Manchester and London among the most influential cities in Europe

Manchester and London have been featured in a list of the most influential cities in Europe in research from commercial real estate company Colliers International. 

The Cities of Influence report looked at talent, location, affordability and low costs to find the top 20 most influential cities in Europe, with Manchester and London being the only two English cities to make the list.

Strong

Manchester came in third place, with the city scoring high for its strong latent talent, “future skills pool”, low costs and high affordability, whilst London earned first place on the list.

Paris was named the second most influential city in Europe, whilst Stockholm earned fourth place. Also featured on the list were Dublin and Munich, which came in fifth and sixth place respectively.

Commenting on the report, Colliers International described the findings as good news for the Northern Powerhouse policymakers.

Reputation

Commenting on Manchester’s ranking in the report, Colliers International Manchester Office Head, Andrew McFarlane, said that the city has worked hard to build its reputation as an international city.

“Over the past 20-plus years it has steadily grown and developed into the global player that it is today and that momentum is still building as Manchester cements its place at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse,” he said.

He said that what is encouraging about Colliers International’s report is that what has been clear to many in Manchester for a number of years is increasingly being recognised by an audience globally, adding that the city’s best days lie ahead.