Invest NI Internal Resource (Work in Progress) - Not to be shared externally

Artificial Intelligence
Information Resource

: Think NI : Reasons to Invest : Key Facts :

Background

Northern Ireland - A location of choice for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics

Northern Ireland offers an innovative cluster of expertise in AI and Data Analytics across a wide range of sectors. The region is already globally renowned as a location offering a high quality and skilled workforce for cost effective software analysis, design and development. The region’s global success can be attributed to a blend of world class talent, technology research excellence and highly competitive costs including attractive R&D incentives.

EXCEPTIONAL TALENT

85% of NI Students achieved the top three grades in A-Level exams
(76% in UK)

Over 4,000 graduates in business and technology including over
1,100 postgraduates.

COST EFFECTIVE

Operating costs up to 30% lower than in the rest of the UK and Europe.

38% reduction in typical salaries compared to London.
26% reduction compared to Dublin.

The effective cost of every £1 spent on R&D can be as little as 43p.

PARTNERSHIP

Bespoke government support packages combine practical advice and
financial assistance:

Skills development
Research and Development
Property search & selection
Employment incentives

10X Economy - Economic Vision

AI has been identified as one of the technologies for investment as part of the Department for Economy's (DfE) - 10X Economy - Economic Vision. The concept embraces innovation to deliver a ten times (10X) better economy with benefits for all the people of Northern Ireland.

The ambition will be realised by, focussing on innovation in areas where Northern Ireland has strengths and ensuring the gains from innovation mean something to all businesses, people and places in Northern Ireland.

Strengths

Northern Ireland has several major clusters of excellence in AI research:

Core Data Science - including theory, algorithms, methods;
Cyber Security - including threat detection, cryptographic methods and surveillance techniques;
Internet of Things - including smart devices and their applications;
Hardware - including High Performance Computing (HPC), scalable architectures and cloud computing;
Robotics - including autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing;
Multimedia Analytics - including computational vision, natural language processing (NLP), text mining and speech recognition;
Economy - including trade and FinTech; and
Medicine - including health and well-being, clinical medicine, genomics, neurosciences and biosciences.

Big Data and Data Analytics is an area of expertise for which Northern Ireland is being increasingly recognised on the global stage. But do many understand what Big Data / Data Analytics is and how it impacts everyday life?

This panel of international and local experts explain how they are using data to help you save money, improve health outcomes and contribute to the energy grid.

Panel Session sponsored by Invest NI at 36m

AI Con 2023 took place on Thursday, November 9th, 2023, at the iconic Titanic Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was a one-day event that delved into the continued evolution of Artificial Intelligence and its potential impact on society. Over 500 attendees from across the US and Europe, including technologists, data scientists, business leaders, and policymakers, gathered to discuss the responsible development and application of AI.

The Artificial Intelligence sector in Northern Ireland is growing rapidly. AI Northern Ireland, a group established in March 2018 to allow individuals and organisations interested in AI to take part in workshops, panel discussions and other events, now has over 1,000 members.

There are over 100 companies in Northern Ireland currently working in the sector, including many spinouts from the universities.

For more information on the companies involved in AI, visit the Case Studies page

City and Growth Deals

Investment is being made in Artificial Intelligence through a number of projects funded by the Northern Ireland £1.3bn City & Growth Deals initiative.

This includes the development of the £58m Global Innovation Institute (GII) - now known as Momentum One Zero, promoted by Queen's University, as part of the Belfast Region City Deal;
The £16.6m Cogitative Analytics Research Laboratory (CARL Phase 2) promoted by Ulster University, as part of the Derry and Strabane City Deal and the £16m Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC).
The Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) is a £16m project led by Ulster University in partnership with Queen’s University. AICC plays a crucial role in building a vibrant and successful AI ecosystem in Northern Ireland by fostering collaboration between researchers, businesses, and government agencies.