Stephen Wightman
How will the City and Growth Deals support innovation in Northern Ireland?
The City and Growth Deals are major infrastructure and investment programmes that will help create new jobs, raise productivity and drive sustainable economic growth over the next ten years.
There are four City and Growth Deals in place for Northern Ireland: the Belfast Region City Deal; Derry and Strabane City Deal; the Mid-South West Deal; and the Causeway Coast and Glens Deal. Each council is working with local stakeholders to develop the projects under the Deals to reflect the underlying strengths, capabilities and ambitions of each region.
Importantly, this means that all Northern Ireland will benefit from significant investment.
Stephen Wightman, Director for City and Growth Deals at Invest NI, provides an overview of how the Deals will fund innovation and how Invest NI will support the delivery of these transformative projects.
How will Northern Ireland benefit from the Deals?
The City and Growth Deals will see over £1.2 billion worth of investment in the local economy. The financial support will be provided by the UK government and the NI Executive, plus an additional £100m from the Executive’s Complementary Fund.
The Deals are also expected to attract additional investment from stakeholders across the private and public sectors. This means the total investment will be even greater over the next decade and beyond.
The investment from the Deals will deliver inclusive economic growth, drive international competitiveness, boost productivity, and create good jobs. For example, the Belfast Region City Deal is committed to creating 20,000 new jobs and increasing productivity by £470m for the region, as measured by Gross Value Added (GVA).
The City and Growth Deals will yield additional capabilities for local businesses by allowing easier access to innovation and skills. They will help to attract foreign direct investment and empower our business community to compete globally while considering environmental responsibilities.
We are already starting to see positive industry collaborations as a result of the Deals. The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) led by Queen’s University Belfast is currently working with a group of leading material-handling businesses on automated welding solutions to improve their productivity. The Centre has also been collaborating with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) in Cookstown to support agri-tech businesses to optimise their automation practices.
What is Invest NI’s role?
Maximising City and Growth Deals impact is one of six strategic priorities in our new three-year business strategy.
Invest NI oversees delivery of the majority of innovation and digital investments across the Deals, on behalf of the Department for the Economy. This currently extends to some 24 projects, representing approximately £700m of new investment.
In our role, we work with Deal partners to ensure their projects are commercially focused and industry relevant. We want to ensure the projects are future-proofed to boost economic productivity, generate good jobs, and have sustainable long-term outcomes.
What are the innovation and digital investments?
There are different types of City & Growth Deals projects. Invest NI is specifically involved in the innovation and digital investment projects.
The projects in these areas will create centres of excellence in NI’s key growth industries; Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Engineering; Life & Health Sciences; Creative Industries; Technology & Professional Services; Green Economy; and Agri-Tech. They include:
The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) in Newtownabbey
AMIC will be a state-of-the-art facility focused on Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector. Underpinned by its research and industrial innovation strengths, AMIC has four key capabilities: Smart Design, Digital Factory, Sustainable Polymers and Composites, and Nanotechnology and Photonics.
The i4c Clean-tech Hydrogen energy hub in Ballymena
i4c will work with local industry to develop clean tech solutions to deliver a sustainable future for Northern Ireland. The hub will attract potential new investors, developers and businesses and cultivate a vibrant cluster of cleantech businesses which will help to drive job creation and boost productivity.
The Cognitive Analytics and Digital Robotics Innovation Centre (CADRIC) in Ulster University’s Derry-Londonderry campus
CADRIC will deliver cutting-edge translational research for the development of new products and services using the latest advancements in AI and robotics technologies, providing new market opportunities for industry.
The Centre for Food and Drug Discovery (CFDD) based at Ulster University, Coleraine
CFDD will exploit opportunities in food innovation and drug discovery for human and animal health. The Centre will capitalise on established scientific expertise and a new business-facing gateway. This will facilitate increased commercial research and help deliver economic development for the region.
The Agri Bio innovation Centre (ABiC) which is being developed by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
ABiC aims to build a centre which will co-locate agri-tech and food-tech businesses to drive innovation in these sectors across the borough and benefiting Northern Ireland as a region.
The Creative Innovation Hub in Holywood
The Creative Innovation Hub will offer small and micro businesses with a secure environment and facilities to meet security, connectivity and technical needs within the digital, creative and screen industries. The Hub will create an ecosystem in the creative sector and foster collaboration to improve creative technology, skills, and support.
These are only a selection of the innovative strategic investments being developed across Northern Ireland.
The innovation and digital projects will allow start-ups and entrepreneurs to access the resources they need to launch their ideas and create successful businesses.
The investments will also equip more businesses with tools and knowledge to improve efficiency. This will provide opportunities to create breakthrough technologies, products and services and help local businesses gain a significant competitive edge to boost productivity.
The innovation centres will also help attract more inward investors by offering easy access to innovative research expertise.
How will the Deals impact Northern Ireland in the long term?
The investments from the City and Growth Deals will create centres of excellence and leading-edge facilities along with thousands of new jobs. They will stimulate a culture of innovation which will allow Northern Ireland to compete globally and be seen as a leader in areas such as drug discovery, environmental sustainability, data analytics and other transformational technologies.
This scale of investment and opportunity does not happen often. It is therefore imperative that businesses, councils, investors and individuals alike, make the most of the Deals. Invest NI aims to ensure these investments deliver maximum impacts and economic benefits; not only for every start-up, small to medium enterprise and large company looking to invest and grow here, but for the whole Northern Ireland economy.
I have no doubt through our collective efforts we can achieve this.
How can we help you?
If you are interested in accessing an innovation centre or would like more information contact us at citydeals@investni.com or visit our City & Growth Deals page.
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