Northern Ireland has a small but research-intensive higher education sector centred on two universities, alongside a number of other higher-education providers including university colleges and distance-learning institutions, which together support the region’s research and innovation ecosystem.
Responsibility for higher education policy and research funding is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive, with funding and oversight provided by the Department for the Economy. The 10X Economic Vision sets out the Northern Ireland Executive’s long-term strategy for building a more innovative and productive economy, with research and innovation playing a key role.
Collaboration between academia, industry and government is further supported by innovation organisations such as Digital Catapult Northern Ireland, which works with businesses and researchers to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced digital technologies.
Northern Ireland has developed strong research and innovation activity in areas such as cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, health technologies, data analytics and digital innovation, supported by collaboration between universities, industry and government organisations. Belfast in particular has developed a growing innovation ecosystem linking universities, research institutes and technology companies.
Innovation and commercialisation are supported by organisations such as Catalyst and Invest Northern Ireland, which work with universities and businesses to develop new technologies and support economic growth.
Northern Ireland also benefits from strong international and cross-border collaboration through initiatives such as the US-Ireland Research and Development Partnership, which supports joint research projects between researchers in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the United States.