Northern Ireland offers Indian companies a gateway for global growth

Indian companies seeking a gateway to Great Britain and European markets should consider Northern Ireland’s offerings. With a proven track record of attracting over 1,500 international companies to settle in the region, Northern Ireland offers unmatched advantages.

Northern Ireland provides an ideal platform for business success, boasting a strategic location combined with a highly skilled workforce, competitive costs, excellent support packages, superb infrastructure, and unique tariff-free market access to both Great Britain (GB) and the European Union (EU), which offers vast opportunities for growth and expansion.

With strengths in Fintech, Cybersecurity, Manufacturing, Green Technology and Life & Health Sciences, Northern Ireland presents strong opportunities for bilateral collaboration for Indian businesses. It is not just an investment destination but a strategic partner for Indian enterprises seeking sustainable growth.

Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), the economic development agency for Northern Ireland, is a trusted business partner for international businesses. It works alongside companies to promote the advantages Northern Ireland offers and provides crucial support to establish and expand successful operations in Northern Ireland.

With a team of dedicated investment professionals based in Mumbai and Northern Ireland, Invest NI’s tailored investment support, guidance, and advice, offer end-to-end assistance, from discovery visits and property sourcing to talent access, local partnerships, and tailored financial incentives. This integrated approach ensures that investor companies not only establish but can also scale their operations seamlessly, making Northern Ireland a strategic gateway for doing business with GB, Ireland, and wider European markets.

In recent years, Invest NI has supported businesses from India in setting up operations in Northern Ireland. Last year, Propel Industries (an Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering sector company) invested in Northern Ireland. In 2021, Hinduja Global Solutions UK, a financial, professional, and business services company, set up operations in Northern Ireland, creating new roles in business process management and customer experience management.

Northern Ireland’s tech powerhouse gains global momentum
Northern Ireland has a cost advantage, with operating costs nearly 40% lower compared to other major Western European tech hubs. Northern Ireland’s positioning is among the most competitive digital economies in Western Europe, and Belfast has been ranked 2nd in the UK in fDi Intelligence’s ‘Tech Cities of the Future’ report and is recognised as Europe’s leading destination for new software development projects.

Northern Ireland boasts one of the UK’s fastest-growing tech sectors. It has earned a reputation as the UK’s next ‘Silicon Valley’, securing its position among the top destinations for innovation and investment, with a notable emphasis on consistent investment opportunities in software, big data, and digital infrastructure.

World-leading tech companies, including Fujitsu, SAP, Microsoft, Nvidia, Rapid7, and WhiteHat Security, have chosen to establish operations in Northern Ireland, drawn by its exceptional talent pool, robust support systems, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Allstate, which has become Northern Ireland’s largest IT employer with over 2,400 employees, and Citigroup, which originally established a technology centre and has now grown to over 2,900 employees providing professional services across a range of functions, including markets, legal, risk, human resources and operations.

Seagate was recently recognised as the UK’s most advanced nanotechnology-scale manufacturing site, producing critical components for the global cloud ecosystem, with one in four of the world’s hard drives containing a read-write head made from its Northern Ireland (Derry-Londonderry) base. The company recently announced a £115m investment in R&D over five years to develop new hard drive technology at its Northern Ireland base.

With a robust pipeline of talent, an attractive R&D infrastructure, and significant collaboration among industry, academia, and government, Northern Ireland has earned a reputation as a global hub for technology investment. For Indian IT, electronics, and manufacturing companies seeking to grow in Europe, Northern Ireland offers a competitive platform that combines innovation, efficiency, and accessibility.

Manufacturing: Cornerstone of economic strength
Accounting for 11% of employment and 13% of Gross Value Added (GVA), manufacturing continues to propel innovation and regional prosperity. The sector’s transformation over the past decade reflects a strong commitment to advanced engineering, green energy, and sustainable design areas.

Home to a range of indigenous and international companies engaged in the full spectrum of activities from R&D through new product development to manufacturing, with a strong focus on R&D investment and a commitment to product and process development, as well as design and development, ensures the sector continues to grow and experience success.

What sets Northern Ireland apart from other locations as a prime investment location for manufacturing businesses is its unique dual market access to GB and all 27 European Union (EU) member countries..

Dual market access allows manufacturing businesses in Northern Ireland to trade goods freely with both GB and the EU, providing access to a market worth over £6 trillion. This unique position means goods move from Northern Ireland to GB and the EU without customs checks or tariffs, giving businesses selling from Northern Ireland a competitive advantage in accessing both these markets.

Moreover, Northern Ireland maintains regulatory alignment with the EU on goods and remains in the UK Customs Territory. This means Northern Ireland-based businesses can access all UK trade agreements, such as those recently concluded with India, Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

Northern Ireland is at the forefront of green transport innovation. In 2020, Wrightbus launched the world’s first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus, followed by the energy-efficient StreetDeck Electroliner in 2021. Additionally, Artemis Technologies introduced the ‘Pioneer of Belfast,’ the first commercially viable 100% electric foiling workboat, offering up to 90% energy savings over traditional diesel vessels.

Northern Ireland Aerospace and Defence offers a comprehensive turnkey supply solution encompassing design, manufacture, certification, and testing, all under one hub. The region has a robust aerospace industry built on a strong engineering heritage and extensive expertise.

International companies successfully operating in Northern Ireland, including Collins Aerospace, Magellan Aerospace, Thales, Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, BAE Systems, and GKN Aerospace, are among the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) currently working with the Northern Ireland Aerospace sector.

Another surging industry is the Life and Health Sciences sector. It has a vibrant cluster of over 250 businesses, international investors, and indigenous companies, exporting to more than 140 countries globally. Northern Ireland has particular expertise in precision medicine, diagnostics, medical technology (medtech), pharmaceuticals (pharma), and biotechnology (biotech), underpinned by a skilled workforce of nearly 20,000 people.

Northern Ireland is home to globally recognised pharma and biotech companies, such as Almac Group, Randox, and Norbrook, which operate alongside international companies like Teva and Terumo.

Global excellence and innovative research
The two leading universities in Northern Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University, are internationally recognised for their high-quality, research-led education, which emphasises innovation and entrepreneurship. With a long history of collaboration with governments and businesses, they produce alumni with the skills, competencies, and acumen needed across various business-relevant fields.

Innovation is only set to grow in the coming years. Northern Ireland is benefitting from an investment package of £1.3bn from four City and Growth Deals. These significant deals will help strengthen the region’s expertise in key sectors. 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, enabling 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.

To learn more about what Northern Ireland can offer your business, visit investni.com/invest.