'Game-changing opportunities': Cohort of Northern Ireland businesses join First Minister and deputy First Minister on trip to North Carolina

Northern Ireland’s First Minister and deputy First Minister will lead NI Chamber’s business delegation to North Carolina next week.

The Ministers will head-up a joint mission designed to open new trading opportunities and research alliances between Northern Ireland and the US State.

Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly will be accompanied by a cohort of NI Chamber members including Queen’s University, Belfast, Artemis, B-Secur, and Axial 3D, as well as NI businesses with hubs in the US.

During two days in the capital city of Raleigh, in the heart of the Research Triangle, there will be a series of events to profile innovative businesses from Northern Ireland to potential partners and investors in North Carolina.

That will include high-level political engagements, including a private meeting between the First Minister and deputy First Minister and North Carolina’s Secretary of State, Elaine F. Marshall and Lieutenant Governor, Rachel Hunt.

The delegation will have exclusive access to North Carolina's premier global innovation center, the Research Triangle Park, which is a world-renowned hub for scaling high-potential spinouts in biotech and medtech. They will also visit NC State University’s Centennial Campus, a research park and educational campus renowned for public-private partnerships.

The delegation is a result of NI Chamber’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NC Chamber, which was signed 12 months ago.

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Chief executive Suzanne Wylie says it is one of a series of exciting developments which are coming to fruition, one year on from the establishment of the formal collaboration: “Over the last year, NI Chamber has been working intensively with business, academics and potential investors in North Carolina, a state which we identified as having many synergies with our own economy.

“Now, we are seeing that translate into game-changing opportunities for joint investments and expanding business footprints, research partnerships and alliances. This mission is about expanding those new relationships further and together, showcasing Northern Ireland and North Carolina as regions of joint business opportunity.

“Our MOU with NC Chamber has garnered significant political interest on both sides of the Atlantic, and we are delighted that on our return visit, we will be accompanied by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, as well as universities and senior figures from Northern Ireland’s burgeoning business sectors. Our mission is about making business-to-business connections, learning from best-practices and business and politicians together pitching Northern Ireland as a unique and compelling place to invest and do business.

“It is our intention that this visit will attract a reciprocal delegation of US businesses and investors to Northern Ireland, which could further unlock really significant investment potential in high-growth sectors.”

The delegation will include:

Cat McCusker, President, NI Chamber

Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, NI Chamber

Stuart Anderson, Director of Public Affairs, NI Chamber

Jayne Brady, Head of the NI Civil Service

Mark Reid, Invest NI, Head of Trade, USA and Latin America

Steve Orr, CEO, Catalyst

Artemis Technologies

Axial3D

B-Secur

Carson McDowell LLP

EOS IT Solutions

Neurovalens

Queen’s University, Belfast

Salter Grange

Software NI

Teamworks

Wolfspeed