Invest NI opens office in San Francisco

13 Mar 2014

Northern Ireland’s regional economic development agency Invest NI has opened an office in San Francisco, California, to focus on high-technology sectors.

Northern Ireland has become the European home of many US west-coast based companies, such as Seagate, Concentrix, Cybersource Visa and most recently technology companies such as Vello Systems and Wandisco.

First Minister the Rt Hon Peter D Robinson MLA and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA attended the new opening of the new office.

McGuinness said increasing Invest NI’s presence is an important part of Northern Ireland’s economic strategy.

“Having a dedicated team in San Francisco will further enhance the support network Invest NI has available to help its businesses build contacts,” he said.

“The Invest NI team in the San Francisco office is primarily focusing on high-technology sectors, such as information technology in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, LA, Texas, Seattle and Portland.”

He added that the city’s growing emerging tech and entrepreneurial culture provides numerous opportunities for Northern Ireland’s indigenous businesses.

Robinson echoed the sentiment, saying San Francisco has witnessed a growing number of start-ups relative to Silicon Valley over the last few years, as the city is better positioned to attract young talent from all over the United States.

“Through this new base, Invest NI is better able to effectively support both our own indigenous companies, as well as attracting the next generation of technology companies to invest, if located in San Francisco,” Robinson said.

San Francisco image via Shutterstock

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com