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£16.3 million investment in Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre

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Invest Northern Ireland and the Department for the Economy have announced a £16.3 million investment in a new state of the art Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), to be based at Ulster University in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. 

Pictured (L-R) are Archie Clements, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research and Enterprise, Queen’s University Belfast; Dónal Durkan, Executive Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Invest Northern Ireland; Professor Liam Maguire, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research, Ulster University; Keith Forster, Director of Innovation, Research and Enterprise, Department for the Economy.

The Centre will focus on increasing business awareness and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to boost competitiveness and productivity across all industries including logistics, finance, life-sciences, manufacturing and Agri-Tech. 

The AICC was formally launched at an event on Ulster University’s Belfast campus today. As well as speakers from both Universities and Invest Northern Ireland, attendees heard reflections from Brian Hills, Chief Executive of The Data Lab, on their journey to setting up a similar AI centre in Scotland. There was also a panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges for AI adoption in Northern Ireland with contributions from Kainos, FinTrU, Analytics Engines, Whitespace and both Universities.

“We are in the midst of an AI driven revolution and through this investment we will harness the transformative power of AI, ensuring its potential is diffused and applied to a broad business base which will encourage economic growth and be of great benefit to our people and society.

“This collaborative project, with bases in Belfast and Derry, will serve as a hub for innovation, bringing together research expertise and industry professionals to collaborate on cutting-edge projects and solutions.

“The centre, the people who work there and the important work it will deliver will be an important contributor to my wider economic vision as we aim to raise productivity, promote regional balance, reduce carbon emissions and deliver good jobs.

“As part of today’s announcement, the Department has offered almost £2.5 million to support additional AI and Data Science postgraduate qualifications to be delivered by Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast to expand the capacity of our talent pipeline to meet industry need.”

Economy Minister: Conor Murphy

The AICC, with bases at Ulster University’s Belfast and Derry/Londonderry campuses and Queen’s, will also encourage greater industrial innovation and collaboration with academia to increase both local and FDI investment. The provision of additional training and professional qualifications in AI will also be delivered through both Universities.

“Our support of £13.8 million over the next 5 years is to increase business knowledge and adoption of AI technology. AI is one of the most important technological developments of the modern era and has the potential to deliver important benefits such as R&D excellence, skills development and increased competitiveness. With some 100 local companies already currently using AI technologies in their operations we have an excellent foundation to build upon our capabilities locally.

“As a region we are already recognised as an area of excellence in the realm of Big Data and data analytics. We now have the opportunity to make our mark in the AI arena and to realise the economic benefits that will come from adopting AI right across our business landscape to improve productivity, deliver good jobs, reduce costs and enhance sectoral competitive positioning.”

Dónal Durkan, Executive Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Invest NI,

“As an academic institution we are proud to be leading the way in cutting edge research relating to the application of AI in business settings. The AICC represents a new resource of 25 dedicated staff who will use their existing knowledge and expertise to inform, educate and empower businesses to adopt AI, as well as stimulating new research and innovation for the responsible adoption of AI.

“In partnership with Queen’s University Belfast we will deliver 390 funded Postgraduate AI qualifications and also classroom-based or online skills training to thousands of workers across Northern Ireland over the next five years. 

“The AICC looks forward to working in conjunction with industry to increase adoption of AI while simultaneously creating the AI workforce of the future through the development of new qualifications.” 

Professor Brian Meenan, the Ulster University AICC Principal Investigator,

“AI and machine learning are evolving at an amazing rate and major developments are occurring at a monthly level. It offers enormous potential to transform business operations, so university-industry interaction is vital to ensure effective and fruitful engagement. Queen’s academics can provide insights into productivity improvements and help create innovative solutions for challenging problems using state-of-the-art AI approaches.”

Professor Roger Woods, the Queen’s University Principal Investigator
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Spotlight interview – Aoife Warren, Partner, EY Northern Ireland.

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Aoife Warren is a Partner with the global professional services firm EY. As part of EY Northern Ireland’s team, Aoife works with clients across Ireland, the UK, and globally. She is also involved in EY’s plans to establish a new North West hub, and create 1,000 new jobs across Northern Ireland in the next five years. Donegal-born Aoife graduated from Queens University Belfast with a Masters in Computer-Based Learning and lived and worked in the city for around 20 years before relocating to Derry with her family in 2021.

What can you tell us about the new EY hub in the North West?

It is really exciting that as part of our growth aspirations, we will seek to establish a regional hub in the North West to access the breadth of talent in the area.

I’m delighted to be working with Rob Heron, EY NI Managing Partner, on developing the strategy to grow our business in this region.

While EY has its roots in audit, tax, corporate finance and consulting services, over recent years it has expanded rapidly in response to growing client demand to include new offerings in areas such as technology and people advisory services, strategy, Artificial Intelligence and data analytics, among others. 

It is our intention to ensure some of these new roles are based in the North West and accessible to all talent in NI.

Why was the North West chosen?

This area was chosen for growth and development as a result of the untapped talent and highly skilled workforce. We are excited to leverage the diverse skillsets here as well as support new skills development through the Assured Skills Academy Programme run by the Department for the Economy.

We also recognise the broader collective focus between government, local councils and higher education, working together to continue to grow the North West region as a place to work and live.

The recent developments in infrastructure, connectivity, and education are attractive to a global firm like EY, establishing itself in the region.

What type of roles will EY be hiring for over the next five years?

As EY expands and develops its operations in Northern Ireland, we see growth opportunities in areas such as technology, data and analytics, people and advisory and risk as well as supporting the development of our core corporate financial and consulting services.

Globally, EY operates a hybrid working model, a model we will also adopt in the North West. We are currently looking at office space to support our ambition to establish our hub as soon as possible.

What does your role involve?

I am a Consulting Partner in EY Northern Ireland, and I work with teams and clients across Ireland, the UK and globally.

I support clients who are preparing for a significant business transaction, this involves helping companies establish or improve business processes.

I am also People Lead for our Northern Ireland operation, which involves continuously reviewing how we are attracting, developing and retaining the best people for our business.

What is an average day at work like for you?

We operate a hybrid working model, so when I’m working from home – early morning is generally spent getting my six and seven-year olds ready for school!

If I am not working from home, I will generally leave early to beat the traffic and get to Belfast by 8am. Once or twice per month I will fly to London directly from Derry Airport for client meetings. The days are spent in a mix of internal strategy and operations meetings, and client facing or business development meetings. And sometimes managing to grab a coffee or lunch with someone during the day.

What I love about my role is that I have the opportunity to work on big, complex and often global, transactions but yet still live in Derry/Londonderry close to my family and friends. I feel very privileged to be able to get the best of both worlds.

Why did you decide to return to the North West?

We loved living in Belfast but my husband is a proud Derry man and I’m from Donegal, so our decision to move ‘home’ was very much driven by wanting to be nearer to family. There are a multitude of other factors including the friendly people, the close-knit community, housing, and lifestyle. We just love this part of the world – the great outdoors, parks, and the beautiful beaches of Donegal. We can finish work and go to the beach with the kids in the evening – when we get the weather!

How do you spend your time off?

I like to meet up with my friends and walk the ‘two bridges’ followed by coffee and breakfast along the quay. As a family we love to explore all the woods, beaches and parks of Derry and Donegal. I love art and dabble a little bit with painting. I try to do weekend workshops with local Derry/Donegal artist Natasha Barr. She runs them from her studio in Quigley’s Point overlooking Lough Foyle – it’s a great way to de-stress and take time-out. 

What advice would you have for someone considering a move back to the North West?

I think anyone considering it should weigh up all the factors, do their research and determine when the timing is right for them…but ultimately for us it has been a very positive move.

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‘We’ve been blown away by Derry’ – Paul Nelis, ChallengeCurve

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Paul Nelis is founder and director of ChallengeCurve, a quality assurance and software testing consultancy. Originally from Creggan, Paul left the city in 1985 to study a degree in Maths and Computer Science and then pursue a career in IT. He specialised in sales, strategy and development in London before launching ChallengeCurve with his business partner, Chris Bean. This month marks a year since the business established its centre of excellence in Ebrington Square’s AMP building, where it now has a team of 19 people.

Paul Nelis founder and director of ChallengeCurve

How did ChallengeCurve start out?

I’ve known Chris practically all my career. At our previous organisation we both got promoted through to Director level but we were getting further away from being “hands-on” and enjoying our work, so we decided to found ChallengeCurve to work at senior level with organisations and advise them on their QA and testing frameworks and processes.

Usually, we work with FinTechs and challenger banks. We help get them live, hand over to permanent members of staff and then disengage. We liked the cut and thrust of launching a new bank; it’s very exciting. But we decided, instead of leaving behind a good relationship after all that hard work, why don’t we pitch a long-term managed QA & Testing service? To enable to do this we needed to hire our own staff.

Why did you choose Derry as its headquarters?

I live in Reading and have spent most of my working life commuting in and out of London. Pre-pandemic, we always had to be on the client site. But Covid-19 and IR35 [a legal change to off-payroll working rules] created a tectonic shift in ways of working. Applications such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams were also coming of age to enable remote working to become a norm. For ChallengeCurve, this meant we didn’t have to be based in a costly business capital such as London or Dublin.

We considered a few different locations, but we were won over by Derry. We met with Rosalind Young, investment manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council, and chief executive John Kelpie to find out, ‘Has Derry got a talent pool to support our business sustainably, is there business network, what support mechanisms are in place, what’s the WIFI infrastructure, office logistics – can we do this?’ The Council were absolutely brilliant.

The Council organised a mini tour of the city for Chris and Yann Gloaguen (our business advisor) and myself. Over the years I’d always come back to visit with my wife, who’s from Yorkshire, and our children, who liked getting over to spend time with their cousins. But Chris and Yann had never been before. Walking over the Peace Bridge and visiting Ebrington Square, they were both amazed at Derry’s potential.

How did you start building your team?

We are self-financed, we don’t have any venture capital, so it was a bit of a risk. But as a consultancy, people are our business, so we have to invest in them.

We built our own four-week intensive training programme in testing and quality assurance with the North West Regional College, funded nine people through it and supplied them with MacBooks and iPhones to test our client’s online banking application.

The candidates were an eclectic bunch – we had a former barman, a taxi driver, and a costume designer from Game of Thrones. At the end of the course, we decided to make Derry our centre of excellence and employed all of them as consultants. We then successfully pitched our managed service to Nomo, a Kuwait-based banking app in English and Arabic, targeted at high-net-worth individuals. Our team bridges the gap between auditor, the business and IT by providing the evidence that the banking platform is fit for purpose. 

We currently have 19 people in Derry, based in the AMP business incubator in Ebrington Square: 17 consultants, an office manager, and a sales and marketing consultant. 

ChallengeCurve is one of many thriving tech companies in the North West. How helpful has it been to be a part of Derry’s tech hub?

By basing ourselves in Derry, ChallengeCurve can contribute in our small way to help Derry punch above its weight. There’s a culture of networking and collaboration here which we have fostered from day one. Since we moved into the AMP, we’ve given business to a local web design agency, engaged a local law firm, a local head-hunter, and a Derry accountancy firm. We’re doing work for another start-up from the building, who is looking at the traceability of biofuels, and we put money into the local hospitality sector through hotel bookings and social events.

What Ryan Williams, founder of the AMP, has done is brilliant. We need those office spaces, and entrepreneurs and visionaries like him to create the infrastructure and encourage more people to stay in the city or come back and build successful companies here.

What do you do in your spare time?

I was going through my fourth midlife crisis and decided to get into my running big time! I find it very therapeutic, and love running marathons. My children persuaded me to try and get into the Guinness World Records at the London Marathon. I managed to break the world record for fastest male marathon runner dressed as a nun! If I’m doing something, that’s it, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. I don’t do things half-heartedly. 

I enjoy coming back to Derry regularly. The quality of life in the North West is a big factor; your money goes a lot further, we have great beaches, and I think the stigma of the Troubles is becoming a fading memory for many. I try and catch the occasional Derry City FC game too. 

What advice would you have to others considering moving to – or investing in – Derry?

On a general point – don’t be afraid to ask for help as everyone from the local businesses, community and institutions are keen to see greater investment in the area and they will be very supportive. At a strategic level, I would recommend engaging with the local chamber of commerce and the council.https://www.challengecurve.com

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Derry voted top town for business

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Derry has been named regional winner in the UK’s Top Towns for Business competition.

Locations across the UK were shortlisted on factors including connectivity, dedicated space, retail space, networks and leadership in the competition, run by Enterprise Nation in partnership with Dell UK and Intel UK.

After a public vote, Derry came out as Top Town for Business in Northern Ireland.

The awards aimed to shine a spotlight on the UK’s towns and cities that nurture entrepreneurial spirit to make a lasting impact on local communities and the economy.

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Businesses Surge ahead with £1m digital programme

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North West firms can now boost their digital capabilities by signing up for a £1million support initiative.

The Digital Surge programme introduces small and medium-sized local businesses to a range of digital tools through workshops, mentoring, masterclasses and network cluster events.

Derry City and Strabane District Council’s head of business, Kevin O’Connor, said the NI-wide programme would complement the range of support initiatives already being offered by the Council.

He added: “The Surge Programme equips businesses with the knowledge to harness the potential of the most innovative digital tools, which have the capacity to catalyse their growth and development.

“I would really encourage local businesses to check out the range of areas being explored, from Big-Data to Machine Learning, and how they can effectively use these exciting new technologies to fast track their way to success.”

Businesses completing the programme will come away with an Innovation Roadmap and Digital Acceleration Plan and will be onward routed to more intensive supports in the ‘digital innovation ecosystem’.

Find out more about the Surge Programme here.

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FinTrU lands top industry award

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Global financial services firm FinTrU has been honoured for its outstanding growth in overseas sales.

The company, which has two Derry offices, won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in recognition of its global expansion.

In recent years, the Belfast-headquartered business has also created branches in New York, London, Dublin and Maastricht.

Founded in 2013, FinTrU now employs more than 1,000 people and provides tech-enabled regulatory solutions for investment banks, specialising in KYC, compliance, legal, risk and controls and operations.

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UU launches £50m data innovation hub

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Thousands of manufacturers are set to benefit from a new £50m data innovation hub led by Ulster University.

The Smart Manufacturing Data Hub will support small and medium-sized manufacturers to capture and better utilise data, helping them increase productivity, growth and sustainability.

The hub is available to manufacturers in Northern Ireland before going live for companies UK-wide, supported by 12 delivery partners.

Around 10,000 manufacturers will be assisted in developing, testing and adopting the latest data-driven technologies thanks to the hub, testbed and grant funding; approximately 13,000 jobs are also expected to be supported.

The funding comes as part of the £300 million Made Smarter Innovation Challenge, a collaboration between UK Government and industry to support the development and increased use of new and existing industrial digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Pro Vice Chancellor, Research at Ulster University, Professor Liam Maguire, said: “Made Smarter is another important project in the broader realisation of the Derry and Strabane City Deal agenda, further enhancing the attractiveness of investment and driving economic growth.”

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Allstate launches hybrid working policy

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Northern Ireland’s largest IT company, Allstate NI, has revealed new flexible working practices as it continues to recruit 100 more employees.

The tech firm has designated all of its workforce as hybrid, meaning staff can work remotely or from any of its three offices in Derry, Strabane and Belfast. Each office has been redesigned to create collaborative working areas, with social spaces and built-in gaming zones.

Vice-president and managing director of Allstate NI, John Healy

Workers can also request a flexible working pattern, including part-time, condensed or staggered hours, from the start of their employment.

Earlier this year, Allstate NI announced it was seeking applicants for 100 new roles in areas including software development, cybersecurity and analytics.

Vice-president and managing director of Allstate NI, John Healy, said: “We are empowering every employee to design a working pattern that suits their needs and the requirements of their team while promoting a healthy work-life balance.”

He added: “With 100 roles currently on offer, we are thrilled to have opened new modern and dynamic workspaces that will foster more collaboration, innovation and socialisation when employees are in the office.”

Information on current vacancies at Allstate NI is available here.

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£50 million data innovation hub for manufacturers to accelerate digital tech

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  • £50 million data innovation hub at Ulster University to support UK manufacturers to accelerate development of digital technologies
  • Dedicated grant funding will be provided to manufacturers to implement expert recommendations from data scientists
  • Adoption of digital technologies such as Industrial Internet of Things and artificial intelligence is key to driving manufacturing productivity, sustainability and competitiveness

UK manufacturers are to have their productivity and competitiveness boosted thanks to a new data innovation hub and testbed led by Ulster University, Industry Minister Lee Rowley announced today (Wednesday 18 May).

The £50 million Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH) will support small and medium size manufacturers to capture and better utilise their data, helping them increase productivity, growth and sustainability. Businesses in sectors spanning from food and drink, aerospace and many more will be supported to develop, test and adopt the latest data-driven technologies.

Nearly 10,000 manufacturers are expected to benefit from the hub and 13,000 jobs will be supported, helping to boost economic growth and level-up regions across the UK. The hub will be supported by £20 million from the UK government backed Made Smarter Innovation Programme, along with £30 million of business co-investment.

UK Industry Minister Lee Rowley said: 

“As we embrace the digital manufacturing revolution, it is vital manufacturers across the UK can capitalise on the productivity and growth gains that come with the adopting the latest data-led digital technologies.

“The Smart Manufacturing Data Hub, backed by £20 million of government funds, will support companies to implement cutting edge production and process techniques themselves, helping bring the next generation of products to our shelves in a more efficient and sustainable way.”

The hub will host an online Manufacturing Data Exchange Platform that will enable companies to submit their manufacturing data and receive recommendations in return, helping to improve their products and processes. A dedicated £5 million fund will then provide companies with grants to make further improvements in areas of critical importance to their business.

Virtual manufacturing testbeds will allow companies to create a “digital twin” to simulate the implementation of digital technology on their own processes, harnessing data from other manufacturers that have already adopted the technologies to encourage investment.

The SMDH will also provide manufacturers with expert analysis of their emissions and energy data from support staff specialising in data analytics and engineering, which will help them target reductions in waste, energy use and ultimately improve sustainability.

Pro Vice Chancellor Research at Ulster University Professor Liam Maguire said:

“Made Smarter provides the opportunity for innovative collaboration that will be transformative in driving industry competitiveness. At Ulster University, we have a strong track record of collaboration; using our research and technology to act as a catalyst for change, innovation and positive economic, social and environmental impact. Made Smarter is another important project in the broader realisation of the Derry and Strabane City Deal agenda, further enhancing the attractiveness of investment and driving economic growth”

The SMDH will first be accessible by small and medium size manufacturers in Northern Ireland in the coming months, before going live for companies across the rest of the UK. The programme will be supported across the rest of the UK by 12 delivery partners, including the University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing, Industry Wales and Scottish Engineering.

The funding comes as part of the £300 million Made Smarter Innovation Challenge, a collaboration between UK Government and industry designed to support the development and increased use of new and existing industrial digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

The challenge aims to deliver a resilient, flexible, more productive and environmentally sustainable UK manufacturing sector. It will also develop new technologies that can be exploited commercially across the manufacturing industry, worldwide.

Today’s announcement builds on the government’s Help to Grow schemes, which are helping smaller businesses to boost their productivity with training and software that is proven to get results.

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North West Talent Pool is the Cornerstone to Allstate Northern Ireland’s Success

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The impressive ecosystem of multinationals based in the North West of Ireland provides the people of the region with strong employment and development opportunities across diverse sectors.

One of the North West City Region’s largest employers, Allstate NI was established in 1998, to provide high quality software and business solutions to support its US-based parent company, the Allstate Corporation. Protecting people from life’s uncertainties with more than 113 million proprietary policies, Allstate offers a broad array of protection products through multiple brands and diverse distribution channels, including auto, home and life assurance.

Employing 900 people across the North West in offices in Derry and Strabane, the region is of major strategic importance to the company.  Their Derry office celebrating 20 years in business last year.

Allstate Strabane Office

Based in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, Talent Acquisition Manager, Alan Fletcher explains Allstate’s reasons to locate in the region with “The initial set-up about getting access to a deep talent pool available in the wider city region. The North West has talented individuals who make a great contribution to the success of all our businesses.”

Alan Fletcher: Talent Acquisition Manager

Alan is one of many cross-border workers in the Fortune 100 firm. He along with fellow colleague Maria McColgan, are both natives of Donegal and are part of a growing list of digital professionals who speak glowingly about Allstate and the North West City Region.

Maria speaks about the Allstate experience; “the social aspect of the company was beyond anything I had ever experienced, there is so much inclusiveness here and I felt this also supported my development professionally.”

Maria McColgan: Product Manager (Allstate)

Alongside her role as Product Delivery Manager, Maria is also as an ‘Inclusion Champion’, ensuring training is available for all employees and that everyone is happy coming to work. As well as this, Maria is an advocate for Women in Technology at Allstate, “I feel that as a female in IT that there is so much opportunity for which we need to make the next generation aware of.”

Looking to the future, Allstate aims to keep on top of technological advancements by looking for new talent and skillsets in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation and Cyber Security.

The company have embarked on an ambitious investment in re-skilling existing employees in these areas and identifying the next generation of talent, through their 3-year graduate development programme.

At least 100 graduate positions are expected to be filled this year with successful candidates being put through a journey of continuous professional development at Allstate, exploring roles in the skillsets identified such as AI, machine learning, production support and product testing. “The talent, skills and connectivity found in the North West is a major draw for Allstate to grow our talent centres,” comments Alan.

The company offers a flexible hybrid working policy, allowing employees to design a work schedule appropriate for their needs, while also helping to achieve the perfect work-life balance.

When touching on their experiences of living and working in the North West, the benefits were clear. Living in Carndonagh and working in the Calayst building in Derry, Maria comments that her commute through Donegal to work is “way more appealing that a 30-minute sit in traffic.”

“I suppose the major bonus is working in a close-knit community that the North West region provides”, Maria concludes.

“For me it is being able to have a global career in a unique location. I have been able to work in both Donegal and Derry for some of the biggest companies in the world” says Alan.

He also delves deeper into the ecosystem of collaboration between multinationals and high-quality educational institutions as Talent Acquisition manager: “I have built academic partnerships with the University of Ulster, North West Regional College and Atlantic Technological University to name a few and it has been great to see exciting job opportunities being created in the North West region.”

“The fact the region has been voted the best place to work in Northern Ireland shows we are heading in the right direction.”

With the MIT Innovators Under 35 Event set to take place in the gTeic @ GaothDobhair this week, showcasing the vast array of talent of young people across Europe and the North West City Region, it’s assuring to see that investment in the talent of tomorrow is fundamental to Allstate’s operations within the region. 

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