NORTHERN IRELAND’S political leaders meet a carefully selected group of US industrialists in Washington today at an investment conference arranged by Hillary Clinton.
First Minister Peter Robinson said on his arrival in the US capital that the focus would be securely on jobs. “This conference will allow us to sell the Northern Ireland product directly to some of America’s most successful and best-known companies,” he said.
“The [Stormont] Executive said from a very early stage that attracting inward investment was vital to the Northern Irish economy, and we have had some considerable success.” Mr Robinson added: “I have no doubt that as a direct result of this conference we will forge a new set of relationships that will, in the months and years to come, see further significant investment.”
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness agreed, saying: “This conference will, I am sure, bear fruit and will have a long and lasting legacy that will benefit our economy and all our people equally.” Mrs Clinton pledged to host such a conference 12 months ago when she visited Belfast.
Since then, the US special economic envoy Declan Kelly has played a central organisational role. Yet this conference will be strikingly different from the large-scale and high-profile conference staged in Belfast two years ago.
Today’s event in the US state department will have a guest list of under 100, of whom 16 are high-ranking US business people who have invested in Northern Ireland.
The conference is “highly targeted” at senior decision-makers in Fortune 500 companies. It will bring together executives from US companies who are established investors in Northern Ireland with companies who may be considering a new investment location.
Existing US investors will give first-hand details of their experiences in the North and explain why they chose it initially as an investment location. Mr Kelly said this primarily includes its people, location and cost structure.
He does not believe recent dissident activity in Derry will have any negative impact on how potential investors may view Northern Ireland at this time.
“American companies are looking at the pure cold business case. They are not looking at investing in Northern Ireland as a favour – it is if the business case adds up, and Northern Ireland is a very positive region,” he said.
Also present will be a number of business people from the North involved in a working group set up by the economic envoy to promote US and Northern Ireland business interests.