Northern Economy Minister In New Drive To Attract U.S. Business

Northern Economy Minister Arlene Foster is spearheading a major business drive in the US, travelling to Boston and San Francisco from October 26-30.

On her first visit to America as Minister of Enterprise Trade and Investment, Arlene Foster has arranged a series of meetings with potential investors and will be supporting Invest Northern Ireland marketing activities in Boston and San Francisco. The visit is a follow-up to the successful US-NI Investment Conference held in Belfast in May.

In Boston, the Minister will be taking part in a major two-day symposium and exhibition on the latest healthcare technologies, organised by the Centre for Connected Health and Boston's Partners Health Care at Harvard Medical Centre and part sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland. Other sponsors include major international corporations such as Johnson and Johnson, Philips Healthcare, Qualcomm, Cisco Systems and Verizon Wireless.

The Minister will then travel to San Francisco to link up with an Invest NI trade mission of 15 companies and the University of Ulster. She will support the companies as they seek to develop new business in the US and will also meet several Californian companies interested in locating operations in the North.

One of the companies travelling with the mission is Newry-based First Derivatives plc. It employs over 140 people in major global financial centres such as New York, London and Singapore, providing services and computing technology to investment banks and other financial institutions across the world.

Commenting on the current economic situation the Minister said: "While the US is currently in the midst of serious economic difficulties, there are still significant business opportunities for Northern Ireland companies prepared to back up good products and services by investing time and other resources in what is still an important market, particularly for innovative technology.

"Northern Ireland companies also have an excellent track record in the US market which remains our biggest outside Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, purchasing goods worth more than £1billion on average annually.

"We now have a reputation as a source of new technology, particularly in sectors such as ICT, digital audio, business processing solutions, life sciences and high added value products and services. I am determined to build on this during the forthcoming trade mission."