Mabel Causarano, Paraguay’s minister of culture, is also involved in securing investment for the rejuvenation of capital city Asuncion's historic centre. She believes this will act as a catalyst to a wider regeneration of Paraguay, as Jason Mitchell discovers.

Chile's FDI performance over the past decade has been hugely impressive. However, wary of its inadequate infrastructure and expensive energy prices, the country's government is keen to attract further foreign investment as a way of solving these problems.

The glut of free-trade agreements that Chile has with upwards of 60 countries gives its companies – particularly its SMEs – access to a potentially huge customer base, something the county's government is encouraging them to take advantage of.

Chile is undergoing a period of significant change as its government, led by president Michelle Bachelet, looks to implement new reforms across a range of sectors from education to taxation, in a bid to bolster the country's position as one of the leading investment destinations in Latin America.

Special economic zones are being developed across Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent states. Their success will rest on their ability to overcome bureaucracy and customs issues. Jason Mitchell reports on the effects across the region.

The Finnish city of Tampere is finding that a firm focus on its strengths in research and technology, and close collaboration between business and its universities, is helping it to ride the tech wave as well as stabilise its local job market.

The decline of once-dominant telecommunications giant Nokia had grim repercussions for the Finnish city of Tampere, in which it employed 4000 people at its peak. However, with an educated, highly skilled workforce, and its innovative streak still fully intact, Tampere is filling the 'Nokia gap' with a number of exciting projects.