this year's MIPIM event in Cannes, France, fDi spoke to the leaders of five major UK cities – London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and Bristol – to hear about their strategies for promoting their cities to global investors.