Northern Ireland

• Belfast is Europe’s leading FDI destination for new software development.
• 100+ international technology investors.
• 70% of our IT & telecoms professionals hold a higher education qualification – the highest in the UK.

• Northern Ireland is the world's top region for FS technology inward investment.
• $500 billion flows through Belfast each day, representing 10% of the global FX market.
• 40% reduction in typical salary costs compared to London and Dublin (Bond Search & Selection, 2020)

Download our Financial Services brochure

• 40% of the world’s mobile stone crushing and gravel screening equipment is made in Northern Ireland.
• When you buy from Northern Ireland, you buy 60 years of leading the world in Mobile Bulk Materials Processing equipment.
• 8,000 people are employed in over 100 companies.

Find a supplier from our materials handling directory

• World leader in traceability and food security. We created APHIS, an electronic cattle tracing database.
• Food and drink products from Northern Ireland are available in more than 70 countries.
• Home to Bushmills, the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world.

Find a supplier from our food and drink directory

• Vibrant cluster of 250+ businesses, international investors and indigenous companies, employing 8,500.  Exporting globally to over 140 countries.
• Over 17 world-leading research centres with more than 1,000 researchers
• 10% of the world's cholesterol tests are made in Northern Ireland.

Find a supplier from our life and health sciences directory

• Products exported to over 100 countries.
• 44,000 employees in 2,000 companies.
• Operating costs up to 34% lower than USA, 30% lower than France and 36% lower than Germany.

• 1 in 3 aircraft seats are manufactured in Northern Ireland.
• Companies are internationally accredited AS9100, ISO9001 and NADCAP.
• SC21 - NI Aerospace has 5 Gold, 8 Silver and 5 Bronze awards, with more Golds than any other UK region.

Find a supplier from our aerospace industry directory

• 10,000 firms within the sector of which 215 achieved sales in excess of £5M per annum.
•  Northern Ireland firms have worked on major projects such as:
  •  London 2012
  •  Crossrail
  •  Titanic Signature Project
• Northern Ireland firms have also worked on:
  •  National schools and hospitals projects
  •  Fit-out on iconic buildings such as 1 Hyde Park
  •  Fit-out on a range of retail projects across Europe

• Operating costs are 33% lower than London and 11% lower than Dublin and 51% lower than NYC.
• 20,000 people employed in 40 shared services, contact or knowledge centres.
• Each year we produce 5,000 graduates with degrees in finance, accounting, business, economics, maths, law and computing.

• Two of the top 15 law schools in the UK are in Northern Ireland.
• Belfast has been identified as one of the top 10 global emerging lawtech scenes alongisde London, San Francisco, Singapore & Tel Aviv (Law Society England & Wales, 2019).
• Operating costs for a legal services centre in Northern Ireland are up to 50% lower than London and 40% lower than New York.

• HBO series Game of Thrones was filmed in Northern Ireland.
• Belfast's Titanic Studios is one of the largest film and TV production studios in Europe.
• Oscar-winning live action short film The Shore was filmed in Northern Ireland.

• The low carbon sector employs more than 12,000 people in over 300 companies.
• Northern Irish companies have the capability of providing a range of innovative products and services to address the specific needs of the various energy, water and transport supply chains.
• 15 competence and research centres.

Find a supplier from our energy directory

• Northern Ireland hosts 45,000 students from over 100 countries.
• Northern Ireland is recognised as having one of the best education systems in Europe. We’re also renowned for our high quality of life, low cost of living, clean environment, lively social scene and the friendliness of our people.
• Queen’s University is in the top 1% of universities in the world.
• Ulster University ranks in the Times Higher Education Supplement’s 150 under 50 – a global comparison of young universities.
• Northern Ireland's universities operate a number of branch campuses overseas, undertake high-quality joint research activity, and deliver jointly supervised PhDs.
• Northern Ireland's technical vocational education and training colleges are active across the world and are working overseas to help develop curricula, enhance college leadership and management capability and deliver quality assurance processes.