Northern Ireland: Where ambitious businesses scale next
By Peta Conn, Director of GB and Europe, Invest Northern Ireland
Expanding your business outside the GB market can feel like starting again. The markets that once looked promising don’ t feel quite as straightforward, with competition for talent fiercer than ever and rising operating costs just some of the barriers to business growth. Northern Ireland offers real solutions to these issues with many opportunities for GB businesses to expand their operations and grow their business further. Let’ s take a closer look.
An ecosystem built for business growth
First off, the talent is exceptional, and it is growing. Half of all students in Northern Ireland’ s higher education system are studying STEM subjects, feeding into a pipeline of almost 10,000 graduates each year in technology and financial and professional services. It ' s a workforce that ' s adaptable and built for the pace international employers expect. Many investors cite the talent available in Northern Ireland and the quality of the graduates coming out of both Ulster University and Queen’ s University Belfast as a key factor in their decision to locate in Northern Ireland.
Greg Watson, CEO of London headquartered, Napier AI, a global leader in financial crime compliance technology, said,“ The region’ s exceptional talent pool, world-class universities and supportive business environment align perfectly with our mission to make the world safer through intelligent compliance solutions.”
Operating costs in Northern Ireland run much lower than in other major Western European hubs. Grade A office rents are 53 % lower than in Dublin and 81 % lower than London, so you can hire and build at the rate you need to truly grow.
And you won ' t be building alone. Invest Northern Ireland, the region’ s economic development agency, partners with international companies to establish their operations in Northern Ireland. The Invest NI GB inward investment team is based in both Belfast and London and work with companies on every stage of their investment journey. Showcasing to companies what Northern Ireland has to offer, providing practical guidance and soft-landing support, making vital industry and stakeholder introductions, supporting with site selection and the practical logistics of getting a new operation off the ground; Invest NI provides the continuity that lets companies plan with confidence.