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Building a regionally balanced economy requires a partnership approach and we work with a range of organisations to achieve this goal.

During the financial year we monitor our activity and outputs against operational targets. These in-year targets help us measure our progress towards our Business Strategy.

Our 2023 Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) show a strong increase across Sales, External Sales and Exports amongst businesses we supported. All three metrics increased by at least 5 percent on 2022 figures.

Catherine McGuigan is Head of Leadership and Capability in our Skills & Competitiveness Division. She sets out here why strong leadership is critical to the success of your business.

The benefits of exporting are well documented at both a company and overall economy level. Besides offering significant growth opportunities through increased sales and enhancing resilience from economic shocks, firms exporting to a wide range of markets contribute to improving productivity, driving innovation, and their export-fuelled growth can create and sustain high quality jobs. And importantly for Northern Ireland, the distribution of export activity right across the region means that trade and its associated benefits, can be a driver of regionally balanced and inclusive growth. 

 The food and drink industry in Northern Ireland is valued at £7bn; it’s a progressive industry, focused on original products which are exported to over 70 countries.

If you’re not already exporting to Europe, 2024 is the year to set your sights on the over 500 million consumers in 27 countries that make up the European Union (EU) market, which is worth €14.5 trillion.

Ireland's whiskey heritage, anchored by centuries of distilling acumen in Northern Ireland, is experiencing a renaissance, with the spirit's global sales forecasted to double in the next decade.

Increasingly, consumers look to brand values and ethics as part of their purchasing decisions. They consider issues of sustainability, inclusivity and social impact alongside more traditional elements such as price and quality. Those businesses that are focused on the green economy or are working to ensure their products are accessible to everyone have an inbuilt competitive advantage.

In the fast-changing landscape of business, investing in Research and Development (R&D) and innovation is not merely a choice; it is a strategic necessity to achieve sustained growth and competitiveness. As the Director of Innovation and R&D at Invest Northern Ireland, I am convinced of the transformative power that innovation holds for businesses, and the pivotal role innovation plays in the growth of our economy.

Rachel Sankannawar from Invest Northern Ireland discusses the once-in-generation opportunity presented by the Green Economy.

In the competitive world of fintech, Northern Ireland is a leading global hub, earning worldwide recognition for its fintech ecosystem. The region's strategic blend of home-grown innovators and major international financial services companies has positioned us at the forefront of the industry's recent growth.

Companies looking for a foothold in both the United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) markets should take a close look at Northern Ireland, which has unfettered tariff-free access to both.

In the realm of space technology innovation, Northern Ireland stands as a unique region where industry and academia seamlessly collaborate. Our dynamic landscape, flexible, highly skilled workforce and rich history of engineering and technology excellence converge to propel us into the future of space exploration.

This month, through the collaboration of the Department for Business & Trade, Invest Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Office, and with the support of countless business leaders from across Northern Ireland, the region was showcased on the global stage.

As we embark on the uncharted frontier of 2023, the Northern Ireland Space sector is expecting to climb to new heights.  In the final weeks of 2022, it was confirmed that Northern Ireland is to host the UK Space Conference for the first time, an exciting event scheduled for 21-23 November 2023.  The conference is likely to see astronauts, global space agencies and the wider space community descend on Northern Ireland, with 2500-3000 people to be hosted in our local hospitality sector. 

As Global Entrepreneurship Week 2023 comes to an end, our thoughts turn to the future of entrepreneurship and providing the type of support business founders need to succeed.

A feature showcasing a snapshot of some of the ways Invest NI has supported entrepreneurs since over recent years.

Patrick Dewar, Corporate Finance Executive at Invest Northern Ireland, explains how the agency’s Access to Finance scheme is providing essential funds for local businesses.

Launched in 2016, The NHS Clinical Entrepreneurship Programme (CEP) has proven to be a remarkable success in helping innovate and implement new initiatives within the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK).

Northern Ireland’s unrivalled engineering credentials, combined with its UK and European-leading technology credentials makes it an increasingly compelling proposition for governments and companies in the growing defence industry.

Northern Irish Connections is passionate about celebrating what makes Northern Ireland such a great place to live, work, study, visit, invest and do business.

Following the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) and ending of the transition period on 31 December 2020, Northern Ireland continues to have access to the Great Britain (GB) and the EU markets for goods.

As a region, the North West has many strengths and businesses in the region have always played a significant role in the development of our economy.

We published our 2022/23 performance figures last month which highlighted a successful year of growth and investment, demonstrating our commitment to driving economic prosperity across Northern Ireland.