Invest Northern Ireland Extolls Virtues of Province’s Burgeoning Aerospace Ecosystem

With Invest NI taking a well-organized and proactive approach, the industry in Northern Ireland is becoming stronger every year.

Reigning as Northern Ireland’s top population center, Belfast thrives after the “peace dividend” resulting from the end of “the Troubles” in the late 1990s. Aerospace has been a top beneficiary.

By Ian Sheppard

July 18, 2018

Peter Harbinson, executive director communications at Invest NI, told AIN that the province of Northern Ireland—part of the UK since 1921—has a population of 1.8 million, which is “one of the youngest and fastest growing in the UK.” The main population center is Belfast. Some 98 percent of companies have fewer than 50 employees, he added, with a strong focus on “private companies and inward investment.”

The latest strategy was signed off and endorsed by ministers before the Northern Ireland Executive “collapsed” last year, so, despite power being devolved back to Westminster (London), Invest NI has been carrying on under its mandate. “And we have our business strategy 2017-2021. We’ve just completed our first year of that,” said Harbinson. One concern has been that NI is “quite reliant on a small number of companies for exports,” so there is a focus on opening export markets for more companies. And within this the Invest NI team is “focused on a number of key sectors” including financial services, digital technology, along with advanced manufacturing, materials, and engineering.”

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.