ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part describes the degree of coordination of regional planning between the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg. It aims to compare the investment opportunities in the new Länder and Eastern Europe by analyzing investment conditions in the East German state of Thuringia and the Czech Republic. The part identifies the factors that US investors are likely to consider when selecting an investment location, including macroeconomic performance, infrastructure, the costs and quality of the labor force, corporate tax rates, the banking system, investment incentives, customer and market location, political stability, and the quality of life. Eastern Germany and Eastern Europe each offer favorable investment opportunities, but a US investor must be careful to evaluate the characteristics of each region in light of the investor's individual goals. The part concludes that eastern Germany and Eastern Europe each have specific advantages and disadvantages as investment locations.
