Invest Northern Ireland - GB & Europe Team - Forging Ever Stronger Relationships Across GB & Europe

It’s been a busy 12 months for Invest Northern Ireland’s GB & Europe team. We have actively been showcasing Northern Ireland’s innovation and expertise in key business sectors, promoting Northern Ireland as an investment location, and opening doors for Northern Ireland businesses to export their products and services. Activities have included government led visits and strategic advocacy at key industry events, as well as highlighting Northern Ireland's unique dual market access.

Throughout the year, working with our colleagues in Northern Ireland, members of our business development teams have attended some of GB and Europe’s most prestigious industry trade events, supported by Invest NI our Northern Ireland companies have shone. These included the Farnborough International Airshow (UK), where companies from Northern Ireland’s world-leading aerospace and defence sector were on show; including Angoka, CCP Gransden, Denroy, Nitronica, KX, SAM Aerospace Ltd, Moyola, PAC Group, RTA Supply Chain Solutions and United Performance Metals. Northern Ireland companies are major suppliers to Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, and Rolls-Royce. Northern Ireland has around 50% of the global first and business class seating market share, with the sector also achieving record-breaking annual revenue of £2.2 billion in 2024.

We also promoted our pioneering healthtech solutions at MEDICA in Germany. Northern Ireland has globally recognised expertise in Precision medicine, Diagnostics, Medtech, Pharma and Biotech, not to mention our highly skilled workforce. With over 250 innovative businesses, including, CIGA, Eakin Healthcare, Eolas Medical, Intelesens, Neurovalens, Randox, Almac, Diaceutics and Sonrai Analytics, the local sector is bolstered by world-class research and close collaboration between industry, academia and clinicians.

Agromek, in Denmark shone a spotlight on Northern Ireland’s Agritech sector. Northern Ireland is recognised as a global leader in farming equipment manufacturing, animal health solutions, and Agritech solutions that incorporate world-leading food security and traceability expertise. Fusing farming expertise with expert engineering and academic research, Northern Ireland is now at the forefront of agricultural innovation. As a result, our companies are helping to increase farming productivity through cutting-edge technology, designs and products that are making a tangible difference to the agricultural sector globally.

Our exceptional Fintech credentials were on display at Fintech Talents in London. Many global financial services institutions have already set up operations of scale in Northern Ireland, including Allstate, Citi, CME Group, DailyPay, Insurance Office of America and TP ICAP. That’s before mentioning a dynamic cluster of home grown companies such Adoreboard, Analytic Engines Ltd, Instill, Kainos, Loyal Be, Pytilia and Vertical Structure who are doing business globally.

The recent wine and spirits trade fair ProWein in Germany, provided a platform to promote our award winning drinks sector. Our whiskey production is in the midst of a vibrant renaissance. From whiskey makers to gin masters and craft brewers, Northern Ireland is home to over 20 distilleries and breweries. Over the last decade, our drinks sector has become one of our most dynamic, innovative and export-driven industries. The world-class quality of drinks produced in Northern Ireland has been recognised through multiple global awards across all categories.

Closer to home, in September 2024, we marked the launch of Invest NI’s new Northern Ireland Hub - Dublin. The Hub - Dublin, which includes meeting rooms and hot-desking facilities, provides a base for our Invest NI client companies to work from, meet with clients and develop new partnerships. It is also home to both Invest NI and Tourism NI’s RoI teams.

In October, one of the year’s key highlights was the visit to Germany by the former Economy Minister, Conor Murphy. For over 25 years, our in-market team has been building relationships with key stakeholders and companies to raise the profile of Northern Ireland as a destination to trade with and invest in. Bilateral trade with Germany is thriving, generating more than £1.1billion in 2023, and it continues to rise. During the visit, the Minister promoted our unique advantage of GB and EU dual market access and engaged with industry leaders, including Bayer and the Confederation of German Industry (BDI). The visit created fresh opportunities for collaboration in Europe’s largest economy and underscored Northern Ireland’s strengths in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and financial technology.

In March of this year, our new Economy Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, also visited Germany, to build on the success to date and the work undertaken during the previous visit. The Minister’s visit included meetings with female business leaders in a SHeconomy round table, and spoke about the progress of women in business and politics in Northern Ireland. We engaged with business groups representing manufacturing and the renewable energy sectors, as well as a visit to the Smart City Berlin, the city’s official digital transformation organisation.

With its seamless trade links between both the EU and Great Britain, Northern Ireland holds a unique competitive edge. As 2025 unfolds, Invest NI’s GB & Europe team remains committed to expanding European partnerships for our companies, driving growth and showcasing Northern Ireland’s status as a premier destination for innovation and investment.

Invest NI GB & Europe has offices in:

• Belfast (covering GB FDI)
• Brussels (covering the Benelux)
• Copenhagen (covering Denmark),
• Dublin (covering RoI FDI)
• Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munich (covering DACH)
• London and Manchester (covering GB)
• Madrid (covering Spain and Portugal)
• Milan (covering Italy)
• Paris (covering France)
• The Hague (covering the Netherlands).

Find out more about how Invest NI can help your business grow.