Invest NI Board visits West Belfast

Pictured from L-R are Seamus O'Prey, CEO, The Ortus Group, Susan O’Kane, Invest NI, John Healy Chair of Invest NI and Kieran Donoghue, CEO of Invest NI. 

The Board of Invest Northern Ireland held its monthly Board meeting today in West Belfast, at Belfast Met’s Springvale Campus e3.

The Board was joined by the Minister for Economy, Conor Murphy and over 35 local businesses and organisations including the West Belfast Partnership, Belfast City Council, Belfast Chamber and Enterprise Agencies.

During the meeting, Chair of Invest NI, John Healy stressed the significance of enhancing relationships with the local community. He highlighted current efforts to promote economic strength and growth including collaborations with Belfast City Council and local partners. John said: “We’ve received a warm welcome from the community here in West Belfast and have taken the opportunity to connect with representatives from local businesses and our stakeholders. Building an inclusive economy requires a partnership approach and we are pleased to work with the Council, West Belfast Partnership Board, North City Business Centre, Ortus, the Innovation Factory, government, and academia to drive this forward.”

“We recognise the importance of forging stronger bonds with local communities to drive a more resilient economy aligned with the Minister for the Economy’s Economic Vision. That is why the Invest NI Board is aiming to host one Board meeting per quarter outside Belfast city centre and have already visited Derry, Enniskillen, and Newry as part of our commitment to establishing closer connections with our stakeholders.”

Kieran Donoghue, CEO of Invest NI said: “Our forthcoming three-year business strategy and 2024/25 Business Plan will drive implementation of the Minister’s Economic Vision and strengthen our partnership with key stakeholders including local businesses and international investors to enable more investment and innovation”

“We are already collaborating with partners to maximise economic benefits for this community with companies such as Biopax in Springvale Business Park using our support to create almost 170 jobs in the area. Our Ambition to Grow Programme is also delivering significant benefits for 13 companies from both North and West Belfast, helping them to create local jobs and expand their sales beyond Northern Ireland.”

Invest NI is holding a drop-in clinic on Thursday 2nd May at the Twin Spires Centre from 12-2pm. Companies will be able to avail of one-to-one expert advice on exporting, innovation, and Ambition to Grow.