Financial, Professional & Business Services

Northern Ireland is rapidly becoming a magnet for the financial, professional and business services sector.

The CityUK identified Northern Ireland as one of the stand out regions for legal services, financial services and Fintech. As new industries are emerging alongside new technology Mid and East Antrim, located on the periphery of Belfast is well poised as a key area for FDI’s to set up, perform in global markets, grow and develop.

The growth of the financial, professional and the business services sector in Northern Ireland is a success story, with a large variety of locally-owned and inward-investing firms delivering world-class services, software solutions and specialist advice to customers around the world.

The professional and business services sector includes: contact centres, IT services, facilities management, recruitment services and business to business services another growth area in the NI economy.

Our Borough has access to 362Mpbs fibre broadband, which uses virtual hub technology to ensure no speed degradation over distance.

Why Mid and East Antrim?

Financial, business and professional service companies are attracted by the cost competitive operating overheads. On average:

• Salaries in this sector are 40% lower than London
• Property costs for companies operating in financial and business services are up to 75% cheaper than in London
• Operating costs are 28% lower than Dublin and 55% lower than New York City
• Some 77% of school leavers go on to further and higher education, producing over 5,500 graduates each year across a range of relevant disciplines including finance, accounting, economics, law and computing
• Queen’s University has a dynamic learning environment replicating New York and London trading rooms, the facility provides an opportunity for students to engage with the complex and challenging issues of real time trading and is the UK’s leading university for intellectual property commercialisation
• Both Queen’s and Ulster University are internationally renowned and have been key drivers in developing the region’s technology and knowledge industries