Invest NI lead hi-tech delegation to Germany

State of the art technology products from Northern Ireland have been showcased to potential investors on the Invest Northern Ireland stand at CeBIT 2003, an international technology exhibition held in Hannover from March 12-19.

The Invest NI delegation aimed to promote Northern Ireland as "a centre of innovation in the development and commercialisation of software products and services", and were supported by both local universities, the Software Industry Federation and three local companies; e-blana, Armagh; First Derivatives plc, Newry; and Raytheon Systems Ltd, Derry.

Professor Fabian Monds, Invest NI Chairman, and Leslie Ross, Managing Director of Invest NI Business International, briefed a number of potential investors during a visit to the exhibition and hosted a St Patrick's Day reception for over 100 specially targeted guests from companies in Germany and other parts of Europe.

Professor Monds said: "Our objective at this major technology-focused event was to demonstrate that Northern Ireland is among the very best locations in Europe for the development of innovative software products and services, and to highlight its attractions as a location for inward investment opportunities.

"We achieved this by showcasing the strength of our commitment to innovation in the ICT sector and the highly supportive partnership that exists in Northern Ireland between Invest NI, university centres of research excellence and companies, both externally and locally-owned.

"It also enabled the participating companies from Northern Ireland to demonstrate expertise across a broad range of software sectors and to develop contacts that already support new businesses and strategic partnerships."

(GB)