Aerospace company brings 50 new jobs to Belfast

Around 50 new jobs are to be create in Belfast by a French-owned engineering company.

Assystem SA, will be based in Belfast and will specialise in aerospace design engineering. The company has already taken on 30 staff and plans to recruit at least another 20 at its Old Channel Road location.

Invest Northern Ireland is supporting the project with an investment of almost £250,000 in addition to the £900,000 investment by Assystem UK Limited.

Welcoming the investment, Invest NI’s Chief Executive, Leslie Morrison, said: “This investment by an international company will deliver wide economic benefits to Northern Ireland. As well as creating 50 high-quality jobs, many at graduate level, it will strengthen Northern Ireland’s aerospace sector.”

Belfast was just one of a number of potential EU locations considered by Assystem, which is seeking to expand its global network of engineering offices. The company was attracted to Belfast because of the availability of skills, the competitive cost structure, the quality of telecoms infrastructure, and the support offered by Invest NI.

Mr Morrison continued: “Assystem will provide just over £4 million in salaries over a three-year period. There is also potential for collaboration between the company and our universities with the aim of producing cutting-edge engineering solutions for the aerospace industry.”

Northern Ireland has an international reputation for excellence in aerospace. A strong tradition in aeronautical engineering has been consolidated in recent years by the establishment of the Centre of Excellence of Integrated Aircraft Technology at Queen’s University.

Jeff Hoyle, Assystem’s Aerostructures Director, commented: “Our aim is to create an engineering design centre of the highest calibre and we are confident that the ready availability of talented engineering graduates, the potential to work with the local universities and ongoing support from Invest NI will ensure that we can achieve that.”

(EF/SP)