Debate contribution: SelectUSA Investment Summit
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 19 May 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- SelectUSA Investment Summit
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5549453
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for that question. Since taking on the Department for the Economy in February 2024, my predecessor Conor Murphy and I have undertaken overseas missions and trips to progress trade, investment and tourism opportunities. The outcomes of trade and investment missions often take time to fully materialise, and Invest NI continues to work closely with the participating companies, actively monitoring their progress and providing support in the months following each of those missions. That ongoing engagement helps businesses to strengthen their presence in those key markets and to inform their decisions. For example, as a direct result of the trade mission that Conor Murphy led in September 2024 to Chicago and Toronto, I have announced that Belfast-based firms The Foundation and Creative Media have secured contracts worth over £200,000, while Seedling and Jo Hopkins Consulting signed a new distribution agreement expanding their reach into North America. The first all-island trade mission to Singapore FinTech Festival took place in November 2024. That mission, which was supported by Invest NI, Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Agency (IDA), showcased 14 companies from across the island. Following that mission, Belfast-based Fern Software secured two multimillion-pound contracts. During my visit to the States in March 2025, I announced the international success of Belfast-based Artemis Technologies. Invest NI has been a key partner in helping to facilitate Artemis to grow its exports. I was delighted to welcome its multimillion-dollar deal in the US market. The Department remains committed to ensuring that all international engagements deliver long-term economic benefits and sustainable growth.
259 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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