Finding a chief executive who is not evangelical about emerging markets these days is like finding hens' teeth. Countries such as China and Brazil are expected to provide the lion's share of global growth in the coming years, so it is little wonder that businesses are trumpeting their plans to expand in such markets.

But which companies are going to do best in emerging markets? Not in terms of sector, but in terms of nationality: are Europeans better than Americans in emerging markets? Or, put another way: is a Siemens or Volkswagen more likely to succeed in India or Russia than a General Electric or General Motors?

European companies are going hell for leather in emerging markets. Companies such as Akzo Nobel, Philips and MAN – global leaders in paint, healthcare and trucks respectively – are all aiming to get half of their sales from such countries within the next few years. Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of Renault, says the French carmaker is investing nearly all its money in emerging markets currently.