Belfast is a city full of ambition, optimism, and – above all – opportunity. As a talented, competitive and connected city, we’re the second fastest growing knowledge economy in the UK, with excellent digital infrastructure and thriving clusters of high growth companies.

It’s no wonder that 80% of businesses that locate in Belfast choose to re-invest.

Belfast is a city with a passion for progress and is the energetic, youthful and flourishing regional capital of Northern Ireland.

It has become a world-leading hub of discovery in digital technology, creating a thriving knowledge economy ecosystem.

A total of 44% of new jobs are in the tech sector and the city is listed among the world’s top locations of the future for technology investment. It’s also a leading European city for investment from US-based cyber security firms, as well as being a strategic sister city to Boston and Nashville.

Belfast is a city which has faced uncertainty before, tackling difficulties which few other cities have endured and overcoming them to emerge renewed and confident. In times of turmoil, resilience defines the winners who will emerge the strongest and Belfast has it in abundance.

The Belfast Region City Deal is one of the most important recent achievements – a £1 billion co- investment package that is vital for growth. It is estimated that the deal will create up to 20,000 new and better jobs, delivering a 10-year programme to unlock new innovations and R&D pathways whilst ushering in a new era of inclusive economic growth.

We have a young and highly educated population, essential to developing the tech sector and fuelling the demand for talent from global companies locating into the region, as well as fast-growing indigenous businesses.

Our city provides the unique benefit of dual market access to GB and the EU. For companies looking to serve the UK and EU markets, we are the ideal location. Consequently, the real estate market is experiencing a positive impact with an upswing in interest right across the region.

Many of the students from our universities and colleges will graduate with the skills Belfast needs and will stay to live and work here. Belfast City Council has set an ambitious target of attracting 66,000 people to live and work in the city and also 31,600 additional homes across Belfast by 2035.

Belfast is alive with entrepreneurial spirit, ambition and optimism. It also paints a picture of great opportunity, one which is unlike any other city in the UK. A picture of a city poised for an exciting economic future with untapped investment opportunities.