Turley “plans ahead” with City of Derry~Londonderry North West office.

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Turley “plans ahead” with City of Derry~North West office and new appointments: Planning consultants Turley have announced plans to open a second regional office to serve the City of Derry and North West, and the creation of three new jobs in Northern Ireland.

Left to right: Michael Gordon, Brian Kelly, John Davison of Turley

Left to right: Michael Gordon, Brian Kelly, John Davison of Turley


The national planning and design consultancy currently has offices in 12 locations across the UK, including an office in Belfast led by Office Director, Michael Gordon.

The new City of Derry~North West office is to be led by fellow Director, Brian Kelly a native of Donegal and the lead planner on several major projects including the Titanic Quarter, Odyssey Millennium project and Altnagelvin Hospital’s Radiotherapy Unit. He said:

“As a resident of the North West, I am delighted Turley is investing in a new office. This demonstrates a further commitment to our clients operating in the North West cross border region. We are responding to their demand, and a recognised opportunity to use planning to catalyse investments and deliver projects.

“Our own investment builds on a track record of high profile projects in the region, including the Radiotherapy unit, regeneration of Fort George and Ebrington Barracks, several social and private housing schemes, retail and other major employment & leisure schemes, including the Three Rivers development in Strabane.

“We see this as a next step in our growth at a time when there is new focus on the border region and opportunities that may be created following a ‘city’ or regional deal. There is simply no comparable ‘place-making’ planning offer operating in both jurisdictions in the North West region, and we look forward to working with clients and planning authorities throughout the area.”

The office investment will be followed by the appointment of three new posts. Michael Gordon explained:

“In recent years we have seen investor confidence returning. Turley has responded by continuing to develop our business to better support development projects. We now combine town planning, urban design, sustainability, economics and engagement expertise to help shape attractive commercially-viable places.

“Our team has grown to 14, the largest professional planning service on the island of Ireland. Market confidence has continued to return and has spurred our growth as we continue to secure significant permissions across commercial, residential and employment developments. We are now seeking to recruit three new positions to continue this growth and service the ongoing client work; with a senior planner in the North West, an assistant planner in Belfast, and a senior engagement consultant.”

Director of Engagement, John Davison added: “We have adapted to a reformed planning system that now sees local councils taking responsibility for local policy, and councillors in control of decision making. Planning has become increasingly local and community focussed. The emphasis now is on being engaged with local communities, locally elected representatives and to deliver economic growth opportunities. Our new office and these three new posts are a strategic response to maintain our growth and to service our clients.”

The new City of Derry~North West office is located at 37 Clarendon Street, BT48 7ER.

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Stratified Medicine Revolution in the UK and Ireland Takes Leap Forward as First Students Graduate Landmark Course

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The first cohort of students to study a cutting-edge degree in personalised medicine in the UK and Ireland are set to graduate today from Ulster University in a milestone which promises to deliver a new era of healthcare.

Based at the Clinical Translational Research and Innovation Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital, the Stratified Medicine students have been taught new approaches to managing chronic diseases such as Arthritis, Alzheimer’s Disease, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer.

The course explores how genes, lifestyle and environment can influence disease. The practice relies on the use of biomarkers, such as genes or proteins, to organise patients into groups of individuals who are at risk of developing a disease, or who are likely to respond better to one therapy over other alternatives.

Dr Catriona Kelly, Course Director at Ulster University said: “We are proud to see the first intake of students graduate from our Stratified Medicine course. It’s a key milestone moment as the next generation of medical experts can now take us a step closer to providing the right treatment, for the right person, at the right time. We believe this is the future of medicine, globally.

“Our course, which is the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland, has focused on the development of new technologies and systems to predict disease, select the best treatment, and reduce side effects for individual patients. We know that this approach to streamlining healthcare provides more accurate clinical decision making.”

Stephen Morgan, who will graduate in Stratified Medicine from Ulster University this week, said: “I knew from a young age that my career path would involve science or medical research in some form and the idea of this particular course really appealed to me. It has provided me with practical skills and valuable insight into personalised care plans. This has been supported by two summer placements with the Almac Group which gave me the opportunity to learn advanced techniques and practices.

“My goal now is to complete a Masters degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics. In the future I would love to return to Ulster University, perhaps to study at a PhD level, to further research priority areas within Stratified Medicine and play a role in the development of this research globally.”

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125 civil service jobs announced for Derry~Londonderry

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A major contract for 125 jobs has been secured by the Department for Communities (DfC) with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Derry~Londonderry.

The £7 million contract will see the people employed locally delivering Universal Credit services to claimants in Britain. The posts will be based at the Lisahally Service Centre in Derry.

A spokesperson for the Department for Communities said: “This is good news for DfC and for Northern Ireland, bringing to 594 the number of new jobs secured by the Department over the past year to deliver DWP services. “This third major contract for DfC is testament to the continued confidence DWP has in our capacity to provide high quality services for customers in Great Britain.” While some of the posts will be filled in the first instance through internal redeployment, it is expected that a “large proportion” of the posts will be filled through external recruitment, the Department said. The contract is for an initial two year period worth just over £3.5 million per annum and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2017. It follows previous DWP contracts announced in September and December 2016, worth a combined £20 million.

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New hourly train service from Derry ~ Londonderry to Belfast

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New hourly train service from Derry ~ Londonderry to Belfast: A new hourly train service between Londonderry and Belfast has started.

New Hourly Train Service Between Derry and Belfast

New Hourly Train Service Between Derry and Belfast


The first train departed at 06:12 BST on Monday and the last train will arrive just before midnight.
The new timetable was introduced after Translink spent £46.4m on a new passing loop, and signalling infrastructure, on the Coleraine-to-Derry line. The service between the two cities will remain unchanged on a Sunday, with just six trains. “We are pleased to be introducing this new hourly timetable, making it more convenient and attractive for passengers to travel to and from Derry-Londonderry, connecting people and supporting the local economy, attracting visitors and investment,” said Translink Group Chief Executive Chris Conway.

“This significant timetable improvement will mean more choices for passengers travelling between NI’s two main cities and along the route.”

Translink believes that the enhanced train timetable, together with existing bus services, will strengthen links between the North West and Belfast. Martin Melaugh from the transport lobby group Into The West welcomed the news, with one or two caveats. “It’s good for commuters, tourists, business but unfortunately we can only award Translink six marks out of seven because we are only getting the hourly service Monday to Saturday,” Mr Melaugh told the BBC.Passengers travelling from Derry to Dublin will still face a delay when they arrive into Belfast, as the new service misses the Enterprise connection by about 15 minutes.
Translink have said they will continue to talk with key stakeholders about how to improve the rail network.

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Derry Tech For Good Company, Elemental Software Receives Investment

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Leeann Monk and Jennifer Neff Co Founders Elemental Software

Leeann Monk and Jennifer Neff Co Founders Elemental Software

Derry Tech For Good Company, Elemental Software, which has developed an award winning social prescribing digital platform that connects patients, health and social care professionals and community health & wellness providers, announced today that it has raised £300,000 with the help of ClearlySo, Europe’s leading impact investment bank. Elemental is using the capital to further develop its software that supports and empowers lifestyle change for communities most at risk, make key staff hires, and expand marketing reach.

Elemental’s platform is the only comprehensive social prescribing solution developed by community development experts that measures the impact of social prescribing and the difference that non clinical solutions can make to the health and wellbeing of communities, which is a growing priority at the highest level in government and rapidly being adopted in the UK.

Elemental Software’s platform was awarded the ‘Best Tech in the 3rd Sector’ of 2016 by Digital DNA and the best enterprise software at INVENT 2016. Leeann Monk and Jennifer Neff, co-founders of Elemental Software, said: “We are absolutely delighted that ClearlySo plugged into the Elemental vision for revolutionising the ability to socially prescribe across the health, social care and third sectors. The investment partnership, created by London based Clearly So, engages social impact investors who each bring a wealth of knowledge, expertise and resource to help us solve one of the most pressing health and social care challenges of our generation.“

More than 80% of the world’s chronic conditions can be avoided by lifestyle change alone. Despite this, chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, mental health related illness and heart disease are rising and so too are costs. In the UK alone, the NHS, which has a funding gap estimated at £22bn by 2020, is spending £7 out £10 in treatment of conditions while GPs capacity is strained.

The key aim of Elemental’s Social Prescribing platform is to demonstrate the value and difference that referrals to local exercise, diet and nutrition and mental support can make to peoples’ lives. Further commenting, Stefano Cappanari, investment manager at ClearlySo, said: “We were very pleased to play a role in helping Elemental scale the “more than medicine” approach to health. From grass-roots Jennifer and Leeann built a business around the patient, health and social professionals, community based providers and Commissioners and we are excited that the capital raise, which closed in record time, and capabilities from our network will allow them to take the next step in transforming our care system for better.”

Mary McKenna, Director at Elemental Software, first introduced the company to ClearlySo, and concludes “I look for startups with that magic combination of knowledgeable and credible founders, a great product and a large and ready market opportunity. Elemental Software has all of that and more.

This investment round will allow Elemental Software to reach that huge social prescribing market at lightning speed.

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Londonderry Manufacturers Invest in Growth and New Jobs

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A selection of manufacturing focussed business in Co. Londonderry come together to announce investment of over £6.2million and 51 new jobs. Pictured (centre) are Invest NI CEO Alastair Hamilton and Stephen Kelly, CEO Manufacturing NI with (L – R) Brian McErlain, McErlain’s Bakery, Ross Armstrong and Richard McMullan from Armstrong Medical.

A selection of manufacturing focussed business in Co. Londonderry come together to announce investment of over £6.2million and 51 new jobs. Pictured (centre) are Invest NI CEO Alastair Hamilton and Stephen Kelly, CEO Manufacturing NI with (L – R) Brian McErlain, McErlain’s Bakery, Ross Armstrong and Richard McMullan from Armstrong Medical.

Londonderry Manufacturers Invest in Growth and New Jobs: Manufacturing in Northern Ireland continues to grow as a selection of 30 businesses come together to announce investment of over £22 million and 282 new jobs.

The 30 firms, supported by Invest Northern Ireland, are from a broad range of disciplines: food to chemicals, pharmaceutical to transport equipment. Speaking at an event hosted by Invest NI to recognise the commitment to growth within the manufacturing industry, Invest NI’s Chief Executive Alastair Hamilton said: “Today’s event is an opportunity to highlight some of the investments manufacturing focused businesses are making. The local firms we have here today are from right across Northern Ireland.

“With £1.9 million of support from Invest NI they are making a combined investment of over £22million in our economy. As well as stimulating economic growth there are also new job opportunities, with 282 new jobs being created, which will generate over £6.3million annually in additional salaries for the local economy.”
McErlain’s Bakery, The SkunkWorks Surf company, Dynasty Group, Armstrong Medical Ltd and Gallagher & Mc Kinney Limited are among the manufacturing based firms in Co. Londonderry committed to growing their business, benefiting from combined Invest NI support of over £520,000.

Collectively these firms are investing over £6.2million in projects that will create 51 jobs. Once in place these new jobs will generate over £1.2million annually in additional salaries to the local economy.
“These investments show real commitment from businesses to invest in the future”, continued Alastair. “With investment in new equipment, skills and training, new jobs and export development, it is clear that there is real opportunity for growth in manufacturing.”

Welcoming the investments, Stephen Kelly Manufacturing NI Chief Executive said: “Manufacturing plays a huge role in the Northern Ireland economy generating annual sales approaching £20 billion, directly employing 80,000 people, supporting production and employment in a wider supply chain and creating jobs and strong communities in every constituency across Northern Ireland.

“SMEs make up 98% of all businesses here in Northern Ireland and are at the very heart of what we do in our manufacturing base. Week in, week out, companies like this continue to work very hard to keep moving forward, to build and grow our business economy and build communities.

“It is encouraging to see the progress and developments being made by firms across all disciplines. Invest NI is offering valuable support to enable these businesses to create highly skilled, well paid jobs and drive innovation and growth in export markets.” Northern Ireland manufacturing is rich in knowledge, skills and experience, founded on a strong heritage. A large number of manufacturing businesses account for 15 per cent of all local economic output and one in every nine local jobs.

Speaking about Invest NI’s commitment to helping these businesses, Alastair Hamilton continued: “Growing and strengthening Northern Ireland’s manufacturing business base is core to our strategy. We continue to focus on growing local businesses, increasing investment, and identifying new export opportunities.

“We are working closely with organisations like Manufacturing NI to support the promotion and growth of manufacturing. We have a global reputation in areas such as our Advanced Manufacturing, materials and engineering sectors. By working in partnership with businesses we can continue to support them to capitalise on new opportunities and realise their full potential.”

The investments are underway and over 100 of the new jobs are already in place. Manufacturing plays a huge part in the Northern Ireland economy with the latest HMRC 12 month rolling figures valuing manufacturing exports at just over £8bn.

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EU helps advance manufacturing with a New €8.5 million North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing ‘Super Cluster” for the North West

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Catalyst Inc welcomes the investment

Catalyst Inc welcomes the investment

The SEUPB has announced that funding of over €8.5 million from the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme has been offered to Catalyst Inc for the creation of a new cross-border ‘super cluster’ within the Health & Life Sciences business sector.

The project is called the ‘North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing’, and will be led by Catalyst Inc. It will support eight different key Health & Life Sciences companies involved in 15 different research projects based in the North West to develop new products and processes.

The project aims to enhance the level of cross-border research and innovation collaboration within the area of applied advanced manufacturing. It will also significantly increase the the number of Health & Life Science businesses engaged in commercially focused research in order to make them more competitive.

The project will bring together a number of partners in the creation of a new ‘super cluster’ including the Engineering Research Institute at Ulster University, the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre at Glasgow University, the PEM Centre at Sligo Institute of Technology and the CoLab facility at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Industry partners include Sphere Global, Randox, Lpe, Armstrong Medical, Nuprint, Abbott and GSK.

A total of 26 PhD level researchers, along with post-doctoral research assistants will be recruited over the life time of the project, to work with the eight participating companies, and create up to 98.5 years’ worth of PhD full time equivalent research.

Match-funding for the project has been provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland, the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and the University of Glasgow.

Announcing the funding award Gina McIntyre CEO of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), which manages the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme said: “This project will make a real impact in terms of providing support for a business sector with strong economic potential. The research produced will be used to strengthen the economic outlook of businesses on a cross-border basis.

“This is one of the core objectives of the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme which has been specifically designed to enhance the levels of Research & Innovation found within businesses across the region,” she continued.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Norman Apsley CEO Catalyst Inc said:

‘As lead partner for the North West Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, we are delighted that the project has been awarded this EU funding. At Catalyst Inc we are focused on advancing the Knowledge Economy and this project will support the development of new products and services by bringing together industry and academic partners to work on research projects deploying Advanced Manufacturing technologies within the Life and Health Sciences sector.

This will see the development of a virtual cross-border Centre for Advanced Manufacturing with a focus on four cross-cutting thematic areas, enabling our industry partners to benefit from additional research facilities and expertise which will have a positive impact on the companies and the wider economy.

Our aim is to increase the level of cross-border collaboration across the region and raise the levels of innovation both of which are key to the regions future economic success.’

A spokesperson for the Department for the Economy said: “Investment in research and development is critical to future economic growth. Strong collaboration between industry and academia will also contribute to success. The creation of this new super-cluster is a welcome development for the health and life sciences sector and a boost for the North West border region.”

Welcoming the project Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor, said: “I am delighted that this project has been approved and I am very happy that my Department is in a position to co-fund this project. It is a great example of practical cross border cooperation, which will bring strong economic benefits to the eligible regions in both jurisdictions. Manufacturing has been a key sector for us over the years, providing valuable jobs and investment. This new initiative will help drive competitiveness and enhanced value-added, at a time of significant technological change in the industry.”

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Global Equipment Spares Ltd Manufacturer Expansion to Create 61 New Jobs

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GES

Pictured (L – R) are Barry O’Neill, Sales Director of GES, John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, and Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch.

Londonderry based Global Equipment Spares Limited (GES) is more than doubling its workforce over the next three years as part of a strategy to grow its export sales six-fold.

With support from Invest Northern Ireland GES, which is located at Campsie Industrial Estate, is investing £1.9million to upgrade its facility, purchase new machinery and create 61 new jobs across a range of roles.
Announcing the investment, Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business & Sector Development, Jeremy Fitch said: “Invest NI’s offer of £396,000 is enabling GES to undertake growth development plans aimed at positioning the business so that it can manufacture and export more components, particularly into North America.

“The 61 new jobs being recruited over the next three years range from manufacturing roles to procurement and sales positions and will generate £1.3million annually in additional salaries.

“GES’ investment marks a significant step change for the small business as it seeks to scale up its production capabilities to meet the growing opportunities for its products outside Northern Ireland.”

GES manufactures products from high strength and wear resistant steels for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of quarrying, mining, construction and agricultural equipment based in GB, the ROl, the EU and the US. Its customers include major materials handling businesses including Terex, Telestack, Sandvik and McCloskey International as well as global companies such as Kleemann Wirtgen, Astec Industries and Kuhn Farm Machinery.

John McClenaghan, Managing Director of GES, said: “This expansion is part of a strategy to grow sales and increase both our workforce and our product offering to meet identified opportunities within new and existing markets. We have set ourselves a challenging target for new export business and will be focused on leveraging our reputation in the industry to secure new customers.

“Invest NI’s support is allowing us to fully implement our growth plans and create valuable employment opportunities across a range of disciplines in the North West.”

Invest NI’s support is part funded by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020.

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29 new jobs for Rural Business Investment Scheme

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Derry Strabane Rural Partenership

Derry Strabane Rural Partenership

Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership has awarded funding which will create 29 new jobs in the rural area through the roll out of its second call of the Rural Business Investment Scheme as part of the NI Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

The Rural Business Investment Scheme was the first scheme to open in 2016/17 with grants of £323,000 awarded to nine businesses in September 2016, and the creation of 15.5 jobs. This second call for funding opened last October and grants of over £470,000 have now been awarded to eight projects, creating 29 new jobs in the rural community.

Among those businesses successful in securing funding were the the City of Derry Equestrian Centre at Ardmore £4,992; Ardstraw Quarries at Victoria Bridge £50,000 (2 jobs); Foyle Golf Centre at Culmore £90,000 (5.5 jobs); Greg Mitchell Motors at Victoria Bridge £90,000 (5.5 jobs); Oakfire Adventures in Derry £50,000 (2.5 jobs); Sayers Engineering, Castlederg £90,000 (4 jobs) and Tiny Tots Day Care in Sion Mills, £50,000 (8 jobs).

Acknowledging the investment and the creation of new jobs, the Chair of Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership Cllr Patricia Logue said this was a really good news story for the rural area.

“We are delighted to be in a position to award funding to these local rural businesses and to offer them a chance to improve their services and grow their client base. Availing of this funding has given them a competitive edge in what is a challenging economic climate and we are delighted to be in a position to support the growth of these rural businesses and the creation of new jobs” she said.

Deirdre Harte, Rural Development Manager with Derry City and Strabane District Council said the total funding awarded to date through the first two calls of the Rural Business Investment Scheme is now nearly £800,000 with 17 grants supporting the creation of 44.5 new jobs.

“This programme is crucial in giving rural businesses a helping hand to realise their potential and to avail of support and assistance to grow their business, extend their workforce and develop export potential. We are also delighted with the response to our third call under the Scheme following a series of workshops held across the district in April 2017”

The NI Rural Development Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the European Union.

For further information on the Rural Development Programme in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area visit www.derrystrabane.com/rural.

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Ulster University is first UK university to roll out of revolutionary Internet of Things technology

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SIGFOX Tech

SIGFOX Tech

Ulster University has become the first university in the UK and the only commercial organisation in Northern Ireland to install the revolutionary Internet of Things (IoT) technology, SIGFOX.

IoT technology supports the networking and sharing of information between physical devices such as smartphones, tablet and other suitably enabled electronic devices via the internet. The innovative SIGFOX wireless technology remotely connects devices with the cloud, transferring valuable data sets for end-user evaluation by phone, tablet or computer.

SIGFOX is the next generation of wireless technology and can work alongside other networks such as Wifi, Bluetooth and 4G. It excels for its wide range connectivity to the internet, as well as its low power consumption and cost. The new SIGFOX base station has been fitted at Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus.

Dr Philip Catherwood from Ulster University’s Engineering Research Institute said: “To give you an idea of the power of SIGFOX, it takes only one base station to service an area the size of Belfast. As the first university in the UK to install a SIGFOX base station, Ulster University is at the forefront of the Internet of Things revolution. This is supported by our world-leading research in connected health and data analytics, as well as our innovative teaching practices.

“This emerging technology offers enormous opportunities for innovation and discovery at Ulster University. We will use SIGFOX enabled technology in our future research into wearable devices; remote data analysis and connected health platforms to further improve patient outcomes and transform the global healthcare sector. The SIGFOX base station at Ulster University will receive a wide range of information from remote healthcare data such as blood analysis, diabetes and heart rate results, to livestock tracking and chemical detection.

“Ulster University’s engineering students will benefit from the new base station as we plan to deliver dedicated modules on this emerging network. This will guarantee students first-hand experience of this next generation technology, helping them to thrive in careers in the fast-paced technology and engineering sectors.

“We are delighted to have the first base station installed at Ulster University, which will benefit not only researchers and students, but also Northern Ireland’s wider business community who can tap into its potential.”

Led by Ulster University’s School of Engineering, the installation of the new SIGFOX base station was supported by cross-border partners including VT Networks and 2nr. The base station equipment was provided by global operator WND Networks with installation expertise from Barrett Contracts.

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