Belfast business hub unveils bold AI-era strategy to future-proof Northern Ireland’s innovation ecosystem
New entrepreneurship model promises faster, AI-powered startup support as Catalyst urges Northern Ireland to “lead, not lag” in the global innovation race
Belfast business hub Catalyst has overhauled its entrepreneurship support model in a bid to ensure Northern Ireland is equipped to "lead, not lag", as AI reshapes how innovation happens.
The independent, non-profit science and technology hub, which operates from its sites in Belfast and Londonderry, shared its new direction during its Annual Briefing in Belfast.
Catalyst leaders said the economic and societal impact of AI is already profound and accelerating fast, so startups, scaleups and researchers now need to be equipped to use AI to build better, faster and more robust innovation driven enterprises.
Catalyst chief executive Steve Orr said: "We have seen what's coming, because we're building with it.
“We have seen what’s coming, because we’re building with it. We believe our people have a once in a generation opportunity to step forward but only if we move fast, work together and make innovation radically more accessible.
"As many organisations stand at the edge of this change, unsure how to respond, Catalyst is acting and retooling our entrepreneurship support."
The organisation told an audience of over 100 early-stage entrepreneurs, business leaders, academic partners and government representatives that AI's impact won't arrive as a single headline moment, but as a rolling transformation across sectors, business models and skills.
They also unveiled a new way of enabling entrepreneurship in the AI era - key changes include a shift to always-on support rather than fixed programme intakes, integration of the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework from MIT, and access to AI-powered tools such as Jetpack and Orbit, allowing solo founders to operate with the agility of full teams.
Fiona Bennington, director of entrepreneurship and scaling at Catalyst, said: “The start-up playbook has changed. AI-first ventures don't need the same size of teams or capital to go from startup to scaleup. What they need is speed, insight, and leverage and Catalyst is retooling to deliver exactly that.
"If we act now, Northern Ireland can leapfrog larger ecosystems. We have the talent and the collaborative spirit, but we must move with intent. The AI era won't wait."
Catalyst’s updated strategy builds on achievements from the past year. These include 167 people forming 67 new startup teams through its Co-Founders programme – a move which saw a 6.5x increase in startup survival rate.
Catalyst Chairman Neil Crockett added: "For Northern Ireland, but particularly for our startups, scaleups and those actively engaged in AI innovation, AI presents a unique opportunity to build on what our collaborative ecosystem has already achieved.
"With AI, people without traditional tech skills can now build, test, and launch products. If we help founders access these tools, we can unlock a new generation of entrepreneurs who might otherwise have been left behind."