Stockholm crowned as the 4th best European city of the future as foreign direct investments swell.

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The survey conducted by the Financial Times and trade journal FDI Magazine is based on a set of criteria in the areas of economic potential, human resources and infrastructure. Stockholm advanced to 4th place overall from the 21st place in the previous survey. Only London, Paris and Moscow was ahead of the Swedish capital.

The Stockholm region was experiencing increase in the foreign direct investments since last year.

Most foreign investment in Stockholm last year was in information and communication technologies. Asia is an increasingly important business partner, as much as 60 per cent of the investments came from China, Japan and India.

“Now it is more about China, India, Brazil, the Middle East, not so much as the U.S. and Europe", says Per-Erik Sandlund, director general of the Invest in Sweden Agency, according to Stockholm News.

Stockholm is also one of the ten richest regions in the EU, according to figures from statistics agency Eurostat, as the city has weathered the recession much better than many other European regions.

“Stockholm has a well diversified industry, with everything from information and communication technology and life science companies, to finance and automotive," says Olle Zetterberg, CEO of the municipal company Stockholm Business Region.