UKGCC hosts webinar on trade and investment opportunities in Northern Ireland

UKGCC, on 28th July 2022, hosted a webinar on trade and investment opportunities in Northern Ireland (NI), with the aim of introducing Northern Ireland as an ideal location for Ghanaians interested in identifying and exploring new business opportunities.

The webinar is a precursor to an upcoming UKGCC trade mission to NI from 1-3 November this year.

Positioned as a gateway for the sale of goods to two of the world’s largest markets -UK and the EU, Northern Ireland is the only place where businesses can operate free from customs declarations, rules of origin certificates and non-tariff barriers on the sale of goods to both Great Britain and the European Union.

The webinar, which was organised in collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland (INI), the economic development agency for Northern Ireland and UKGCC member company, discussed a range of topics including the general investment landscape in NI.

Speaking during the webinar, Anne Beggs , Director of Trade & Investment at INI, remarked that INI exists to improve Northern Ireland’s economy and grow entrepreneurship, exports, inward investment, jobs and salaries, and innovation.

INI achieves this by focusing on the 6 key areas of Financial, Professional & Business Services, Agri-Food, Life & Health Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering, Construction & Materials Handling, and Digital & Creative Technologies.

According to Anne, business opportunities abound in recycling/waste management, cyber security, and education technology/e-learning solutions sectors.

She remarked that “Northern Ireland’s ed-tech sector brings together the region’s best education innovators to offer products and services that improve educational experience. Many of our innovators create and deliver learning and content through instruction video game-based learning and augmented reality.

Northern Ireland is also world renowned as a hotspot for international cyber security expertise and our sector here combines major multinationals who've chosen Northern Ireland to locate hubs of cyber expertise for their global operations”.

Raksha Maharaj , Regional Director - Africa at Invest Northern Ireland added that Ghana is a key focus market for businesses in Northern Ireland considering the pace of growth and economic development, especially in the wider African market. ?

She remained optimistic that the upcoming trade mission to Northern Ireland will create opportunities of mutual benefit to Ghana and Northern Ireland.

Dr. Jennifer Blagogee , External Relations Manager at UKGCC and moderator of the webinar, concluded that further details regarding the upcoming trade mission will be shared in the coming weeks.

Click below to access Anne Begg’s presentation slides