State Street Global Advisors plans to launch a series of exchange-traded funds in Europe to boost its lowly position in the region.

SSgA is ranked the 17th largest provider in Europe, with assets totalling $1bn, according to a league table compiled by Deborah Fuhr, global head of ETF research at BlackRock. James Ross, SSgA global head of ETFs, said his company had a 10-year presence in Europe, but "we did not support our product enough", partly due to the credit crisis. It is the second largest ETF provider in the US.