Northern Ireland for Technology

• World’s number 1 investment location for financial services technology inward investment projects. (FT fDi Markets, 2021)
• Highest concentration of fintech employment in the UK - 1 in 5 people working across financial services and tech is working in fintech. (NI Fintech Ecosystem Report, 2020)
• Belfast is ranked in the top 3 Global Fintech locations of the future after London and Singapore. (fDi Intelligence Fintech locations of the Future 2019/20)

• A hotspot for global cyber security firms, such as Proofpoint, IBM Security, Rapid7, Imperva, Microsoft, Nvidia and Synopsys.
• Home to leading international growth companies such as Anomali, Contrast Security and Cygilant. Other global players such as PwC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, BDO, and BT all have significant cyber security operations in the region.
• An international investment location for US cyber security services projects, such as Aflac, Allstate, CME and Citi.
• NI ecosystem also includes innovative locally grown firms, including Salt Communications, Uleska, B-Secur, Metacompliance, Skurio, Ampliphae, Seven Technologies, Ansec IA, and LoughTec.
• The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast is a global flagship centre for cyber security and is recognised by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research and in Cyber Security Education.

• Home to a growing cluster of companies including Adoreboard, Cumulus Neuroscience, Liopa, Kainos, and Analytics Engines developing products and services with AI technology at the core.
• Northern Ireland universities Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast are involved in globally recognised AI Research Excellence.
• Home to Digital Catapult, which helps companies develop and grow through the opportunities presented by advanced digital technologies.

• Northern Ireland companies including STATSports, Kairos & Pitchbooking are delivering world first and market leading solutions to sports clubs globally.
• Northern Ireland firm STATSports products are used by the best elite sports teams worldwide including International, Premier League and UEFA Champions League soccer clubs, NBA, NFL and MLS teams.
• Ulster University’s School of Sport delivers leading-edge research and consultancy that is transforming health and sport performance across the globe.
• GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee-time reservation platform, has integrated software developed in Belfast, booking millions of rounds of golf internationally each year.
• Glofox, providing member management, sales and marketing capability and payment processing software to gym owners in over 50 countries, chose Northern Ireland as the location of its new R&D centre.

• A well-developed communications cluster of companies includes BT, ENEA Openwave, Cisco, IBM, Kigen/ARM, Xilinx, and ByteMobile.
• The Centre for Wireless Innovation (CWI) at Queen’s University Belfast is the UK’s largest research, development, and exploitation base in physical layer wireless, and one of the strongest in Europe.
• Home to BT Ireland Innovation Centre (BTIIC) in partnership with Ulster University, which combines academic and industrial research focused on advanced R&D in core technology areas.

Companies in the cluster include Fujitsu, Capita, Kainos, Idox, Novosco, Equiniti ICS, Anaeko, Datactics, and Neueda (acquired by Version1).

• Internationally recognised as a leader in smart cities because of its creativity and the technological expertise of its skilled workforce.
• Northern Ireland companies regularly collaborate with international partners to develop and implement smart city innovations and solutions.
• Northern Ireland has also fostered substantial new innovations in digital technologies such as IoT, AI, 5G, sensors and electronics systems, geospatial and blockchain, all of which underpin future smart city developments.
• Companies are developing products and services that enable better city services and a higher quality of life for citizens internationally.
• Companies in the cluster include See.Sense, Analytics Engines, and Kainos.