Foreign investors ploughed more than £1bn into Merseyside and the North West in 2012, new data reveals.

Using data from Experian, accountancy firm Deloitte calculated that overseas investors spent £1.15bn across 52 deals in the region during the year.

And the North West Cross-Border Deals Radar also found that North West businesses themselves conducted 29 deals overseas with a total value of £406m.

Investments into Merseyside included the acquisition of a minority stake in the Liverpool-based Real Good Food Company by Mauritius-based Omnicane in a transaction worth £2.4m and France’s Microwave Vision Group bought St Helens-based Rainford EMC Systems.

Deals overseas included Warrington-based Secured Mail acquiring the downstream access division of German-owned DHL Global Mail UK in January last year.

Paul Lupton, corporate finance partner at Deloitte in the North West, said: “The North West is the leading UK region outside London for merger and acquisition activity and has been for some time.

“This data shows how outside investors view the region as a key location to invest in.
 
“Despite the reservations of some, who view takeovers from abroad with suspicion, we should be pleased that our region is considered a worthwhile location to invest in, particularly at a time when the UK economy is struggling.

“The data show that bidders from buoyant economies like China, India and Turkey invested in the North West during 2012.”

Europe was the leading region for investors buying North West targets, accounting for 23 deals (44% of the total number), followed by the US (seven deals, 13%), India (three deals) and Japan and the UAE (two deals each).