Key sectors
Advanced manufacturing and engineering
The Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) i4C proposal involves the construction of a new, significant scale innovation and clean technology centre for SMEs. The centre includes a range of accommodation types to facilitate SME innovation activity i.e. incubation labs and workshops, Grade A office and co-working office space, as well as meeting and event spaces to encourage open innovation and collaboration. The Innovation Lab (iLAB) at i4C also forms a key part of the i4C proposal allowing for an engineering staff led and well-equipped workshop that focuses on developing products, services, training and solutions for the cleantech sector across NI i.e. in the emerging hydrogen economy.
The BRCD regeneration pillar investment aims to help create a step change for these regeneration plans by enabling i4C to serve as the anchor tenant building and key economic driver for future growth and will also allow local communities to avail of skills and employability opportunities. This regeneration will add greater social value through placemaking, enterprise stimulation, community development and good relations in the wider catchment area. The Belfast region’s rich manufacturing and engineering heritage features global leaders like Spirit AeroSystems, Collins Aerospace, Wrightbus and Denroy Plastics. World-renowned shipbuilders Harland and Wolff draw on over 150 years of marine manufacturing experience supporting maritime, offshore and renewable energy sectors, while innovative companies like Artemis Technologies build on this tradition.
The £100m Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), a key Belfast Region City Deal project, builds on 50 years of innovation through the Northern Ireland Technology Centre The Belfast region has established itself as a prominent UK hub for the digital, ICT and creative industries. The UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre, the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), within Momentum One Zero - a Queen’s University-led innovation centre as part of the Belfast Region City Deal - has a mission to help companies commercialise emerging cybersecurity technologies. Northern Ireland is the number one international investment location for US cyber security firms. Our young population and highly skilled workforce ensure there is a wealth of talent available across the film, animation, music, mobile, gaming and TV subsectors; a diverse and easily accessible supply chain for the creative and digital industries. The region’s stunning landscapes provide prime locations for film and television production – with major TV and film (NITC), the Polymers Processing Research Centre (PPRC) and the NI Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE) partnership. Its 10,500m2 Factory of the Future at Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey will open in 2026, delivered by Queen’s University in partnership with industry, Ulster University and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. This open access innovation centre will reinvigorate Northern Ireland’s industrial potential by providing specialised environments for advanced manufacturing sectors to access cutting-edge digital, automation and robotics technology, supported by experienced engineers and underpinned by academic excellence.
The complementary i4C proposal will create a significant scale innovation and clean technology centre featuring incubation labs and workshops, Grade A office and coworking spaces, and meeting facilities, to encourage open innovation. The Innovation Lab (iLAB) will be an engineering-led workshop developing products, services and solutions for the cleantech sector, particularly in the emerging hydrogen economy. Beyond economic growth, this BRCD regeneration investment will deliver social value through place-making, enterprise stimulation and community development in the wider catchment area.
Digital, ICT and creative industries
The Belfast region has established itself as a prominent UK hub for the digital, ICT and creative industries.
The UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre, the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT), within Momentum One Zero - a Queen’s University-led innovation centre as part of the Belfast Region City Deal - has a mission to help companies commercialise emerging cybersecurity technologies. Northern Ireland is the number one international investment location for US cyber security firms.
Our young population and highly skilled workforce ensure there is a wealth of talent available across the film, animation, music, mobile, gaming and TV subsectors; a diverse and easily accessible supply chain for the creative and digital industries.
The region’s stunning landscapes provide prime locations for film and television production – with major TV and film (NITC), the Polymers Processing Research Centre (PPRC) and the NI Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE) partnership. Its 10,500m2 Factory of the Future at Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey will open in 2026, delivered by Queen’s University in partnership with industry, Ulster University and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. This open access innovation centre will reinvigorate Northern Ireland’s industrial potential by providing specialised environments for advanced manufacturing sectors to access cutting-edge digital, automation and robotics technology, supported by experienced engineers and underpinned by academic excellence. The complementary i4C proposal will create a significant scale innovation and clean technology centre featuring incubation labs and workshops, Grade A office and coworking spaces, and meeting facilities, to encourage open innovation. The Innovation Lab (iLAB) will be an engineering-led workshop developing products, services and solutions for the cleantech sector, particularly in the emerging hydrogen economy. Beyond economic growth, this BRCD regeneration investment will deliver social value through place-making, enterprise stimulation and community development in the wider catchment area. productions including HBO’s Game of Thrones, Paramount Pictures’ Dungeons & Dragons and Universal’s How To Train Your Dragon filmed here in recent years. Our animation cluster is one to watch, with a number of creative studios producing award-winning productions broadcast worldwide, including The Coop Troop and Happy the Hoglet.
Studio Ulster, a project developed by Ulster University, in partnership with Belfast Harbour Studios, and supported by Northern Ireland Screen, is a unique 75000 feet2 facility that represents c.£72m+ of investment that integrates Virtual Production (VP) solutions with traditional film and broadcast, animation, games and immersive content production and is situated in an industry with leading edge R&D&I capability.
The numbers of staff working in the gaming industry in Ireland continues to grow significantly. The cluster that has been bolstered by the creation of the Pixel Mill in Belfast, an interactive sector-specific co-working space for game development teams from across Northern Ireland.
FinTech and financial services
The Belfast region has a thriving FinTech industry that provides services and technological solutions to international clients, including banks, insurance and asset management companies. Belfast was ranked number two for FinTech Strategy among mid-sized European Cities of the Future 2023/2024 and is ranked runner-up for FinTech strategy among mid-sized European Cities of the Future 2025.
Digital capability and access to outstanding talent has made the Belfast region home to a diverse range of financial and professional services companies. Global firms such as Citi, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Aflac and FD Technologies have all established and expanded their operations here, while investors such as CME Group, Vela, Options IT and TP ICAP are all part of this emerging cluster.
Currently, our core FinTech and financial services strengths lie in RegTech and compliance, TradingTech, InsureTech, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. Momentum One Zero, a £70m project supported by the Belfast Region City Deal and delivered by Queen’s University, will catalyse the digital transformation of NI’s economy and the FinTech sector, with its focus on cyber security, wireless connectivity, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
A pipeline of over 5,000 graduates across relevant disciplines, such as finance, accounting, economics, law and computing, provide a ready supply of skills and talent to support this growing sector.
Belfast is the world’s number 1 investment location for financial services technology inward investment projects. (fDi Markets FT 2023)
Life and Health sciences
Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) investment is leveraging opportunities at the interface of medical research and digital transformation; we’re becoming a pioneering centre for Life and Health Sciences technologies.
Our universities have particularly strong offerings. Queen’s University Belfast is already home to the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, which has revolutionised cancer research, and the Precision Medicine Centre of Excellence, which aims to translate genomics into clinical care. Under Belfast Region City Deal, Queen’s University is delivering two innovation centres which build on its expertise on the life and health sciences sector. iREACH Health will turbocharge the city region’s ability to test new drugs, medical-technology, care pathways and societal interventions. Meanwhile, Momentum One Zero will use expertise in cyber, AI and wireless technologies to unlock new healthcare innovations.
Ulster University’s £43M Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) is a research-led, industry-facing project designed to address the strategic needs of the rapidly growing digital healthcare technology sector. Located in a purpose-built 3,800m² facility in Belfast city centre, adjacent to the university’s expanded campus, it will provide a collaborative environment where industry and researchers can co-locate, supported by state-of-the-art research equipment and innovation facilities. Dedicated staff will drive innovation and facilitate collaborative R&D, while the Community Care Living Laboratory (CCLL) will allow innovators to test and refine their products in real world community care settings. The CDHT aims to position the Belfast City Region as a global leader in the design, development, and launch of innovative medical devices and diagnostics, contributing to economic growth, enhanced productivity, reduced healthcare costs, improved levels of care and better patient outcomes.
Belfast is the world’s number 1 investment location for financial services technology inward investment projects. (fDi Markets FT, 2023)
Tourism and hospitality
Over the last decade, the Belfast region’s economic, social and cultural sectors have been transformed and it’s now considered a ‘must-see’ international destination. Multi-million-pound investments have brought accolades including the World’s Leading Tourist Attraction (Titanic Belfast, 2016), Cruise Critic’s Best Port of Call in UK and Ireland (Belfast Harbour) and Golf Digest Number One Golf Course in the World (Royal County Down).
We’re home to the Mourne Mountains, Royal Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and world-class links and parkland golf courses. And we’ve secured the World’s Best Conference and Events Destination title at the annual C&IT Awards for five out of the last seven years (up to and including 2024).
Our wide and varied annual calendar of events animate the city region and we have established a strong reputation for delivering major events including The Giro d’Italia Big Start, The World Police and Fire Games, MTV European Music Awards (EMAs), The 149th Open Championship and The Irish Open. We look forward to a thrilling calendar of major events in years to come, including The Open Championship in 2025.
Last year, Belfast enjoyed another successful cruise season, welcoming 145 cruise calls, including 60 ships from 35 different cruise lines, bringing 260,000 passengers and crew to Northern Ireland. The Belfast Region City Deal programme of investment is creating internationally visible tourism products, extending the visitor route from Royal Hillsborough to Belfast through Carrickfergus, towards the breathtaking Causeway Coast and Glens and along the County Down coast to the majestic Mourne Mountains.
The landmark Belfast Stories visitor destination, Bangor Waterfront, Newry City Centre and Carrickfergus regeneration developments, Mourne Mountain Gateway Project, Destination Royal Hillsborough and The Gobbins Phase Two will further enhance our visitor offering, encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore more, whilst regenerating the region’s towns and cities.
The Moravian Village in Gracehill, County Antrim, has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status, recognising its cultural and historical significance. Additionally, Galgorm Resort has achieved global recognition as the Best Luxury Spa Resort, earning the title of Best Destination Spa 2024 in the prestigious Condé Nast Johansens Awards. Belfast Harbour is making a significant £90 million investment in a new deepwater quay, enhancing its port facilities and positioning the city as a key destination for turnaround cruises—those that begin and end in Belfast. This development is a crucial part of the Harbour’s recently announced five-year £300 million capital spending plan, aimed at strengthening Belfast’s reputation as a leading cruise and maritime hub. The investment will not only attract more international cruise liners but also contribute to the region’s economic growth, further elevating Belfast as a world-class tourism and business destination.
Our wide and varied annual calendar of events animate the city region and we have established a strong reputation for delivering major events including The Giro d’Italia Big Start, The World Police & Fire Games, MTV European Music Awards (EMAs), The 149th Open Championship and The Irish Open. We look forward to a thrilling calendar of major events in years to come, including The Open Championship in 2025.
Last year, Belfast enjoyed another successful cruise season, welcoming 145 cruise calls, including 60 ships from 35 different cruise lines, bringing 260,000 passengers and crew to Northern Ireland. The Belfast Region City Deal programme of investment is creating internationally visible tourism products, extending the visitor route from Royal Hillsborough to Belfast through Carrickfergus, towards the breathtaking Causeway Coast and Glens and along the County Down coast to the majestic Mourne Mountains.
