New jobs, facilities and funding are being announced today as Northern Ireland opens its doors to global investors at the Northern Ireland Investment Summit.
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Around 200 investors from across the world including the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific will attend the Summit which aims to turbocharge inward investment into Northern Ireland.
It comes as professional services firm EY announces 1,000 new jobs in Northern Ireland over the next five years, opening up new and exciting employment opportunities. Once in place, the jobs are expected to contribute at least £33 million in annual salaries to the NI economy.
Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch said: "Northern Ireland is one of the most exciting places to invest in the world, with its unique trading position and deep expertise in industries of the future.
"Today’s Summit is crucial to tapping into the huge potential that Northern Ireland has and the opportunities it holds for global investors, the people of Northern Ireland and the wider world."
Hosted by the Department for Business and Trade, the Northern Ireland Office and Invest Northern Ireland alongside local partners and Citi, today’s Summit will encourage new investment into Northern Ireland by showcasing companies and opportunities in its renowned sectors of expertise.
Industry led sessions throughout the day will focus on advanced manufacturing and engineering, technology, financial and professional services, the green economy, and the life and health sciences sector.
The Summit is part of efforts to support the Prime Minister’s commitment to grow the economy, turn the UK into a tech and science superpower, and make us the best place in Europe to invest.
The UK is already the top destination on the continent for greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI), we have the third highest FDI stock in the world, and the UK is only the third country in the world to have a $1 trillion tech sector.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton Harris said: "Hundreds of investors from around the globe will today experience first hand the expertise, innovation and unique opportunities that Northern Ireland has to offer.
"The productive, global relationships built in this room today will benefit Northern Ireland businesses and communities for years to come.
"I’m proud that Northern Ireland’s rich potential is being boosted by UK Government funding. This Summit is a fitting celebration of Northern Ireland’s bright future during the 25th anniversary year of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement."
This week a project led by Belfast based maritime technologies firm Artemis Technologies Ltd has been awarded £15.5m to develop electric passenger vessel services in Orkney as part of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) scheme, designed to support the design and development of near commercial clean maritime solutions.
And today, Northern Ireland Catagen, Terex and Wrightbus have been awarded a share of nearly £26m from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Red Diesel Replacement (RDR) competition.
The three firm consortium has been awarded more than £6 million in grant funding to test e diesel and hydrogen dispensing technologies in quarrying.
19 showcase companies from across Northern Ireland will also exhibit to global investors, including Derry Londonderry Respiratory Analytics, Collins Aerospace in Kilkeel, and Ballymena Wrightbus. ■