Ulster Business June 2026

41

Thelatestnewsandexclusivesfromacross Norther nIrelandbusinessandbeyond 18

Coverstory

NIENetworksonourcapabilitytobuilda cleanerandmoreresilientenergysystem 22

InFocus

Coppi’sTonyO’Neillon reopeninghis restaurantandtherisingcostofbusiness 31

PavelBarteronaerospacetakingoff 41

IT &technology

HowCSITisplayingitspartinnurturingNI’s cyber-securityecosystem 49

Education,training &skills

Whyworkmustcontinuetodevelop integratededucationinNI

Bill WolseyofMerchantHotelonmarking20 yearsandthechallengesahead 77 Motoring

BMW’snewiX3couldchangetheEVgame andappeasepetrol-headrangeanxiety 84

Photocall

Alookatwhat’sbeenhappeningacross Norther nIrelandoverthelastfewweeks 92

Travel

Thepeaksaround Verbiercomealivein summer,writesCatherineMurphy 94

Lifestyle

JohnMulgrewgetshandsonwithsomeofthe newRolex releasesfor2026

Apple’snewiPhone17eisthestudent-friendly optionamid acostoflivingcrisis

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EDITOR’S COMM EN TS

Summermeans

it’s Top100 time

Hospitalityhaslongbeencalling forareductionintherateof VATonfoodhereinabidto helpbothkeepthelightson,andits abilitytocompetewithbusinesses southoftheborder.

Justaswewere signingthingsoffat Ulster Business headquarters,RachelReeves steppedinwith adifferentproposal, however

Thiswouldsee acutin VATto5%during thesummer,aimedatfamily-focused attractions,aswellasapplyingtochildrens’ mealsconsumedatthosespots.

It’s beenwelcomedbytheindustry,as expected,andit’scertainlysomethingthat manyworkingwithinthattradewillseeas

Publisher UlsterBusiness c/oMediahuisUKLtd

Belfast TelegraphHouse,33ClarendonRoad, ClarendonDock,BelfastBT13BG

Printer W&GBaird GreystonePress,CaulsideDrive, AntrimBT412RS www.wgbaird.com

atlease abitofboon,ratherthananything whichwillkick-startthewidersector

It’spresumablyaimedatfamilies,rather thantheindustryitself,asmanycontinue tofacerisingfood,fuelandenergycosts, whilewagesfailtokeepupwiththepace.

Stormont,andthewiderhospitalitysector, actuallywrotetothe Treasurybackin Februarytodiscussthepossibilityoftrialling aVAT reductionforNorthernIreland’s industry

Butasyet,theyhave receivedno response. Whetherit’sfeasible,andanytaxshortfall canbedealtwith,alongwithpoliticalflux beingappeased, remainstobeseen.

WelcometotheJuneeditionof Ulster

Business. Whilejournalistically, from anews perspectiveatleast,we’reheadingtowards thetraditionallyquietermonths,there remain acoupleofmajorstorieswhichwill likelyfillpagesandsocialmediatimelinesin theweeksahead.

Butforus,summermeansourbiggest edition. We’realreadyworkingonour Top 100Companiesedition,whichcomesout inAugust.It’schartedtheperformanceand profiledourlargestfirmsforalmostfour decades.

Ifyou’dliketogetinvolved,feelfreeto dropus alineusingthecontactsbelow.For now,enjoythisedition,andwe’llcatchup soon. ■

JohnMulgrew

Editor JohnMulgrew,john.mulgrew@mediahuis.co.uk

Advertising JudithMartin,judith.martin@mediahuis.co.uk LouiseHenderson,louise.henderson@mediahuis.co.uk CharlottePrentice,charlotte.prentice@mediahuis.co.uk

Graphicdesign SusanMcClean,MediahuisIrelandDesignStudio

Coverphoto WilliamCherry/PressEye

UlsterBusinessMagazine @ulsterbusiness www.ulsterbusiness.com

MediahuisUKLtd ©2026.Allrights reserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybe reproduced,storedin aretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyform, orbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying, recording,orotherwisewithoutthepriorpermissionofMediahuis.

Amonth innumbers VATcut forrestaurants‘would makemassive difference’

5%

Atemporarycuton VATthissummer forsomefamily attractions.

20

Thenumberofyears thefive-starMerchant HotelinBelfasthas beentradingfor.

9%

Theriseinthevolume ofovernighttrips toNorther nIreland during2025.

7.4%

Thegrowthinthe averagecostofbuying ahomeinNorthern Ireland.

Acutinthe VATrateforfood businessesherewould“make a massivedifference”andassistthe widersector’ssurvival,accordingtoone restaurateur.

Coppi’sTonyO’Neillsaysintheyearssince opening,theriseinpopularityofweightloss drugs,soaringfood, rentandstaffingcosts, andcleardisparitywithtaxationsouthofthe borderhaveallplayedtheirpartinshapingthe Italian restaurant,andothers.

“Ithinktheonethingwe’vealwaysfocused onintherestaurantisthat restaurantsarenot alwaysaboutthefood–it’stheserviceandthe atmosphere,”hesays.

Coppi’sown refurbishmenthasseennew flooring,andbarareabeingdeveloped, allowingfor agreaternumberofcovers –bringingtotalcapacityto120.

ButMrO’Neillsays,likethewiderindustry, Coppihasfaceditsownupsanddown,and challengesalongtheway

“It’stoughernow[thanitwasopeningat first],”hesays.“Openingup,you’reyounger andhavethissortofblindoptimism…there’s beenupsanddowns,obviously.”

Thewiderhospitalitysectorhasbeencrying

outforhelptosurvive. Alotofthatisdown tospirallingoverheads,fromstaff,toNational Insurancecontributions,food, rent,andrates.

MrO’Neill,likemostintheindustry,also pointstoourdisparitywiththeRepublic,where VATonrestaurantfoodisaboutto dropto9% –that’supagainsttheUKrateof20%.

“That’shardtocompetewith… a[reduction] wouldmake amassivedifference,” hesays.

“It’sbecomeexpensive,youknow.Youhave totryandkeepthatquality…we’vebeen throughupsanddowns,especiallywithstaff andtheteam,andespeciallywhenwehad other restaurants,and Iwassplittingmytime [betweenthem].”

Coppinowhas astrongteamof30staff, someofwhomhavebeentheresincedayone.

Andhe’sspendingmoretimebehindthe stovethesedays,andsayshisfocusissolelyon Coppiforthenextcoupleofyears.

“NowI’mbackworkingwiththeguysinthe kitchen,and Ihave agreatheadchef,Mark Henderson,”hesays.

“I reallywanttofocusonthenextyearor twoandgettingCoppitobackuptothetop ofitsgame –andI’ve areallygoodteamtodo thatnow.”

Readthefullarticleonpage22-23

Coppiowner TonyO’Neill outsidehis restaurant

JohnMulgrew

NI cyber-security researchbody‘possibly thebestin theworld’

ANorthern Ireland researchbodyis“possiblythebestinthe world”inhelpingleadinthefieldofcyber-securityhere,a topexperthassaid.

TheCentreforSecureInformation Technologies(CSIT)iscarryingout internationally-renowned researchinstituteaspartofQueen’sUniversity tofightincreasingsecuritythreatlevelsposedbyartificialintelligence (AI).

CSITacademicsareinvolvedinlarge-scaleprojectsaroundrapidly evolvingareasofcyber-security.

“CSITisprobablythebestplaceontheseislands,possiblyinthe world,whichconductsvital researchintochipsecurityandsupplychain integrity,”CiaranMartin, aTyrone-bor nprofessorandformerchiefof theNationalCyberSecurityCentre(NCSC),said.“They’veproduced real results,whichnotallinstitutionsdo.”

CSIT,believesMrMartin,hasnurtured apowerfulcyber-security

ecosysteminthelocal regionandisofsignificantbenefittoglobal security.

“Frommypointofviewas acyber-securityprofessional,I’m delightedCSITisdoingwhatthey’redoing.Itsworkisoutstandingand groundbreaking,particularlyinlong-termcomputingsecurity.It’sahuge advantagetohavesomethingofthatqualityinyour region: ahuge assettoBelfastandtoNorther nIreland.”

CSITalsostandstobenefitfrom a£70mprojectwithintheBelfast CityDeal,whichisexpandingthebuilding(formerlyknownasECIT, nowcalledQueen’sT itanicQuarter)whichhousestheCentre,addingan additional6,400sq mofspacetoitsexisting4,000sqm.

Readthefullarticleonpage41-44

PavelBarter

CiaranMartin

Major wind farm plansscrapped after15years

Aglobaldeveloperispullingtheplugon amajorwindfarm here after15yearsofdelaysandplanningissues, Ulster Business can reveal.

Gruggandoo WindFarm,closetoHilltown,CoDown,isoneofa numberoflarge-scaleschemeswhichsatintheplanningsystemhere forinexcessof500weeks.

TheformerInfrastructureMinisterNicholaMallonannounced apublic inquiryintothedevelopmentbackin2022.

Butitcannowbe revealedthatABOEnergyhaswithdrawnitsappeal tothePlanningAppealsCommission(PAC),isnotpushingforwardwith it,amidmorethan15yearsinthesystem.

Adatefor along-awaitedpublicinquirywasannounced,andwas originallyduetotakeplaceinMarchlastyear.Butitwasprovisionally pushedbacktoSeptembertoallowtimeforinformationsubmission.

Butit’sunderstoodfurthersubmissionsthenhadtobesenttothe DepartmentforInfrastructure.

ItcomesasNorther nIrelandAuditOffice reporthasslammedthe PAC overhinderingeconomicgrowthinNorther nIreland.

Italsosaidtherewas“insufficientaccountability”alongwith “strained relationships”,whichitsaidare“contributingtoconstraints onthewiderplanningsystem’sabilitytosupportNorther nIreland’s economicandenvironmentaldevelopment”.

ABOEnergy’splansforthewindwouldhave represented amultimillionpoundinvestment,iftheyhadgoneahead.

Speakingatthetimeoffurtherdelaysintheprocess,whichsawthe schemesittinginplanningformorethan adecadeandwiththe PACfor aroundfouryears,PatriciaMcGrath,UKdirectoratABOEnergysaidthat

Quotes

of the month

“Inflationar ypressures, continue to haveanimpact on Northern Ireland businesses throughrising costsand fallingdemand.”

MarkCrimminsofUlster BankonitslatestRegional Growth Tracker.

“thecurrentperformanceoftheplanningsysteminNorther nIreland isoneofthebiggesthurdlestodecarbonisingoureconomyandwider society”.

Theproposedschemewouldincludeeightwindturbinesandan electricalsubstation,alongwith roadandjunctionworks. Therewereoriginallymorethan400 responsestotheschemeatthe time,manyofwhichobjectedtoit.

Ifdeveloped,itcouldhaveincludedeightwindturbines,nottaller than142.5m,anelectricalsubstationandcontrolbuilding,construction ofinternalaccesstracks,spoildepositionareas, atemporary constructioncompound,and roadandjunctionworks,atRostrevor RoadandMullaghgarriffRoad.

Respondingtothisweek’sAuditOffice report,the PACsaiditcould not“giveitssealofapprovaltotheNorther nIrelandAuditOffice(NIAO) reportduetoconcerns regardingthenarrative,conclusionsdrawn,and recommendations”.

“The reportingperiodassessedbytheNIAOwasat apointintimein ourpastandwehavemovedonsince…the‘backlogsandlongdelays’ referredtointhe reportnolongerexist.”

“Understandinghow global tensions,tradearrangements andpolic ychoicesafect localbusinessesisbecoming more important forbusiness leaders andpolicymakers.”

RobHeronofEYspeaking initsEconomicEye report.

“Regency Houseisunlike anythingelseinBelfast,and we feel trulyathomehere, whichisexactly howwewant ever yguest to feel.”

ChefChrisMcClurg speakingabouttakingthe reinsatRegencyHouse.

ABOEnergyhaspulledplanstodevelop awindfarminCoDown

JohnMulgrew

HillsboroughCastleisoneof NI’smajorvisitorattractions

VATcut forvisitor attractions welcomed by NIindustry

ANorthern Irelandhospitalitybosshaswelcomeda temporary VATcutonvisitorattractionsforthesummer. Themeparksandcinemas alsowelcomedtheslashingof

VATonticketsoverthesummerholidaysin aGovernmentmovetohelp familieswiththecostoflivingcrisis.

TheGovernment’s“GreatBritishSummerSavings”schemewillcut VAToneligibleactivities,rangingfromthemeparkstosoftplaycentres andnaturereserves,from20%to5%acrossEngland, Wales,Scotland andNorthernIreland.

ChancellorRachelReevesannouncedtheschemeintheHouseof Commons,andsaidthechangeswillapplyacrosstheUKfromJune25 untilSeptember1.

Otherattractionssubjecttothelower VATratewillincludechildren andfamilyticketsfor cinemas,theatres,concerts,showsandexhibitions andadmissionticketsforbothchildrenandadultstofairs,museums, zoosandcircuses.

Thecutwillalsoapplytochildren’smealseatenonattractionpremises.

ColinNeill,chiefexecutiveofHospitalityUlster,saidthemovewas recognitionthattargeted VATmeasures“canplayanimportant rolein supportingbusinessesandconsumersduringongoingcostpressures”.

“Thetemporary reductionin VAToneligibleactivitiesoverthesummer periodis aclearacknowledgementthathospitality,leisureandtourism businesses remainundersignificantstrain,whilehouseholdscontinueto facedifficultfinancialpressures.

“ForhospitalityoperatorsacrossNorthern Ireland,anyintervention thathelpsdrivefootfallandencouragesfamiliestoenjoydaysoutis positivenews.”

Ryder Cupcaptaintodesign top newchampionshipgolfcourse

Anewgolfcoursedesignedbya formerRyderCupcaptaincouldbe builtoutsideBelfast.

ThecourseattheNewGroveEstateonthe BallylessonRoadwouldbe areplacementfor thecurrentBalmoralGolfClubinsouthBelfast.

Freshplansshowthenew18-holecourse isbeingdesignedby2014 RyderCupCaptain PaulMcGinley.

Apublicconsultationisnowunderwayfor theproposeddevelopment.

IttakesplaceonJune18atBallylesson Church,facilitatedbyMerrionPropertyGroup, andisinvitinglocal residents,stakeholders,and thewidercommunitytoviewtheproposals andsharetheirfeedback.

Theclubhasagreedthesaleofitsexisting propertyneartheKing’sHalltodevelopers.

“Thenew18-holechampionshipgolfcourse willbedesignedThedesignisunderpinnedby acommitmenttocomplementandenhance thenaturallandscapeoftheBallylesson siteandwilldrapeovertheexistingnatural contoursandtopographythroughoutthe149acresite,”thosebehindthecoursesay.

“Thisforward-thinkingdesignensuresthe coursewillmeettheexpectationsofmodern playerswhilepreservingthetraditionsand integrityofthegame.

“Complementingthecoursewillbea sensitively restoredandenhancedclubhouse atNewGroveHouse. Together,thecourse andclubhousewillestablish adistinctivenew identityforBalmoralGolfClubwhichhonours theheritageoftheclubwhilepositioningitfor long-termsuccess.”

RobertConan,chiefexecutiveofthe MerrionPropertyGroup,said:“Wehavebeen workinginpartnershipwiththemembersof BalmoralGolfClubtofacilitate aplanned, smooth relocationtothisnewsite.

“Thisconsultation reflectsourcommitment to atransparentandinclusiveapproachto protectingboththefutureofBalmoralGolf Clubandtheenvironmentalandhistorically significantlandscapeinBallylesson.

“Thisprojectwilldelivergolfing,economic, environmentalandsocialbenefitsand represents asignificantinvestmentinthe Lisbur nandCastlereagharea,supporting

regionalgrowthandaligningwithlocal tourismandcommunitystrategies.Balmoral GolfClubinitsnewlocationwillcontribute hugelytoNorther nIreland’sreputationasa premierglobalgolftouristdestination.

“Thisconsultationprocessis avitalpartof theproject’sdevelopment.Feedbackgathered duringtheeventandthroughthededicated consultationwebsitewilldirectlyinform thefinalproposalssubmittedtoLisbur n& CastlereaghCityCouncil.

“Thisprojectisborneoutofpartnership andisbuiltonsustainable relationshipswith BalmoralGolfClubandthelocalBallylesson community.”

Plansareunderwaytodevelop anew replacementcourseforBalmoralGolfClub

Whatthenewgolf coursecouldlooklike whencompleted

Translinkappointsnew boss following departure ofChrisConway

Translinkhasappointed anewchiefaheadofthedeparture ofitscurrentbossthismonth.

GerardCarlinhasbeenappointedas Translink’snewgroup chiefexecutive.

He’scurrentlydirectorofnetworksandinnovationforSONI,Northern Ireland’selectricityTransmissionSystemOperator.

MrCarlinwill replaceChrisConwayinthe role,whowillstepdown inJune.

MrConwaypreviouslyannouncedhisdecisiontoleavethe rolein 2026and“willstayuntiltheendofJune2026toensureasmoothand effectivetransition”.

Hehasbeengroupchiefexecutivesince2015,havingledthe organisationthroughmajortransformationincludingmost recentlythe openingofBelfastGrandCentralStation,Ireland’slargestintegrated transporthub.

GerardCarlinisanengineerbytrade,with20yearsofexperiencein

infrastructure,includingtherail,water,andoilandgasIndustries.

Hehasheldleadership rolesatLondonUnderground,Crossrailand TransportforLondonbeforejoiningNorther nIreland Waterin2021 whereheworkedasheadoftransformation.

In2018,hewaspartoftheleadershipteambroughtinto recoverthe Crossrailproject,andasprogrammetransitiondirectorwas responsible forthehandoveroftheElizabethLine.

“Gerardbrings awealthofexperiencefromhisworkinpublic transportpreviouslyand Icongratulatehimonhisappointmentaschief executiveof Translink,”InfrastructureMinisterLizKimmins,said.

“Welookforwardtoworkingwithhimcloselyinthis roleand Iwish himeverysuccessashetakesupthisimportantposition.”

GerardCarlin

‘Disappointing’ Government failed to respond to Ministerandindustryover

VATcutproposals forhospitality

TheUK Treasuryhasfailedto respond tocallsfromtheEconomyMinister andhospitalitysectortodiscuss cuttingtaxforfoodanddrinkbusinesses here.

CaoimheArchibaldsaysit’s“disappointing” shehasnot received aresponsefromChief Secretary,JamesMurrayMP.

Threemonthsago,theMinisterwroteto the Treasury,alongsidethewiderindustry,to seeka meetingtodiscuss aVAT reductionpilot scheme.

Pubs, restaurants,andhotelsarecallingfora lowerrateof VATtohelpkeepthelightson.

TheUKratestandsat20%,whilethe Republicwillsoondropitsownrateto9%for foodsales.

TheMinistersaysit’s“disappointing”that no responsehasbeen received,afterwritingto MrMurrayonFebruary17.

“AlongwiththeFinanceMinister,Imetwith representativesfromHospitalityUlsterand theFoodtoGoAssociationonJanuary13, todiscusstheirproposalsfor areduced VAT

pilotschemeinthenorth,”theMinistersaidin responsetoanAssemblyquestionfromClaire Sugden.

“Followingthatmeeting,wewrotejointlyto theChiefSecretarytothe TreasuryonFebruary 17,toseek ameetingwithhim,alongside localhospitalitysectorbodies,todiscussthe potentialfor aVAT reductionpilotscheme.

“Itisdisappointingthattodate,no response hasbeen receivedfrom Treasurytothatletter.

“Whileourpubsareclosingat afasterrate thaninEngland, Wales,Scotlandorthesouth ofIreland,thenumberofhospitalitybusinesses overallhasrisen.Datafortheyears20222024indicatethattherewas atotalof1,600 businessbirthsintheaccommodationand foodservicessector,with1,525deaths.

“Thisequatesto anetgrowthof75 businesses,or roughly25extrabusinessesper annumoverthattimeperiod.”

It’sunderstoodthat alowerratecouldbe introducedinNorther nIreland,differingfrom GB,withoutcontraventionofrulesaround areaslikestateaid.

AlettersenttotheChiefSecretaryfrom

ColinNeillsaystheindustrycontributes “around£1.4bn”totheeconomyeachyear, andemployssome50,000people“generating significanttax receiptsfortheExchequer”.

“TheIrishGovernmentplansto reducetheir VATratefurther,to9%forfood-ledhospitality fromJuly2026,”thelettersays.

“Thiswillfurtherwidenthegapand exacerbatethechallengefacedbybusinesses inthenorth. Ihaveconsistentlyraised concernsaroundthe VATdisparityaffecting thehospitalitysectorwithyou,anditwasalso anissueraisedinmymeetingalongsidethe deputyFirstMinisterwiththeChancellorin Augustoflastyear.Itisbecomingincreasingly difficultforourlocalhospitalitybusinessesto competeintheall-islandeconomy.

“Itisourviewthat areduced VATratepilot forthelocalhospitalitysectorwouldallow theBritishGovernmenttotesttheeconomic impactsofsuch ameasureforthesectormore broadly,includingthesuggestedboosttoother taxes(egincome,NICSandcorporationtaxes), butwith alimiteddirectfinancialimpactto VATrevenuesfortheExchequer.” ■

JohnMulgrew

EconomyMinisterCaoimheArchibald

Whatisthefutureofthe all-islandtalenteconomy?

Whenitcomesto recruitment, talent,hiringandcareersit canbeeasytobecomeoverly focusedontheissuesthatarehavingthe biggestinfluenceinyourlocalmarket.

AtHays,wealsospend alotoftimemaking sureweunderstandourlocalmarketin Norther nIreland,butalsohowwidermarket dynamicsintheUK,Irelandandgloballyare affectingthepicture here.

Thisunderstandingthatnomarketoperates inisolationispartlybehindanimportantnew collaborativeprojectwe’reundertakingin partnershipwithbusinessorganisationsCBI Norther nIrelandandIBEC.

TheAll-island WorkforceReport: Tomorrow’s Talent,willbeinformedbysurveyinputfrom organisationsacrosstheislandofIreland, andseekstoprovide realinsightintothe opportunitiesfortheall-islandtalenteconomy andalsothebarriersthatpreventpeople advancingtheircareers –orpreventemployers fromcollaboratingmore–onacross-border basis.

Thesurveyfindingswillenableustodraw comparisonsacrossindustrysectorsand regionsthroughouttheRepublicofIreland andNorther nIrelandandhopefullyhighlight newopportunitiesforwaysofworkingand conductingbusinessacrosstheisland.

Thesurvey –whichisopenuntilJune16 –covers arangeoftopicsincluding:crossbordermobility;sentimentaroundcareer opportunitiesandbarriers;what’sshaping workacrossRoIandNI;andtheimpactofAI.

We knowthereare lotsofcompaniesand organisationsoperatingverysuccessfullyacross theisland,northandsouth,andmanypeople wholiveinNorther nIrelandbutworkinthe RepublicofIreland,andviceversa.

Butoursenseisthatthereare untapped opportunitiesbothforemployersseekingfresh

talentandforthoselookingtoadvancetheir careersbutstillstay relativelyclosetohome–whetherthatisat asenior,experiencelevel,or thosenewlyenteringtheworkforce.

We areseekingtheanswersto arangeof questions,includingwhetherskillsandtalent needsdiffernorthandsouthorwhether employersarefacingsimilarchallenges. We wanttoknowwhethergapsintax, regulatory andlegalalignmentcreatedifficultiesfor employersandwhethersuchthingsfactor intothedecision-makingprocesswhenpeople arethinkingof acareermoveandexamining benefitspackages.Andwhenitcomesto workforceand resourceplanning,howdo attitudestowardshybridworkinginfluencethe thinkingaboutemployingcross-borderworkers andhowdoesthequalityoftransportlinks andinfrastructureimpactonapplicantappetite toapplyfornotonlycross-border roles,but jobslocatedinotherpartsoftheislandfrom wheretheylive.

Forthosewhotakepartinthesurvey,there willbethechancetoprovideyourdetailsifyou

wouldliketoenter aprizedrawtowineither AppleAirPodsPro3orSonyWF1000XM6 wirelessearphones. To takepartyoucanuse theQRcodeorlinkatthebottomofthepage.

It’simportanttosaythattheanswers collectedaspartofthissurveywillbe anonymousand responseswon’tbelinked to respondents’identity.Alldatawillbe aggregatedforanalysis.

We hopetheAll-Island WorkforceReport willbeanimportantpieceofworkthatadds realvaluewhenitcomestounderstanding thesimilaritiesanddifferences,aswellasthe opportunitiesandchallengesformanaging anddevelopingthetalentofthefuture.

Ibelievewewillfind alotincommoninour workforcesandtheissuesfacingemployers. But Ialsothinkwe’llfindthereare massive opportunitiesforgreater collaboration. ■

Formoreinformationgo tohttps://cx.hays.com/ s3/364778710026

Mark Wade,Hays

LiquidatorprobeintoFBA Brand

Buildercould take afurther twoyears

Aliquidator’sinvestigationintoa controversialNorther nIreland “brand-building”company couldtake afurthertwoyears,financial documentshaveshown.

TheFBABrandBuilder,runbyDarren Campbell(35),previouslychargedclientsfor guidanceinlaunchingtheirownonlineselling businessthroughAmazon.

In2024,theBelfast Telegraph revealedthe companyhadbeenencouragingclientsto providefalseinformationtoobtaincredit.

Italso reportedithadbeenfacilitatingpaid Amazon reviewsandflooding Trustpilotwith fake reviews.

Pricesforthecoursebeganat£6,500,with theBallymenamanbringingclientsthrough amentoringprogrammetohelpthemlaunch theirbrands,primarilyintheUSmarket.

Begbies Traynorwasappointedasliquidator forthecompanyinApril2025afterMr Campbellannouncedthepreviousmonththat hewasgoingbust.

Newclientswerestillbeingsigneduptothe ventureaslateasMarch13 —justtwoweeks beforetheliquidationannouncement.

Astatementofaffairs revealedthecompany —CommerceDCEnterprisesLtd —haddebts ofmorethan£450,000,£400,000ofwhichis owedtoHMRC.

Documentshavenow revealedthatno assetshavebeen recoveredandnocreditors haveyet receivedpayments.

Astatementof receiptsandpayments lodgedonCompaniesHousehasalsoindicated theliquidator’sinvestigationintothecompany couldtake afurthertwoyears.

Thedocument,knownas aForm4.69,isa statutoryexercisegovernedbytheInsolvency (NI)Order1989thatlaysoutprogressinthe liquidationprocess.

Itindicatesthatthe reasonthewinding upprocesshasnotbeencompletedisdueto liquidators“finalising”theirinvestigation.

Theformalsoindicatesthatinvestigation couldtakebetween12and24monthsto complete.

Begbies Traynorhasbeenapproachedfor comment.

Intotal,thecompanyowescreditors £457,000.HMRCisdesignatedasthe preferentialcreditor.

Some£40,000isduetoBelfast-basedlaw firmCleaverFultonRankin,whileanotherfirm,

CarsonMcDowell,isowed£5,000.

Afurther£12,000isdueto YouLend Ltd, aglobalembeddedfinanceplatform thatprovidesworkingcapitalservicesfor marketing,inventoryandcashflow.

Thedocumentsfiledonlinealsoindicate thecompany’stotalassetsareestimatedat £268,184.Some£241,231ofthatisdueto thecompanyfromdebtors.

Morethan40formerclientsareunderstood tobetaking acivilactionagainstthe company.

Theyhaveallegedtheprogrammemisled participants,causedsignificantfinancial lossesandprovidedunethicalandpotentially unlawfuladvicetoparticipants.

In astatementannouncingthegrouplegal action,thefirmsaid:“Whenclientsfound themselvestensofthousandsofpoundsin debt,thesoleadviceofferedwastocontinue investinginhopesofachievingprofitability.

“Financialadviceis ahighly regulated sector,andthisirresponsibleadvicehasled tosevereconsequencesforpeoplewho havepaidsignificantsumsexpectingproper, qualifiedguidance.”

MrCampbellpreviouslysaidtheclaimsthey madewere“withoutmeritandbaseless”. ■

TheFBABrandBuilder officeinCoAntrim

Liam Tunney

Innov8 Group: local support –wider expertise

FormanybusinessesacrossNorthern IrelandandtheRepublicofIreland, thesystemsthatonceworkedwell canstarttofeellimitedasthebusiness grows.

Reportingtakesmoretime,processes becomemoremanualandfinanceteamsoften findthemselvesworkinghardertogetthe samelevelofvisibility.Thisisespeciallytruefor organisationsaddingentities,tradingacross bordersortryingtoconnectfinancemore closelywithwideroperations.Atthatpoint, havingtherighttechnologyisimportant,but businessesalsoneedtherightsupport behind it.

WhensystemssuchasSageandMicrosoft arecentraltothebusiness,basicsupportis notenough.Theyneedadvicefrompeople whounderstandthelocalmarket,theway businessesoperateandthepracticalpressures financeandmanagementteamsfacedayto day. Thisis particularlytrueascompaniesmove beyondentry-levelsystemsorlooktoimprove

financeandoperationalplatforms,aswellasIT infrastructure

Innov8operatesacrosstheUKandIreland andhasstrengtheneditspresenceacrossthe islandofIrelandoverthepast18months throughtheacquisitionsofAcornBMSand SherwoodSystems.Bothbusinesseshave long-standingexperiencesupportingcustomers acrossNorthernIrelandandtheRepublicof Ireland,withestablished relationshipsanda strongunderstandingofthelocalmarket.

BringingAcornandSherwoodSystemsinto theInnov8Groupgivescustomersaccessto additional resources,technicalexpertiseand specialistsupport,while retainingthelocal knowledgeand responsivenessthatbusinesses value.Customerscontinuetobenefitfrom familiarteams,nowbackedbythe resources andexpertiseoftheInnov8Group.

ThisincludesSageIntacct,Sage200, managedservicesandwiderITinfrastructure Thatmattersbecausemanybusinessesnow wantonepartnerwhocansupportfinance

systems,operationsandwiderIT,ratherthan dealingwitheachareaseparatelyinanever connectedworld.

FororganisationsoperatingacrossNorthern IrelandandtheRepublicofIreland,thisjoinedupapproachisparticularlyvaluable.Different markets, reporting requirementsandoperational demandscanquicklyaddcomplexity.Having accesstolocalteamsbackedbygroupexpertise helpsbusinessesplanmoreeffectivelyandmake betterdecisionsabouttheirsystems.

AscompaniesacrosstheislandofIreland continuetogrowandadapt,theneedfor reliable,locallygroundedsupportwillonly increase.ThroughAcornandSherwood Systems,Innov8isnowbetterpositionedto supportcustomersacrossthe region,combining familiarlocalexpertisewiththescaleand capabilityof awiderSageandITpartner ■

FindoutmoreabouthowInnov8supports businessesacrosstheislandofIrelandat innov8.co.uk

Powering Northern Ireland’s greenenergy future forward

Newly-appointedNIENetworksmanaging director CiaranMcManus saysNorthern Irelandhastherenewablepotential,industry appetiteandtechnologicalcapabilitytobuild acleaner,moreresilientenergysystem

ForCiaranMcManus,thechallenge facingNorther nIreland’senergy sectorisnolongeraboutambition. Theambitionalreadyexists,andthe targetsareinplace.Industry,regulatorsand

governmentareincreasinglyalignedonthe directionoftravel.The realfocusnowison delivery.

Having recentlytakenupthe roleof managingdirectoratNIENetworks,Ciaran

stepsintothepositionat apivotalmomentfor Norther nIreland’selectricityinfrastructureand widerenergytransition.

Theorganisationisnowdeepintoits ambitiousRP7investmentprogramme –a once-in-a-generationtransformationof theelectricitynetworkthatwillunderpin the region’smovetowardscleanerenergy, increasedelectrificationandlong-term economicgrowth.

“Thesectoris readytocollaborate. Ithink there’sastronghungerandwillingnessto

alignon abiggerplanbeyond2030,”Ciaran says.“Thenextstepnowismovingbeyond alignmentanddeveloping arobust,plan-led approach.”

Andthatmuststretchfarbeyondclimate targetsalone.

“Ithastobeaboutprosperityaswell,” hesays.“Asustainableenergysystemmust meanopportunityforeverybody –individuals, communitiesandbusinesses.”

Ciaranbrings awealthofexperiencetothe role,havingspentmuchofhiscareerdelivering

large-scaleinfrastructureandenergyprojects acrossIreland,BritainandtheUnitedStates.

Someonewhohasspentthemajorityof hiscareerwithintheESBGroup,apartfroma four-yearspellworkingin renewableenergy developmentinAmerica,hisbackgroundspans majorthermalgenerationprojects,offshore winddevelopmentandlarge-scalecapital infrastructuredelivery.

“IcamestraightfromcollegeintoESB. Intheearlydays Ispent alotoftimeon constructionsites,particularlyonthethermal sideofthebusiness.”

Thatincludedworkonmajorgeneration projectssuchasMoneypoint,Marchwoodin SouthamptonandCarringtonnearManchester, beforemovinginto renewablesandultimately leadingESB’sentiremajorcapitalexpenditure programmeacrossthegroup.

Most recentlybeforejoiningNIENetworks, CiaranledESB’smajorcapitaldelivery programmeacrossthermaland renewable assets.Healsoheldexecutive responsibilityfor alandmarkjointventurewithoffshorewind developerOrsted,helpingtosecurethefirst off-shorewindauction —TonnNua —before takinguphiscurrent roleatNIENetworks.

HisfouryearsintheUSoffered adifferent perspectiveonenergydelivery –onethatstill shapeshisthinkingtoday.

“ThebigthingabouttheUSisthepaceof delivery,”Ciaransays.Whatstruckmewas the relentlessdrivetodeliveratpace,every standardwasmet,withouttheprocessever losingsightoftheendgoal.Theirsystems, planningandenvironmentalprotectionsare materiallydifferentthanherebuttheirfocus ondeliveryis relentlessandeverythingis gearedaroundthatdeliveryat alocallevel.”

Theorganisation’scurrentRP7programme represents amajorincreaseininvestment, withcapitalexpenditureeffectivelydoubling comparedtothepreviouspricecontrolperiod.

Atthecentreofthatiswhatthe organisationdescribesasthe‘BigNetwork Rebuild’ –amajor refurbishmentand renewal programmeacrossapproximately14,000km ofelectricityinfrastructure.

“We’ve amajor renewalprogramme underwayonthe11kVnetwork. Alotofthose assetsare30,40or50yearsold,sothey’reon

anatural replacementcyclenow.”

Buttheinvestmentprogrammeis aboutmorethansimply replacingageing infrastructure.

“It’saboutmakingthenetworkmore resilient,morereliableandfuture-fit,”Ciaran says.“Whilethetransitionisstillbuilding momentum,itwillhappen. We needtohave anelectricitynetworkthatcanenablethat switchwhencustomersdecideto reducetheir relianceonfossilfuelsandtransitiontolow carbontechnologies. Withthatincreasing reliancecomes aresponsibilitytoensurea reliablesupply.”

Thatfuture-proofingisparticularlyimportant asNorther nIrelandgraduallyelectrifiesmore ofitseconomythroughtransport,heatingand industrialdemand.

“Heatandtransport representthenextbig frontierforthetransition —buildingoutthe gridforthathockey-stickmomentwhenthings reallytakeoffiscrucial.”

Thewiderenergytransition,however,isnot simplyabout renewablegeneration replacing fossilfuelsovernight.Ciaranemphasisesthe importanceofbalanceandflexibilitywithinthe system.

“Thereisatransitionperiodwhereweneed tomaintainsecurityofsupplywhilethesystem evolves —that requirespragmatismalongside ambition.”

Thatalignscloselywithwiderindustry thinkingaroundanintegratedenergy transition,whereelectricity,storageand emergingtechnologiesworktogetherrather thancompetingagainstoneanother.

“Thesystemneedstobeflexibleand robust. Whetherit’sstorage,newtechnologiesor innovationaroundthenetworkitself,allof thosetechnologiestogetherarebuilding towards asustainablesystem.”

Norther nIreland,heargues,possesses significantuntapped renewablepotential.

“We’renotanoilnation,butwe’recertainly renewables-rich. Windobviously,buteven solarisbecoming averystrongproposition here.”

Andharnessingthat resourcecoulddeliver bothclimateandeconomicbenefits.

“Businesseswantgreenenergyfortheir owndevelopmentandgrowth.Ifwe>

CiaranMcManus

COVE

canmatch renewablesupplywithfuture demand,that’shugelyimportantforeconomic developmenthere.”

Yetoneofthebiggestriskstodeliverymay notbetechnologyorpolicy,but resources.“The near-termchallengeiscapabilityandsupply chainpressure.”

NIENetworkshas recruitedheavilyin recent yearsandnowemploysaround1,600people, whilecontinuingtoexpanditsapprenticeship programme.

“Ourintakefor2026willbringthecurrent numberofapprenticesintrainingto79and wehaveambitionsto recruitmorenextyear,” Ciaransays.“Thoseskillsarecritical.”

Butcompetitionforexpertise remains intenseacrossEurope’srapidlyexpanding energysector.

“Contractorsarestretchedrightacross theisland,theUKandEurope.Thescaleof investmentgoingintoenergyinfrastructure everywhereishuge.”

Alongsidephysicalinfrastructureinvestment, digitaltransformationisbecomingincreasingly importanttothefuturenetwork.

NIENetworksisinvestingheavilyin technologiesthatallowtheexistinggridto worksmarterandmoreefficiently.

“It’snotallaboutbuildingnewsystems.

It’salsoaboutmakingthemostofwhatwe alreadyhave.”

Thatincludes real-timemonitoring technology,dynamiclineratingsystems andnetworkoptimisationtoolsdesignedto maximisecapacityandimproveflexibility.

“We’relookingathowwecanmoveload aroundthenetworkin realtimeandoptimise whatwehave.”

Artificialintelligenceanddigitalintegration willalsoplay agrowing roleinnetwork operations.“We’reintegratingITand operationaltechnologiestoimprovevisibility, safety,customerexperienceandoverall performance.”

Theultimateaimistocreate amore accessible,digitally-enablednetworkcapable of respondingdynamicallytochanging patternsofsupplyanddemand.

CiaranbelievesNorther nIrelandisnow entering amorematurephaseoftheenergy transition.

“Intheearlypartofthisdecade,itfelt abit like agoldrush.Everybodywastryingtofigure outtheir roleandwheretheyfittedin.”

Now,theindustryismovingtowardsgreater realismandcollaboration.“There’sbroader alignmentnowthatthisis ajointeffort.There’s arecognitionthatweneed aco-ordinated,

plan-ledapproach.”

Thatapproachmustbringtogetherenergy infrastructure,transport,housing,waterand widereconomicplanningunder ashared long-termframework.“Whatarewebuilding towards –whatdoesthenextdecadeactually looklike?”

Forbusinessleadersandinvestors,certainty willbecritical.

“Thosecountriesthathavealignedtheirnet zeroapproachwitheconomicdeliveryarethe onesmeetingorexceedingclimatetargets.”

Atthesametime,affordabilitymust remain centraltothetransition.

“Theonusisonallofus —industry, governmentandthe regulator —tomakethis asaffordableaspossible. Atransitionmeans protectingthemostvulnerableandmaking surepeoplearen’tdisproportionatelyburdened bythecost.”

Thatmeansbalancingenvironmental ambitionwitheconomic reality.“We needto reduceand removefossilfuels,butwealso needenergysecurityandaffordability.”

ForCiaranMcManus,theopportunitynow facingNorther nIrelandissubstantial –butso tooistheurgency.

“Ithinkwe’vehugepotential.Buttheplans forthenextdecadeneedtobe readynow.” ■

Coppi’s TonyO’Neill on relaunching,the rise of weight lossdrugsonhismenu,risingcosts, and gettingbackinthe

kitchen

Backin2012, Istoodinwhatwas then anewunitatthethennewSt Anne’sSquaredevelopmentonthe northsideofBelfastcitycentre.

Cutto14yearslater,andItalian restaurant Coppihasproveditselfas arestaurantwith stayingpower,andisaboutto reopenaftera shorthiatusfollowing arefurbishment.

Sincethen,theriseinpopularityofweight lossdrugs,soaringfood, rentandstaffing

JohnMulgrew

speaksto TonyO’Neill,ownerof BelfastItalianrestaurantCoppiabouttheupsand downs,relaunchinghisflagshipspot,risingcostsand foodtaxdisparityacrosstheisland

costs,andcleardisparitywithtaxationsouthof theborderhaveallplayedtheirpartinshaping the restaurant,andothers.

“Ithinktheonethingwe’vealwaysfocused oninthe restaurantis restaurantsnotalways

aboutthefood –it’stheserviceandthe atmosphere,”owner TonyO’Neilltellsme.

“It’saboutallthreeofthemcoming togetherinharmony –agood restaurantgets allthreeofthosetogether.”

Intheyearssince,however,thewider hospitalitysectorhasbeensqueezed–significantly,withthepandemiccertainly playingitspart.

Tonysaysthat’smeant restaurantswhich mayhaveonceseen aprofitmarginof15%, dropto5%.There’slittlemarginforerror.

“Agood restaurantwillmakefivepencefor everypoundthatcomesthroughonthebill,” Tonysays.

“Butifyoumiss apercentageonyourwage, yourcostofsales,thenthat’sdownto2%3%.Somepeopleareluckytobreakeven.Itis very,verydifficult.”

Coppi’sown refurbishmentwillseenew flooring,andbarareabeingdeveloped, allowingfor agreaternumberofcovers–bringingtotalcapacityto120.

But Tonysays,likethewiderindustry, Coppihasfaceditsownupsanddown,and challengesalongtheway.

Atonestage, Tonyoperated anumberof different restaurants,includingIlPirataineast Belfast,Bartalionthenorthcoast,andBuba–specialisinginMediterraneanfood.Theothers havesinceshut,whileBubawas repositioned as aburgerspotinthewakeofthepandemic,

andisnowanoutpostof Vietnamesechain MadamePho.

“It’stoughernow[thanitwasopeningat first],”hesays.“Openingup,you’reyounger andhavethissortofblindoptimism…there’s beenupsanddowns,obviously.

“We’vehadpointswheremaybethe standardhadslightlyslippedandwewanted tobringitback.

“…wehadplaceupthenorthcoast,we had[IlPirata]inBallyhackamoreineastBelfast, andBuba –wehad alotofthingsgoingon.

“But IfeelCoppiissortofstrongerthan it’severbeennow –we’vegotgreatteamin here.”

Thewiderhospitalitysectorhasbeencrying outforhelptosurvive. Alotofthatisdown tospirallingoverheads,fromstaff,toNational Insurancecontributions,food, rent,andrates.

Tony,likemostintheindustry,alsopointsto ourdisparitywiththeRepublic,whereVAT on foodisabouttodropto9% –that’supagainst theUKrateof20%.

“That’shardtocompetewith…a [reduction]wouldmake amassivedifference,” hesays.

“It’sbecomeexpensive,youknow.

“Youhavetotryandkeepthatquality… we’vebeenthroughupsanddowns,especially withstaffandtheteam,andespeciallywhen wehadother restaurants,and Iwassplitting mytime[betweenthem].”

Asfarasthemenuisconcerned,manyof thefavouriteswill remain –includingtheduck raguandfetafritterswithtrufflehoney.

Butthingsarechangingonthemenu–includingofferingpastadishesintwosizes.

That’sinpartduetotheabilitytoshareand order awiderrangeoffood,but Tonysayshe’s alreadyconscious,andseeingtheimpactof, theriseinpopularityofweightlossdrugs,such asMounjaroandOzempic –meaningsome customersareeatingsmallerportions.

“Thatwaspartofthethinking,”hesays. “We’venoticedthatinadvance[ofthe decision]aswell.“Somepeoplearen’teating asmuch,buttheystillwanttogoout…so you’vegottofacilitatethat.”

Turningtothefooditself, Tonysays:“We’re workingwith aguyinthecoastwho’sbringing alotofItalianfruitandvegetables,seasonally, whichisquitenice.

“We mixwhenwecan’tgetitlocally,and wewilluseItalian.There’sjust arealemphasis onsimplethings,cooked really,reallywell.”

In recentyears, Tonysaysfindingstaffhas remained achallenge.

“Alotofpeopledon’tseemtowantto comeintothisindustry,”hesays.“Butthey arefindingwhentheydogetintothisindustry, thatit’schangedanawfullot.It’s40hoursa week.”

Tonysays,inCoppiatleast,thedaysof widerindustry60+hourweeksarenolonger partandparcelof acareerinhishospitality business.

Coppinowhas astrongteam30staff,some ofwhomhavebeenwith Tonysincedayone.

Andhe’sspendingmoretimebehindthe stovethesedays,andsayshisfocusissolelyon Coppiforthenextcoupleofyears.

“NowI’mbackworkingwiththeguysinthe kitchen,and Ihave agreatheadchef,Mark Henderson,”hesays.

“I reallywanttofocusonthenextyearor twoandgettingCoppitobackuptothetop ofitsgame –andI’ve areallygoodteamtodo thatnow.” ■

Coppiowner TonyO’Neill outsidehisrestaurant

Responsible BusinessAwards: NorthernIrelandfinalists revealed

Thefinalistsforthisyear’s ResponsibleBusiness Awardshave been revealed.

Finalistsinthe2026ResponsibleBusiness Awards,runbyBusinessintheCommunity (BITC)withsupportfromkeysponsorHenry Brothers,were announcedat abreakfastevent withsponsors,partnersandjudgeshostedby Belfast-basedradiostationandawardsmedia partnerU105.

Theannualawardsrecognise, reward andcelebrateinspirationalandimpactful organisationsinNorther nIrelandthatare takingpracticalactiontoaddresspressing socialandenvironmentalissues.

Theawardswinnerswillbeannouncedat theResponsibleBusiness AwardseventinICC BelfastonSeptember17.

Thewinnersineachcategorywillbe announcedat agalaeventattendedbyover 600guestsinICCBelfast,sponsoredbyevent partnersSparNIandJPCorry,drinks reception partnerEY,andsupportedbymediapartners U105and UlsterBusiness

“Thestandardattheseawardsjustkeeps

THEFINALISTS

SponsorsandmediapartnersjoinBITC’sKieran Hardingandchair VickyDaviestolaunchthis year’sResponsibleBusinessAwards

gettinghigheryear-on-year,it’savery competitiveprocessandallofthefinalists shouldbe reallyproudtheyhavemadeitto thisstage,”DrLisaMcIlvenna,managing

• NIResponsibleCompanyofthe Year Award,sponsoredbySHS Group –BelfastCityAirportandBelfastHarbour

• ClimateAction Award,sponsoredbyHeronEnergy –Belfast Harbour;Clearbox; Coca-ColaHBCNorthernIreland;Drumhorc Pallets;HendersonGroup;NorthstoneMaterialsLimited;Regency CarpetManufacturing;RenewableEnergySystemsLtd; RTULtd;and Silotank.

• CollaborativeAction Award,sponsoredbyArthurCox –ABP; AccessEmploymentLtd; AvoveUtilities;BelfastCityAirport;Belfast Harbour;CRASHServices;SSEAirtricityand Translink.

• Diversity,Equity &Inclusion Award,sponsoredbyEncirc –AMS; BelfastHarbour;CapitaPlc;Craft Training;Fujitsu;HendersonGroup; JPCorry;Queen’sUniversityBelfast;SONI;andUlsterUniversity

• Education &Skills Award,sponsoredbyBelfastHarbour –Bank ofIrelandUK;BelfastCityAirport;CahootsNI;EY;Fujitsu;JPCorry; NorthernIreland Water;Pilgrim’sEurope;Re-Gen Waste;andThink DesignEngineerFoundation.

• EmployerofChoice Award,sponsoredbyUlsterUniversity –AflacNI;AGPaving +BuildingProducts;AG WilsonLimited;Belfast CityAirport;BelfastHarbour;Dowds;MacklePetfoods;NIENetworks Ltd;PhoenixEnergy;andRegencyCarpetManufacturing.

• Impactin YourCommunity Award,sponsoredbySSEAirtricity

director,BusinessintheCommunitysaid. Formoreinformationontheawardsgala eventandtosee afulllistoffinalists,visit www.bitcni.org.uk/awards

– AlmacGroup; ATGServicesLtd;BankofIrelandUK;Barclays; BelfastCityAirport;BelfastHarbour;BPerfectCosmetics;Craft Training;DanskeBank; Translink;and Version1.

• Nature&Biodiversity Award,sponsoredbySONI –Belfast Harbour;DLJ WaterLtd;HeronManufacture;NorthstoneMaterials Ltd.;RenewableEnergySystemsLtd;andSouthernHealthandSocial CareTrust.

• One-to-Watch Award,sponsoredbyDanskeBank –Avove Utilities;EnergySaving TrustLtd;McQuillanCompanies;and Water SolutionsIrelandLtd.

• ResponsibleBusinessAmbassador Award,sponsoredbyFujitsu –RichardChambers,AG WilsonLimited;AislingMurphy,IrwinM&E andAidan Taggart, Version1.

• ResponsibleDigital/TechnologyInnovation Award,sponsored byAllstate –DerrybrosShipping &CustomsClearance;Energy Saving TrustLtd.;andNorthernIreland Water

• ResponsibleProduct /Service Award,sponsoredby Translink –ATGServicesLtd;EnergySaving TrustLtd.;ExpressMerchantsLtd;EY; ResponsiblePlasticManagementProgram;andSignSource.

• Wellbeingat Work Award,sponsoredbyLarnePort –AG WilsonLimited;AMS;BallyclareHighSchool;EakinHealthcare; Fujitsu;GRAHAM;NIENetworksLtd;PhoenixEnergy;SONI;and Translink.

Visitors from Republicand GBbuoy NI tourismnumbers

Thenumberofholidaymakersvisiting NorthernIrelandhasrisenby9% –buoyedbytouristsfromtheRepublic andGB.

Thereweresome5.1millionovernighttrips inNorthernIrelandlastyear,withspendingof around£1.2bn

Andtherewerea totalofaround15million nightsstayedinNorthernIreland,according totheNorthernIrelandStatisticsandResearch Agency(NISRA).

That’suparound9%onthepreviousyear withbothnightsstayed,andtotalspend NISRAsaysthenumbersofovernightstays fromtouristsherewas“broadlysimilar”tothat in2024

Thelatestfiguresshow a15%riseinvisitors fromtheRepublic,12% fromthelocalmarket, and4%fromGB.

However,thenumberoftouristsfrom elsewhere,fellin 2025 –down3%.

“In2025,there wereanestimated5.1 millionovernighttripsinNorthern Ireland,with associatedexpenditure of£1.2bn,”NISRAsaid. “Thosewhomadeovernighttripsstayedan estimated15millionnightsinNIin2025.

“Comparedwiththepreviousyear,the2025 annualtourismfiguresindicate astatistically significantchangeintheoverallnumber ofovernighttripstoNorthernIreland(up 9%),with acorrespondingincreaseinvisitor spending(alsoup9%increase).

“ThenumberofnightsvisitorsstayedinNI wasbroadlysimilartothelevelobservedin 2024at15million(anincreaseof1%from 14.9millionin2024).Stablenights,alongside risingtripsandexpenditure,indicatehigher averagespendpernight,consistentwithmore frequentbutshorter-durationvisits.”

VisitorsfromoutsideofNorthernIreland madeuptwo-thirdsofthetotalholidaymakers visitinghere,withthe remainingtakenby locals.

“TheNIdomestictourismmarketalsohas shownpromisinggrowthin2025,after asharp declineof27%in2024.

“However,despiteanencouraging recovery in2025,ie12%increaseinovernighttripsto 1.8million),NIovernighttripshavenotyet returnedtothe2.1millionNI residentovernight trips recordedin2023.”

Holidaying remainsthemain reasonfor

visitingNorthernIreland,accountingformore thanhalfofovernightstays.

“Those reporting avisittoNIfor a‘holiday’ increasedby13%between2024and2025(an increasefrom2.4millionto2.7million).”

Speakingto UlsterBusiness earlierthisyear, AliceMansergh,chiefexecutiveof Tourism Ireland,saidthetourismindustrywas“carefully watching”theongoingpoliticalsituationin theUSwhilevisitorsfromacrosstheAtlantic remainontherise.

Itsetoutitsstallalongsideourownlocal tourismstrategy –aimingtogrowvisitspend hereinNorthernIrelandto£1.3bnoverthe next10years.

TheGBmarket remainsourmost robust, withtheUSandCanadabothfeaturingonthe topfivelist

Shesaidburgeoningmarketswerealso beingtargeted. TourismIrelandisoperating basesinChina,India,andtheUAE.

“Planswise,thegoalalignedatthetoplevel oftheMinister’sTourism VisionandAction Plan.Theeconomicgoalistodrivevisitorspend from£633min2024,todoublethatlevelby 2025 –a6.5%year-on-yeargrowthrate.” ■

TheChristmasMarket atBelfastCityHall

Wordscountless thanmoney when itcomes to Mageeexpansion

Itisintherevenuefundingofadditionalstudents wherethefinancialcrisiscurrentlyloomswithin ouruniversitysystem,writes PaulGosling

ExpansionofUlsterUniversity’s Mageecampusto10,000students by2032“isthesinglebiggest transformativeeconomicproject,notjust forthiscitybutfortheentirenorth West,” arguesStephenKelly,whoischairofthe Mageetaskforceaswellaschiefexecutive ofManufacturingNI.

StevenLindsay,presidentofLondonderry ChamberofCommerce,makessimilarpoints. “Auniversityofthisscalecanraiseproductivity andstrengthenourskillsbaseand research capacity.

“Itsupportsareasthatmatter:health,

advancedmanufacturing,digitalinnovation, engineering,business,andthecreative industries.Itcansupportindigenousenterprise, attractinvestment,andexpandparticipationin thelabourmarket.”

Butwordscountlessthanmoneywhenit comestoambitionofthisscale.IanSnowden, PermanentSecretaryattheDepartmentforthe Economy,warnedthatthefundingisn’tthere IncreasingstudentnumbersatUlster University’sDerryandColerainecampuses wouldcostanadditional£40m ayear.The twochoicesforExecutiveministerswouldbe toeither reallocatefundsfromelsewhereor

increasestudentfees.

Raisingtuitionfeeshas“notbeenpolitically acceptable”,pointedoutMrSnowden. ItisthepreferredoptionofUlsterUniversity, whichhasbecomesocash-strappedthatit isnowconducting avoluntary redundancy consultationseekingtocut450jobsfromits fourcampuses.MrSnowdeniscorrect:there isnot asingleNorthernIrelandpoliticalparty withintheExecutiveoroutsidethatatpresent supports ariseinstudentfees.

Wheremightfundsbe reallocatedfrom? Health,education,infrastructure,justiceand policingallloudlycomplainofunderfunding: nonewouldwillinglyacceptcuts.

NorwouldQueen’sUniversitybewillingto losefundingat atimewhenitbelievesitneeds moreinteachinggrantandfor research

NicolaSkelly,vice-chairoftheMageeTaskforce,

ProfessorPaulBartholomew,vice-chancellor ofUlsterUniversity,formerEconomyMinister ConorMurphy,andMagee Taskforcechair StephenKellywiththeactionplan

Thenthereistheelephantinthe room –how muchsupportisthereacrosstheExecutivetable forMageeexpansionandthe regeneration ofDerry?ThelateSirKennethBloomfield— CabinetSecretarytounionistgovernments inthe1960sand70s —commentedtome in aconversationsomeyearsagothatfor “Londonderrytobe anationalistcityisfor unionistsasitwouldbeforMuslimstohave MeccalocatedinIsrael”.

Thecityhasanimportantstatusfor unionism,butitisacomplex relationship.The disputeoveritsnameisjustoneelementof this.

Would,then,unionistpartiesprioritise Mageeexpansion? Iaskedthethreeunionist partiessittingintheAssembly:arethey committedtotheexpansionto10,000students by2032,are theycommittedtothefinancing ofitand,ifso,whatpolicymeasureswould theyadopttofacilitatethis.TheTUVprovided aclear response —no,no,andnotapplicable, theysaid.NeithertheDUPorUUP,ortheirparty economyspokespersons,providedanswers.

PhilipBrett,DUPchairoftheeconomy committee,didanswerthequestionin arecent televisioninterview.Hispartyiscommittedto alloftheNewDecadeNewApproach(NDNA) agreement,hesaid —whichislessthana fulsomecommitment.

WhilethereisanassumptionthatNew DecadeNewApproachprovides abasisforthe fullimplementationoftheMageeexpansionby 2032,careful readingofNDNAsuggeststhis islessthan abindingcommitment.Mageeis referencedthreetimesinNDNA.“TheExecutive willexpanduniversityprovisionatMageein linewithcommitmentsmadebytheprevious Executive,includingthroughtheestablishment ofa graduateentrymedicalschool.”The medicalschoolhasbeenestablished,student numbershaveincreasedtothecurrent6,500 andcommitmentspriortoNDNAdidnot specifythe10,000figure.

Thesecond referencewasfortheExecutive “tobringforwardproposals”to realisethe 10,000studentcampustarget.Thatdid notprovide adeadlineforachievingthe studentnumberobjective,nordiditprovide acommitmenttodeliverybeyondhaving “proposals”todoso.TheMageetaskforcehas unquestionablymetthatobligation.

ThethirdreferenceinNDNAtoMageeis specifictothe roleoftheIrishgovernment.It welcomedplansforMagee’sexpansionand stateditwas“willinginprincipletocontribute tocapitalinvestmenttosupportexpanded provisionatUlsterUniversityMageeCampus, alongsidethecommitmentmadeaspartofthis agreementbytheUKGovernment”.

Inthis,theIrishgovernmenthasmetits promisebyallocating€44.5m(£38.6m)from itsSharedIslandFund,supportedby£7mfrom UlsterUniversity,fornewteachingfacilitiesat Magee.

TheIrishgovernmentis reluctanttoprovide revenuefundingforanyNorthernIreland publicservices —matchedbyunionistparties’ reluctancetoacceptit.

Butitisinthe revenuefundingofadditional studentswherethefinancialcrisiscurrently loomsovercontinuedMageeexpansion.

Itmightbeargued —andprobablywill be —thatthepartiestoNDNAhavemettheir commitmentsin astrictlyinterpretedway Itisobvious,though,thatthespiritofthe agreementwillnotbemetuntilthe10,000 studentfigureisachieved,preferablyby2032, asspeltoutbytheMageetaskforce.

ExpansionofMageeto10,000students mightthereforeremainunfulfilledunlessthe Executive —perhapsafternextyear’selections —cancometogethertofindawaytoallocate thefunds.

Atpresent,thatseemsunlikely.Alternatively, astheNDNAwaspublishedjointlybythe BritishandIrishgovernments,willtheynow accepttheyhave ashared responsibilityto ensureitsimplementation —notjustinwords, butalsoinspirit? ■

Aco-opwithmomentum: DaleFarmongrowth, strategy and

amajor recruitmentdrive

MarkBoyle,groupcommercialdirectorat Dale Farm,discussestheco-op’sstrongperformance,its ambitiousplansforthenextdecade,andwhynowis theperfectmomenttojoinoneoftheUKandIreland’s strongestandfastestgrowingdairybusinesses

 DaleFarmhasdeliveredstronggrowth overthepastfiveyears.Whathas underpinnedthatperformance?

Thelastfiveyearshavebeen aperiodof sustained,disciplinedgrowthforDale Farm. We’vefocusedonthefundamentals, commercialexcellence,operationalstrength, and aclearunderstandingofwherewecan addvalueinthemarket.Ourteamsacross commercial,marketing,innovationand commercialfinancehaveplayed asignificant roleinthat.Theirworkhashelpedusgrowour cheddarbusinessby20%lastyearaloneand expandourpresenceacross retail,foodservice andB2Bchannels. We havestrengthenedour exportfootprinttomorethan40countriesand 80%ofwhatweproduceissoldoutsideof Norther nIreland.

We’vealsoinvestedheavilyinour capabilities,mostnotablythe£70minvestment inourcheddarplant,whichisnowfully operationalandenablingustoproduceand sellnearly80,000tonnesofcheddarannually. Thatcombinationofpeople,performanceand investmenthasbeencentraltooursuccess.

 You’velaunched amajor recruitment cycleacrossthecommercialteam.Whyis thistherightmoment?

We’reentering anewphaseofgrowth. Thelastfiveyearshavegivenusstrong momentum,butnowwe’replanningfor thenextfiveto10years.That requiresfresh thinking,newcapabilityandadditional resources.

We have astrongandgrowingsustainable

milkpool,we’veexpandedourcheddar andwheycapacity,andwe’reexploring opportunitiesinbothexistingandnew categories. To fullyunlockthatpotential,we needtostrengthenourcommercialteam.This recruitmentcycleisaboutexpandingourteam totakeusintothenextdecade, ateamthat canidentifyopportunities, respondtoglobal trendsandexecutewithexcellence.

 What rolesareyou recruitingfor,and what’sdrivingtheneedforeach?

We’rerecruitingacrossseveralkeyareasofthe commercialteam,each reflecting aspecific growthopportunityforthebusiness.Our retail divisioncontinuestoexpandstronglyacross theUK,IrelandandEurope,andweneed additional resourcetosupportthatmomentum anddeepenourpartnershipswithmajor customers.

OurB2Bbusinesshasalsodelivered exceptionalyearonyeargrowth,particularly inglobalmarkets,andstrengtheningthisteam willallowustoacceleratefurtherandcapitalise onnewinternationalopportunities.

Marketinsightisanothercriticalarea. Consumerbehaviourisshiftingrapidly, influencedbyeverythingfromeconomic pressurestohealthtrends,andweneedworld classinsighttoensureourstrategyisinformed, futurefocusedandalignedwithemerging globalpatterns.

We’realsoaddingtwonew roleswithin Innovation.Innovationsitsattheheartofour growthagenda,andthesepositionswillhelp usidentifyandexecutecompellingproduct

andprocessdevelopmentsthatkeepusahead ofthemarket.

Finally,we’reexpandingourcommercial financeteamwithtwoadditional roles.As thebusinessgrows,sharperprioritisation andperformanceoptimisationbecomeeven moreimportant.These roleswillensurewe’re makingtherightdecisionsattherighttime andinvestingourenergywhere itwillhavethe greatestimpact.

Every rolewe’rerecruitingforistied directlyto astrategicopportunitytobuildthe capabilityweneedtodeliverthenextdecade ofgrowth.

 HowimportantisinnovationtoDale Farm’slongtermstrategy?

Innovationisabsolutelycritical. We’ve securedseveralpatentsin recentyearsacross bothproductsandprocesses,andwe’re continuouslyexploringnewwaystoaddvalue. Butinnovationisn’tjustaboutnewideas,it’s about relevance.

We’retrackingglobalconsumertrends closely,health,convenience,proteindemand, sustainability,functionalnutrition.Thesetrends influenceourworkacrosscheese,whey,butter, spreads,beveragesandicecream.Theyalso opendoorstonewcategories.Ourambitionis tobeaheadofthecurve,not reactingtoit.

 Sustainabilityis amajorfocusfor theindustry.Howdoesitshapeyour commercialstrategy?

Sustainabilityiscentraltoourco-op’sidentity. Itmatterstoourfarmers,ouremployees, ourcustomersandourconsumers.From acommercialperspective,itinfluences everything,frominvestmentdecisionsto productdevelopmenttohowwepartnerwith customers.

We’recommittedtolongterm, responsible growth.Thatmeans reducingenvironmental impact,supportingourfarmers,andensuring oursupplychainis resilient. Asustainable businessis acompetitivebusiness,andthat’s especiallytrueinglobaldairymarkets.

 Thedairyindustryhasexperienced significantvolatilityin recentyears.How isDaleFarmnavigatingthat?

Globaldairymarketsarecyclical,andthelast fewyearshavebroughtexceptionalvolatility, fromcommodityswingstoinflationary pressurestogeopoliticalchallenges.But,at DaleFarmwe recognisevolatilityaspotential opportunity.

We’vebuilt resilienceintoourbusiness bydiversifyingourmarkets,strengthening ourinsightcapabilityandinvestinginour processingcapacity.We’realsoveryfocused onexecution,makingsurewe’recommercially sharp,operationallystrongandagileenough to respondtochange.

Despitetheheadwinds,themarket remains fullofopportunity.Thekeyisstayinginformed, stayingdisciplinedandstayingambitious.

 Howareconsumershiftsinfluencing yourcommercialstrategy?

Consumerbehaviourhaschangedsignificantly, andquickly.We’veseentheimpactofthe pandemic,costoflivingpressures,increased focusonhealth,andeventheinfluenceofGLP 1medicationsoneatinghabits.

Theseshifts requireustobemoreinsight driventhanever.We’reinvestinginglobal insightcapabilitytoensureweunderstandnot justwhatconsumersaredoingtoday,butwhat they’llwanttomorrow.Thatinsightinforms ourinnovationpipeline,ourcategorystrategies andourcustomerpartnerships.

 Whatisyourambitionforthe commercialteamoverthenextdecade?

Myambitionistofurtherbuildourhigh performing,growthmindedteamthatare energisedbyopportunityandcommittedto excellence. We wantpeoplewhoarecurious, commerciallysharpandexcitedbythescaleof whatwe’rebuilding.

We’refocusedonpersonaldevelopment, performanceandcreatinganenvironment whereeveryonecanbetheirbest.Ourvalues

guideus,andourambitiondrivesus.Thisisa teamwithmomentum,andwe’reonlygetting started.

 Finally,whyshouldsomeoneconsider joiningDaleFarmnow?

Becausethisis agenuinelyexcitingmoment. We’reastrong,ambitious,fastgrowing businesswith aclearlongtermvision. We’ve deliveredfiveyearsofstrongperformance, investedheavilyinourcapabilitiesandarenow preparingforthenextdecade.

Ifyouwanttojoin abusinesswithmomentum, onethatvaluesitspeople,investsinitsfuture andhasbigplans,thenDaleFarmistheplace tobe. ■

Explorecurrentopportunitiesatdalefarm.co.uk/ careersandbepartofthenextchapter.Visit dalefarm.com/careers

MarkBoyle

Planningappealdecisiontimesin NorthernIreland

‘fall by 70%’

Theaveragetimetakentodealwith planningappealsinNorther nIreland hasfallenbymorethan70%, anew reportshows.

ThePlanningAppealsCommission(PAC) saidtheaveragemediantimetodealwith appealdecisionsfellfrom75weeksto22 weeksduringthelastfinancialyear.

“Thisyearwehavewitnessedthe culminationoftheinvestmentincommission resourcesoverthelastfewyears,”itschief, AndreaKells,saidinitsannual review.

“Thetrainingofnewappointeeshasbeen completed,andthenewITsystemisnowfully operational.

“Theimprovedperformancedetailedlater inthis reportistestamenttothehardwork anddedicationofbothcommissionersandour

administrativeteam. Itakethisopportunity toextendmygratitudetoeveryoneinthe commissionwhohascontributedtothe significantimprovementinperformance.”

Itsays“only asmallnumberofcasesare ‘longstanding’andthe reasonsfordelayare largelyoutsidethecommission’scontrol”.

However,itsays“despiteconcertedefforts, wehavenotachievedouraimofbeingatfull operationalcapacityduetovacanciesarising overpartofthe reportingperiod”.

“Theimprovedtimelinesinissuingcases correspondswiththecommissionoperating effectivelyandatfullcomplementeventhough thelatterwasfor alimitedperiod,”itsays.

“Wehaveonly126casesinhandwhich hashistoricallyproventobewithinacceptable tolerancelevels. We hopetocontinueto buildonthesepositivesteps.However,this

will requirecontinuedinvestmenttofill vacanciesastheyarise,particularlywithinthe commissionercohort.”

The PACsaysofthepre-2025casesithad, withsome149atthestartofthelastfinancial year,just12now remain.

Itsays,whileclearingmuchofthebacklog ofcasesithas“failedtomeetitscommitment todecide80%ofappealswithinspecified timeframes”.

Breakingdownthepercentageofplanning appeals refused,allnineofthosefromArds andNorthDownweredismissed,meaningthe originalcouncildecisionwasupheld.

InBelfast,itwasjust37% –thelowest percentageofeachofthe11councils.

Operatingcostsatthe PACstoodat£2.8m forthelastfinancialyear –upfrom£2.7ma yearearlier. ■

JohnMulgrew

MA NU FACT UR ING

&ENGIN EER ING

Aerospacesector takingoff

WiththerecentsaleofSpiritAeroSystemsinBelfast, aswellasotheraerospacefirmslandinggovernment contracts, PavelBarter looksatthestateofthesector hereandthecompaniesseeingmajorsuccess

AirAsia’s orderfor150AirbusA220 jetsisanopportunitynotonlyfor largeorganisationsinvolvedin makingthataircraftinNorther nIreland, butalsothelocalsupplychainthat supportsthem.

The region’saerospaceecosystemplaysa major roleinthedesignandthedevelopment oftheAirbus,JosephReffitt,directorof ADSNorther nIreland,which representsthe aerospaceanddefenceindustry,tells Ulster Business.“Notonlyaretheprimesinvolved, itisthewholesupplychain:bigandsmall companiesmakingindividualcomponents.Itall comestogethertoform acuttingedgeaircraft thatisultimatelymadeInBelfast.”

TheAirbusorderwasannouncedinMay, twoweeksaftertheUKgovernmentpledged £50mtoboostthe region’sdefencesector, undertheNorther nIrelandDefenceGrowth Deal.“Fromhighvaluemanufacturing andspecialistengineeringtocuttingedge lowcarbonaviationtechnologies,”saysa spokespersonfortheDepartmentforBusiness

and Trade,“Norther nIreland’sworldclass aerospacesectorisnowfirmlypositionedon theglobalstage.”

TheinterconnectednatureofNorthern Ireland’saerospacesupplychainisintegral toitsglobalsuccess,accordingtothoseon thefrontline.Thisecosystemofbusinesses includes:CollinsKilkeel(aircraftinteriorseating manufacturing);ThompsonAeroSeating, Craigavon;DenroyinBangor(partsforwings, nacelles,fuselageandpropulsionsystems); andCCPGransdeninNewtownards(advanced composites).

IPCMouldingsinCarrickfergusspecialises inhigh-qualityplasticinjectionmoulding andengineeringassembliesfortheglobal aerospaceindustry.Armcapsonaircraftseats, andthelatchesthatpopdowntraytables,are amongstthemanyitemsmanufacturedbyIPC.

“Millionsofpassengersinteractwithour products,”saysGraemeBennett,directorat IPC.Thecompanyhasbeeninoperationfor 32years.ItisanSME,employingaround40 people,butprovidesproductsandservicesto

someofthebiggestbrandsintheworld.IPC isnotincompetitionwithotheraerospace companiesinNorther nIreland,saysGraeme. Insteaditworksalongsidethem.Thebusiness combinesforces,forexample,withTheExact GroupinNewryandBradforinRostrevorto createturnkeysolutionsforclients.“Exact producemetalstructuresandpainting.Bradfor dothetextiles. We maketheplastic.”This localaerospacenetwork,believesGraeme,is collaborativeratherthancompetitive.“The outcomeismorethanthesumoftheparts. Throughinteractionandcollaborationwe punchaboveourweight.”

The regionhasledthewayforaerospace technologyforover100years,startingout

InsideIPCMouldings’ factoryinCarrickfergus

inthe1910swhenHarland &Wolffbegan manufacturingaircraft.Duringthe1930s, thelegendaryShortBrotherssetupa manufacturingfacilityinBelfast.Inlate2025, adealwasfinalisedforAirbusandBoeingto purchasetheformerSpiritAerosystemsfacility ineastBelfast.1,500peopleareinvolvedin themanufactureofA220wingsatthefactory; afurther9,000jobsinNorther nIrelandare directlysupportedthroughthewideraerospace industry.

The regionisknownforspecificareas ofexpertise,includingthemanufacture ofcompositematerials(lightweight,high performanceandessentialforeachA220 wing).Precisionengineering –machiningof

highendmetals –isanotherareaofexpertise. Around athirdofalltheaircraftseatsinthe worldaremadeinNorther nIreland.Other localbusinesseslikeIPCspecialiseinadvance polymerplasticsforaircraftparts.Theindustry spans“end-to-endengineering,fromtheinitial conceptof researchanddevelopmentthrough todesign,manufacture,prototyping,and full-scaleproduction,” remarksJoseph.“That fulllifecycleenablesaerospacecompaniesto cometoNorther nIrelandandgeteverything they’relookingforintermsofexpertise.”

WhetherornotIPCMouldingswillbe involvedintheAirAsiaorderdependson whoAirbuschoosesastheirinteriorspartner onthejob.“Ifoneofthebigcompaniesthat

wepartnerwithissuccessful,there’sagood chanceitwilltrickledownthroughthesupply chain,”saysGraemeBennett.Regardless,this levelofinvestmentislikelytobenefiteveryone. “AnythingcomingtoNorther nIreland’s aerospaceindustryisgreatforusas acompany andgreatforoursectorbecauseitkeepsit vibrant.”

Businesses recogniseadditional opportunitiesforgrowthinthe region’s defencesector,furthertothegovernment’s £50mdealforNIdefenceandnewsthat Thales, aFrenchweaponsmanufacturerwhich suppliesmissilestoUkraine,isexpandingits facilityinCrossgar,CoDown,andintroducing 200newjobsacrossthereanditsfactory>

MA NU FACT UR ING& ENGI NE ER ING

ineastBelfast.“Anumberoforganisations inNorther nIrelandareinvolvedinboth aerospaceanddefence,”saysJosephReffitt. “In alotofinstances,theyarecomplementary sectors.”

GraemeBennettofIPC recognises similaritiesbetweenthe requirementsof aerospaceanddefence“intermsofthe quality[oftheproduct]and[thenatureof] delivery.Thetermsandconditions,ortermsof reference,aresomewhatdifferentbutthey’re notdissimilar.”Spaceisanothervibrant, growingindustryinNorther nIreland,directly relatedtoaerospace.IPC recentlycompleted

workshopsundertheInvestNISpaceReady ProgrammeandattendedtheSpace-Comm ExpoinLondon.

ADSNorther nIreland,whilewelcoming the£50mdefencedeal,saysitiscriticalthat centralgovernmentcommitstoinvestment inthe region.TheUKMinistryofDefence’s (MoD)DefenceInvestmentPlan(DIP),initially expectedinQ32025,hasyettomaterialise. “It’sbeendelayedmultipletimesandiscausing ourindustrysomeconcern,” remarksJoseph Reffitt.TheDepartmentforBusinessand Trade saysitcontinuestoinvestinthesectorthrough itsAerospace TechnologyInstituteprogramme,

whichsince2013“hassupported£98mof researchandtechnologyprojectsacross29 companiesbasedinNorther nIreland”.

Thesectorislikelytocontinue researching andinnovatingwiththesupportoflocal academia.IPCMouldingsinstigateda knowledgetransferprogramwithQueen’sand workscloselywiththenewlyformedAdvanced ManufacturingInnovationCentre(AMIC),a £100mmanufacturinginstitutionlocatedat GlobalPointBusinessParkinNewtownabbey. “Whenyou’vegotthestrengthofindustry expertsinthesefields,”saysGraeme.“We areabletoprogressmuchfaster.Wehave apprenticeandinter nprograms. We liketo recruityounggraduatesandbringtheminto ourindustry.”

Thistriplehelixofindustry,governmentand academia,hasproven agoodfitforNorthern Ireland’saerospace.The recenthonouringof JoanneLiddle,IPC’smanagingdirector,with aMemberoftheOrderoftheBritishEmpire (MBE),illustratesthehigh regardwithwhich thesectorisheld.ThedecisionofBoeingto revivethehistoricShortBrothersnameand branding,followingitsacquisitionofSpirit’s operationsinBelfast,showsthe region’s reputationintheglobalskies.“Itdemonstrates ourheritageandhowinfluentialourlittle regionhasbecomeintheaerospacejourney,” saysGraemeBennett.“Weare proudto continuethatlegacy.” ■

MA NU FACT UR ING&E NG IN EE RI NG

IPCMouldings’Joanne LiddlereceivingherMBE

Privatecapitalinvestment inNI over £380mlastyear

InvestmentintoNorthernIrelandby privateequityandventurecapital venturesgrewbyalmost£300m between2024and2025,accordingtonew research.

Anew reportfromUKPrivateCapital,an industrybody representingprivateequityand venturecapitalfirms,claimsthatover£384m wasinvestedbythefieldintoNIin2025.

Launchingthe reportPrivateCapitalin Northern Ireland2026,thechiefexecutive oftheorganisationiscallingfor a“more supportivepolicyand regulatoryenvironment”.

Bothventurecapitalandprivateequity investmentshavebecomemorecommonplace inNorthernIrelandin recentyears.

Examplesofventurecapitalinvestments includethe£6mfunding roundcompletedlast yearbyneurotechfirmNeurovalens,toaidinits medicaldevicestreatinginsomnia,anxietyand post-traumaticstressdisorder(PTSD).

Privateequityinvestmentmadeheadlines lastyearwhentheparentcompanyofPower NI,EnergiaGroup,wassoldtoFrenchprivate equityfirmArdian

The£384m figureofprivatecapital investmentlastyearis anotablejumpfrom the£94mtotalfor2024,andbringsthetotal

investedinNIbyprivatecapitalsince2020to £943m

The reportclaimsthatprivatecapitalsupports 47,000jobsacross186businessinNorthern Ireland.

Anotherfindinginthe reportrelatesto spinouts:firmsbasedonintellectualproperty “generatedthroughuniversity research”.

Itfoundthatmostspinoutscomefrom Queen’sUniversityBelfastandUlsterUniversity, and, of69activefirms,47ofthemare basedin Belfast.

The reportcallsforchangestosupportfuture privatecapitalinNorthern Ireland.

Claimingprivatecapitalinvestmentcanhelp close NI’sproductivitygapwithotherUKregions, it recommendsscalingprogrammesaimedat makingspinoutfirmseasiertofound.

Italsocallsfor“pensionfundstodomoreto supportregionalgrowththroughinvestmentin privatecapitalfunds”andpromotingeducational opportunitiestocloseskillsgapinNorthern Ireland.

MichaelMoore,chiefexecutiveofUKPrivate Capital,said:“Privatecapitalisplayingan increasinglyimportant roleinNorthernIreland’s economy, backingestablishedbusinessesthrough buyoutswhileventure capitalfirmssupporta

growingcohortofstart-upsandscale-ups.

“Thisyear,thereismuchtocelebrateabout thescaleofinvestmentintoNorthernIrish businesses.

“However,witha moresupportivepolicyand regulatoryenvironment,theindustrycanplay anevenbiggerroleintheeconomyandhelpto closetheproductivitygapwithotherpartsofthe UnitedKingdom.”

AlistairLester, chiefexecutiveforprivateequity andM&A,EMEAatGallagher,said:“This report showcasestheuniquestrengthsofNorthern Ireland’sprivatecapitalinvestmentstory.As growthacceleratesacrosscoresectorssuch astechnology,manufacturing,hospitality,and infrastructure,ourfocusmust remainonbuilding long-termconfidenceandcapability

“Strong regionalinvestment remainsthe cornerstoneofcreatinglong-termsustainable economicgrowth,andprivatecapitalthecatalyst forpowerfulpartnership.

“Asanorganisationfocusedonempowering enterprises,enablinggrowth,andenhancing resilience —throughtheprovisionoftrusted adviceandtailoredinsurance,benefitsandrisk managementsolutions—weare immensely proudtopartnerwithUKPrivateCapitalonits NationwideInvestSeries.” ■

Thedrinksgiant fuellingthe future through sustainablepower

AsoneofNorthernIreland’slargestmanufacturers, employingaround550peopleatitsplantoutside Lisburn,Coca-ColaHBCisinvestingsignificantlyin goinggreen. JoannaSneddon, Coca-ColaHBC supplychaindirector, looksattheinvestmentmadeby thecompanyinbiomethanetohelppoweritsbase,and whatit’sdoingtohitnetzeroby2040

It’saglobaldrinksbrandwhichproduces more than abillionproductsrighthere inNorthern Ireland –eachandevery year.

Coca-ColaHBCisoneofourlargest manufacturers,operatingahuge manufacturingbasejustoutsideLisburn, alongsidelogistics,anddepotsacrossthe island.

Butit’sabusinesswhichisfirmlyturningits

attentiontoitsowncarbonfootprintandgreen credentials –leadingthewayhere,andusing biomethanetohelppoweritsmanufacturing.

“It’sextremelyimportantforustolookat sustainabilityacrossoursupplychain,”Joanna Sneddon,Coca-ColaHBCsupplychaindirector, says

“It’saboutmakingsureweare workingin themostsustainablewaypossible, reducingour carbonfootprint.”

Coca-ColaHBCisheadingtowardsanet zerofutureby2040.Andaspartofthat,it’s movingtowardsusingbiomethanetopower itsmanufacturing,currentlyaround30%of itsenergygeneration,beforehitting100% by2028.

“We’veinvestedheavilyinthemovefrom traditionalfuels,suchasdieseland natural gas,focusingontheuseofbiomethaneto powerourplant,”Joannasays.

Thecombinedheatandpowerplantat

Coca-ColaHBC’splantinLisburn

“Welookedatdifferentoptions,and biomethanelookedlike astrongchoice.”

Joannasayssupportinglocalfirmsamidthe transition remainsanotherkeystrandinthe company’sforward-thinkingoutlook.

ShesaysCoca-ColaHBCisworkingwith Omagh-basedGreenvilleEnergytosupplythe biomethanefuel.

“It’sveryimportantthatweareableto supportlocalindustry,”shesays.“It’sthefirst ofitskindinIreland –usingbiomethanein thisway

“Wealsobelieveitcanbeinspiringto otherbusinesseswhocanseetheclear benefits.AsCoca-ColaHBC,wewanttobe aleaderinourfield,andpartofthatshould

alsobearoundsustainability

“Webuyitinliquidformandhaveformeda greatpartnershipwithGreenville –settingup oursitesowecanusebiomethane.

“It’snotjustas asourceforplant,butalso howitistransportedtooursite.Weare using hydrogenandbiomethanetosustainourfleet, andhelpreduceourcarbonfootprint.Thisyear, wearehopingtopowerourplantwith30% biomethaneandby2028getthatto100%.

“There’salso acirculatoryelementtoit.W ith anaerobicdigestionandmethane,forexample, wehavewasteproductfromoursitewhichcan flowthroughthatchain.”

Aspartofthemove,Coca-ColaHBC hasinvestedsignificantlyin reinforcedhard standing,ambientvaporiser,automaticgas isolationvalves,and anewcontrolsystem.

Joannais responsibleforthecompany’sendto-endsupplychainontheislandofIreland, maximisingopportunitiestohelpcreatevalue forcustomers.

Alongsideitsfocusonusingbiomethane–whichispartof akeymilestoneinthecompany hittingits2040netzerotarget– Coca-Cola HBCisalsoturningto arangeofotherareas

ina bidtogogreen,and reduceitscarbon footprint.

“Wewanttoprovideoverallvalueas a business,notjustforourselves,butforour customersandconsumers,”shesays.

“Wehave100% recycledPETinusehere, andhavebeendoingthatsince2024. We have alsolookedatlighteningourplasticbottlesto improveourenvironmentalfootprint.

“Andwearetryingtoeliminatesingle-use plastic–multi-packsofCoca-Cola,forexample, usecardboard,ratherthansingle-useplastic.”

Coca-Colaisalsoconvertingitsfleetto electric,aswellaseyeing adeposit return scheme,similartothatfoundintheRepublic ofIreland.

“Weare makingsurewereduceourenergy usageandouremissionsthrough araftof schemesandinitiatives.”

Coca-ColaHBCnowemploys550atits Lisburnbase,withdepotselsewhere,including Cork andOmagh.

Lookingatsomeofthechallengesaheadfor Coca-ColaHBC’ssustainabilityjourney,andthe widerindustry,Joannasaysfinding asourcefor thebiomethanewasthefirstmajorstep.

“We wantbiomethanetobemorewidely availableforothercompaniesandindustries, helpingalongintheirownsustainability journey.”

FollowingthesuccessofCoca-ColaHBC’s ownmovetoutilisingbiomethane,Joannasays shewouldencourageotherfirmstodothe same.

“Wehaveinvestedsignificantlyhere,but lookingatthelongtermnatureofthecontract, it’sfullysustainable.It’ssomething Iwould encourageotherstodoandit’safantasticway tosupportthelocaleconomy.”

Coca-ColaHBCunderstandsthekey role itplaysinleadingbyexampleforthewider manufacturingsectorhere.

“It’simportanttothinkaboutthe rolenet zeroplays,andwecanhelpleadtheway,” Joannasays.

“A rolewecanplayishelpingtoexplain whattheseinitiativesare. We aretryingtohelp pavethewayforsmallerbusinessestoexplore theseopportunitiesandtakeintoaccountthe learningswehavefoundas abusiness.

“It’ssomethingwearetrulypassionate about.” ■

MA NU FACT UR ING& ENGI NE ER ING

JoannaSneddon

Wrightbus lands ‘hugely significant’£7m Hong Kong order

CoAntrimbusgiant Wrightbushas secured a£7morderfrom aclient inAsia.

TheBallymena-basedfirmhassaidthedeal willhelpboostfurtherexpansionintheregion.

HongKong’sCitybushasordered20 StreetDeckElectrolinerdouble-deckerbuses. Theywillbebuiltat Wrightbusfacilitiesin Malaysiaandwillhave82seatsand acapacity for130passengers,withanoperatingrange of300km.

Wrightbuswasselectedasthesupplierafter Citybusheldanopen-tenderprocess.

JoBamford,executivechairmanof Wrightbus,said:“Thisis ahugelysignificant orderfor Wrightbusand amajormilestonefor thenew6x2StreetDeckElectroliner.

“TheStreetDeckhasbecometheleading double-deckbusintheUKandweareproud tonowbebringingthatproventechnology andoperationalexperiencetocustomersin Asia.

“Today,morethan3,000 Wrightbus zero-emissionbusesarealreadyinservice,

collectivelycoveringover200million kilometres.

“Thatexperience,acrossbothbatteryelectricandhydrogenfuelcelltechnologies, givesoperatorsconfidencethatourvehicles arereliable,efficientandfullysupportedby expertengineeringandfieldserviceteams.

“Thisorderalsodemonstratesthestrength ofourgrowinginternationalmanufacturing strategy.

“ByproducingthesevehiclesatourMalaysia facility,weare abletosupportcustomers acrossAsiamoreeffectivelywhilealsofreeing capacityinourBallymenafactory,asglobal demandforzero-emissiontransportcontinues togrow.”

DanielCastro, regionaldirectorAsia Pacificfor Wrightbus,added:“Securingthis contractwithCitybus represents akeystepin Wrightbus’sexpansionintoAsiaPacific.

“HongKongisoneofthemostdemanding double-deckbusmarketsintheworld,andthis order reflectsconfidenceinbothourproduct andourabilitytodeliverandsupportfleetsat scaleinthe region.

“Theintroductionofthe6x2StreetDeck

Electrolinerhasbeendrivenbythehighcapacity requirementsofinternational operators,andthisprojectprovidesa strongplatformforfurthergrowthacross HongKong,Singapore,AustraliaandNew Zealand.”

Meanwhile, recentlydozensofheritage busestooktothe roadsofNorther nIreland asmanufacturer Wrightbusbeginsits80th anniversaryyearwith alandmarkrally culminatingatStormont.

Thebusandcoachrallysawenthusiasts cometogethertoshowcasevehiclesspanning generationsof Wrightbusengineering, includingclassicmodelsandthecompany’s latestinnovations.

TheeventbeganattheUlster Transport MuseuminCultrabeforemakingitswayto Stormont.

JohnMcLeister,managingdirectorof salesforUKandIrelandat Wrightbus,said: “Thiseventis afantasticwaytocelebrate 80yearsof Wrightbusandtobringtogether thecommunityofenthusiasts,operatorsand partnerswhohavesupportedusoverthe decades.” ■

TheStreetDeckElectrolinerdouble-deckerbus

JamesMcNaney

Housepricegrowthof7.4%inNIsees costof averagehomeriseto£198,000

Norther nIreland’saveragehouse pricehasgrownby7.4%overthe yearto£198,000, agovernment reporthassaid.

Land&PropertyServicessaidthefigureof £198,015forJanuarytoMarchwasalsoup 1.5%onthequarterbefore.

ItsquarterlyHousePriceIndexsaidthat among11districtcouncilareas,Newry, Mourne &Downsawthestrongestgrowthat 11.7%toanaverageof£218,797.However, thatfigurewasupbyjust0.3%onthequarter before.

AndLisbur n&Castlereagh remainedthe mostexpensiveplaceinNItobuy ahome,with theaveragehousecosting£233,000.Thatwas up5.5%overtheyear,andby0.9%onthe finalquarteroftheyear.

MidandEastAntrimhadthelowestaverage priceat£173,893—thoughthatwasup 5.7%overtheyear.

Allareas reported ayear-on-yearincrease inprices,withdouble-digitgrowthinthree councilareas,includingNewryandMourne.

InDerryCityandStrabane,theaverage housepricewasup10.2%yearonyearto £185,356.Thenorth-westalsosawthe strongesthousepricegrowthon aquarterly basiswithgrowthof4.8%.

AndMidUlster’saveragehousepricealso roseby10.2%yearonyearto£189,542.

Allcouncilareasexcepttwo reported quarterlypriceincreases.

InCausewayCoastandGlens,theaverage fell0.5%overthequarterto£208,235— thoughthatmarkedanincreaseof4.1%year onyear.

AndinFermanaghandOmagh,therewasa quarterlydropof0.2%to£192,900.However, pricesintheareahadclimbedby9.9%year onyear.

InBelfast,priceswentup1.5%overthe quarterandby6.5%overtheyeartoan averageof£181,033.

Theindex,whichisbasedonHMRC

stampdutydata,saidtherehadbeen5,009 residentialpropertiessoldinthefirstquarter— thoughthefigureisprovisionalandexpected toincrease,LPSsaid.

However,thefigureof5,009wasdown 27%from6,596inthefirstquarterof2025, and adropof25%from6,721inthelast quarteroftheyear.

Norther nIreland’shousepricegrowthwas thestrongestoftheUKnations.

Averagepricesfellby0.6%annuallyto £290,000inEngland,whilethey roseby2.9% to£213,000in Walesandincreasedby1.6% to£187,000inScotland.

Lastweekthehousepriceindexfromlender HalifaxalsofoundthatNIhadthestrongest year-on-yearhousepricegrowthofUKnations at7.6%to£224,851.

UK-wide,therateofincreasewas0.4%, reaching£299,313.

HalifaxsaidthatUK-wide,theaverageprice

paidbyfirst-timebuyershadfallenslightlyto £238,908,itslowestlevelsofarthisyear.

ButinNorther nIreland,theaverageprice paidbyfirst-timebuyersclimbedby6.4%year onyearto£196,627,accordingtoHalifax.

MarkGraham,chiefexecutiveofCoOwnership,saiditsmodelofpart-buyingand part-renting apropertycouldofferhopeto first-timebuyerskeentogetonthehousing ladder.

“Ouractivityaccountsforapproximately 9%ofallfirst-timebuyertransactionsinan averageyear.

“OurmodelisuniquetoNorther nIreland andoffers ahybridtenureofpart-ownership andpart-rental.

“Thislowersboththedeposit requirement andthemonthlycosts,makinghome ownershipaffordableforpeoplewho otherwisecouldnotown ahomeoftheir own.” ■

HousepricesinNIhavegrownby7.4%year-on-yearto£198,000

PeterLunn,SuzanneLunnandJohn LunnofLunn’sJewellerswithFiona King,corporatebankingmanager atDanskeBank,whichisthe company’sbankingpartner

TopluxuryNIjeweller shortlisted forUK-wide business award

Lunn’sJewellers hasbeennamed as afinalistintheBritishBusiness Awards2026

TheNorthernIrelandluxury retailerhas been shortlistedintheFamilyBusinessofthe Year category

Otherfinalistsinthecategoryinclude Warburtons,AlbertBartlett, Taylors Tea,Laing O’Rourke,GSSDevelopmentandJohnPye Auctions.

Foundedin1954,Lunn’sisNorthern Ireland’s leadingjeweller,operatingfromshowroomsin Queen’sArcadeand VictoriaSquarein Belfast, aswellasShipquayStreetinLondonderry “Lunn’s hasalwaysbeendeeplypersonalto ourfamilyand reachingthisstageissomething weareincrediblyproudof,”SuzanneLunn, marketingdirectoratLunn’sJewellers,said.

“Itisarealhonourtobe recognised alongsidesuchdistinguishedbusinesses

“Makingthefinalisawonderful reflectionof thecommitmentofourwholeteam

“National recognitionisboth amilestone and ameasureofhowfarLunn’shascome whilestayingtruetothevaluesonwhichitwas built.”

TheshortlistplacesLunn’samongtheUK’s most respectedfamily-ownedfirmsandmarks anothersignificantmomentfor abusinessthat hasbeenpartofNorthernIreland’scommercial landscapeformorethansevendecades.

AlanJopeCBE,chairmanofthejudging panel, said:“Thecalibreofcompaniesonthe shortlistisextraordinary,andourjobasjudges issimplytomaintainthehigheststandards andensurethattrulyoutstandingbusinesses emergeasthewinners.Fromglobalinnovators likeAstraZenecaandModernatomuch-loved brandssuchasNando’s, Warburtonsand Iceland,thisyear’scohort representscompanies thataretrulyshapingBritain’seconomic future.”

Stillownedbythesecondandthird generationsoftheLunnfamily,thebusiness

continuestoblendheritage,ambitionandlongtermthinking.

ThefirmisledbymanagingdirectorJohn LunnandmarketingdirectorSuzanneLunn, whilechairmanPeterLunn remainsclosely involvedinthecompanyanditsculture.

Thatcontinuityhashelpedshape abusiness knownnotonlyforluxury retail,butfor stability,discretionandenduring relationships withclients,colleaguesandglobalbrand partners.

Thebusinesshasinvestedmorethan£12m across arangeofnewprojectsandboutiques, includingthe refurbishmentofitsBelfast andDerrystoresandthedevelopmentof standaloneboutiquesinpartnershipwithsome oftheworld’smostprestigiouswatchmakers.

ThatprogrammehasseenRolexand Tag HeueropenboutiquesinQueen’sArcade, followedbyBreitling,MontblancandOmega, while TudoropeneditsfirstIrishboutiquethere in2023. ■

HowCSITandtheexpandingMomentumOneZero projectatQueen’sUniversitynurturetheNIcybersecurityecosystemandhelptheworldfacedown threats,writes PavelBarter

Localcyber-securitycompaniesare teamingupwithaninternationallyrenowned researchinstituteat Queen’sUniversitytofightincreasing securitythreatlevelsposedbyartificial intelligence(AI).

Rapid7, aglobalcyber-securityand

automationcompanybasedinBelfast,isalso collaboratingwithTheCentreforSecure Information Technologies(CSIT)tounderstand howAIcanbeemployedtostrengthencyber defence.

AIhasloweredthebarriertoentryforcyber criminals.Throughtheriseofcuttingedge

modelslikeChatGPT,ClaudeandGemini, “attackerscannowidentifyvulnerabilities andcreateexploitsatmachinespeedwithout requiringdeeptechnicalexpertise,”saysCathal O’Neill,seniordirectorinsoftwareengineering atRapid7.

“Attackerscanproducemoreconvincing phishingemailsordeepfakecontentby usingAItomimicwritingstylesorsynthesise voices.Theycanalsogeneratemaliciouscode thatevadestraditionaldetectionmethods. Ontheotherhand,defenderscannotalways implementAIintooperationsatthesame speed. Withorganisationsrightlyconcerned

aboutAIgovernance,modelsecurity,and protectingsensitivecorporatedata,thismeans attackerscanoutpacedefendersintheiruse ofAI.”

CSITacademicsareinvolvedinlarge-scale projectsaroundrapidlyevolvingareasofcybersecurity. “Ourinternationally-recognisedwork spansdevicesecurity,thesecurityofcritical nationalinfrastructure,quantumsecurity, andthesecurityofAI,”saysProfessorMáire O’Neill, researchdirectoratCSIT.“These activitiesaredesignedtoaddress real-world challengesfacingindustryandsociety.”

CSITstandstobenefitfrom a£70m

projectwithintheBelfastCityDeal,which isexpandingthebuilding(formerlyknown asECIT,nowcalledQueen’sT itanicQuarter) whichhousestheCentre,addinganadditional 6,400sq mofspacetoitsexisting4,000sq mAccordingtotheplanningapplication, 265peoplewillbeemployedinthefirst yearofthenewbuildingin2027to2028. Thecyber-securitysectorinNorther nIreland iskeentoseehowtheproject,knownas MomentumOneZero,willenhanceCSIT’s work.“CSITstandstobenefitfromgreater opportunitiesinmulti-disciplinary research, industrypartnerships,skillsdevelopment,and

innovationtranslation,”Máiresays.

CSITsitsattheheartof alocalcyber-security ecosystemthatincludesover140companies, employing2,800cybersecurityprofessionals andcontributingover£258mtotheeconomy, accordingtoNICybersecuritySnapshot2025. Norther nIrelandcontinuestorankasthe numberoneinternationalinvestmentlocation forUScyber-securitydevelopmentprojects andCSIThasbeeninstrumentalincreating conditionstosupportthatgrowth.

TheCentre’sglobalpartnersand collaboratorsincludeIBM,Intel,McAfee, AllstateandCisco.“CSITwasdesignedto connect researchersandacademicsdirectly withbusinessesandindustriesinthelocal area,andthat’splayed akey roleinsupporting Norther nIreland’scybergrowth,”saysCathal O’NeillofRapid7.“Bydevelopingpractical researchincybersecurityandembedding industrycollaboration,theyhavesupported spinouts,innovation,andproductdevelopment inBelfast.OneofCSIT’sgreateststrengths isteachingthepracticalapplicationsof cybersecurity,notjusttheory.Students regularlycollaboratewithbusinesseslike Rapid7duringtheirstudies,helpingthemgain real-worldexperienceandnurturetalent.”

Máiresays:“WhatmakesCSITuniqueiswe don’toperateinisolationas aresearchcentre. We connect research,skills,policy,innovation andindustryneedstohelpstrengthenthe widerecosystemandensureNorther nIreland remainsgloballycompetitiveincybersecurity.”

In2026,CSIT’sexpertiseisinhighdemand. Cybercrimehasshiftedfrommalware developmenttoanundergroundmarketplace “whereaccess,tooling,andfullattackservices arecommerciallyavailabletoalmostanyone”, accordingtoCathal.“Anycriminal,irrespective oftheirtechnicalability,caneasilygoonto darkwebforumsandbuyaccesstothe largestcompaniesintheworldforthousands ofpoundsandthenmakemillionsinprofit. Anothermajorchallengeisthevolumeof alertsandthreatsignals,whichsecurityteams processeveryday.Asecurityoperationscentre (SOC)iswheresecurityanalystsmonitor>

IT &T EC HNOL OGY

systems,investigatethreats,and respondto attacksin realtime.As aresult,analystscanno longermanuallytriageeverythingatscale.”

CSITconductscritical researchintopreemptiveAI-enabledsecurity,whichenables securityteamstoadoptproactivedefenceand makefaster,smarterdecisions.TheCentre is renownedforitsworkaroundhardware security.“We talkaboutthedigitalworld asvirtualbutit’sveryphysical,”saysCiaran Martin, aTyrone-bor nprofessorandformer chiefoftheNationalCyberSecurityCentre (NCSC)who receivedanhonorarydegreefrom CSITin2020.“CSITisprobablythebestplace ontheseislands,possiblyintheworld,which conductsvital researchintochipsecurityand supplychainintegrity.They’veproduced real results,whichnotallinstitutionsdo.”

OneofCSIT’sstrengthsisitsabilityto movebeyondthe researchlabintopractical application.Itsengineeringcapability supportedover150start-upsandSMEs acrosstheUK.Its£10mCyber-AIHubassists organisationsinbuildingAI-enabledcyber securitysolutionsthataddress realoperational challenges.EightcompaniesfromNorthern IrelandhavecollaboratedwithCSIT researchers andengineersthroughtheHub.Rapid7was

onesuchpartner,developinganAI-assisted alerttriageforSOC’s.

CathalO’Neillsays:“Moder nSOC’sgenerate hugevolumesofalertseveryday,many ofwhicharefalsepositivesorlow-priority issues.AIcanhelpbyprioritisingthemost dangerousthreats, reducinganalystworkload, acceleratinginvestigations,automating repetitivetasks,andidentifyingsuspicious patternshumansmightmiss.Thecollaboration betweenRapid7andCSIThelpedindeveloping preciselythesekindsofoperationallyuseful AI-drivensecuritycapabilities.”

TheCentreisalsoexploringsecuritythreats posedbyquantumcomputing, afuture technologythatwillsolvecomplexproblems exponentiallyfasterthantraditionalcomputers.

CSIT’sresearchincludespost-quantum cryptography:“aformofencryptionthatcan withstandattacksfromquantumcomputers, whichwillbepowerfulenoughtobreakmost oftoday’ssecuritysystems,”saysProfessor MáireO’Neill.“Thismattersnowbecause eventhoughlarge-scalequantumcomputers don’tfullyexistyet,peoplecouldbeharvesting encrypteddatatodaytodecryptitlateronce quantumcomputersarrive, athreatsometimes called‘harvestnow,decryptlater’.”

CiaranMartinsays:“Statisticssuggest98% oftheworld’sdatawascreatedinthelasttwo years.Quantumwillbeabletodecryptand unravelallthatinformation. Youcan’tbuild quantumcomputingwithoutfirstworkingout howtosecureit.”

“Ultimately,our roleatCSITistohelp organisationsstayaheadoffuturecyber challengesbyprovidingaccesstocutting-edge research,expertise,andinnovationcapabilities thatcanbeapplieddirectlytoproducts, services,andoperational resilience,”Marie says.

CSIT,believesCiaranMartin,hasnurtured apowerfulcybersecurityecosysteminthe local regionandisofsignificantbenefitto globalsecurity.“Frommypointofviewas acyber-securityprofessional,I’mdelighted CSITisdoingwhatthey’redoing.Itsworkis outstandingandgroundbreaking,particularly inlong-termcomputingsecurity.It’sahuge advantagetohavesomethingofthatquality inyour region: ahugeassettoBelfastandto Norther nIreland.”

ThewiderpublicisalsoindebttoCSIT,one mightargue. Asafeandsecurecyberspace, whetheratworkorinourdailylives,is essentialforeveryone. ■

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CiaranMartin

Kainossales rise to £430min last year

SalesattheonlyNIfirmtobelisted ontheFTSE500grewtomorethan £430minthelastfinancialyear.

ITservicegiantKainosplcalsoposted increasedprofitsbeforetaxinthefinancial yearendingMarch2026,withthecompany sayingprofitabilityincreasedmore than expected.

Thecompany’sspendingoncontractorsand third-partysuppliersalsowentupnotablylast year,withmorethan£20mextraspenthereas Kainossoughtto“supportgrowthandprovide deliverycapacity”aftersecuringcontractsfor newwork.

Italso reportedanincreaseinannual recurringrevenue(ARR),which roseto£82m from£71mthepreviousyear.Kainossayitis ontrackto reachitstargetof£100minARRat theend2026,and£200mattheendof2030.

EmployedstaffatKainos rosefrom2,796 inMarch2025to3,216oneyearlater,while totalnumbersworkingwiththefirm,including employedstaffandcontractorswentto3,475.

Bookings rosemarkedlyatKainosinthe

pastyear,goingupfrom£382mtoover £505m,anincreaseof32%.

Thecompany’ssharecurrentbuyback schemealsoendedonMay15,thisyear,with £30mspentonover3.7millionshares.

Itfurtheredit’spositionintheNorthAmerica marketbypurchasingtheCandianbusiness DavisPierlastyear,whileNorthAmerica remainsKainossecond-biggestmarketafter theUKandIreland,accountingfor35%of total revenueintheFinancialyear2026.

Alsoongoingistheconstructionof anew headquartersforthefirmonBelfast’sDublin Road,on asiteinBankmoreSquarethatonce tohouse afoodmarket,andbeforethata cinema.

BrendanMooney,chiefexecutiveofKainos, said:“Thiswas apositiveyearforKainos,with excellent revenuegrowth.Ourstrongcustomer relationshipsandsignificantcontracted backlogpositionuswellforfurtherprogressin theyearahead.

“Products remains akeygrowthdriver.We areontracktosurpass£100mofARRbythe

endof2026and reach£200millionofARRby 2030.

“Ourinvestmentinproductdevelopment isdelivering resultsandwehavefurther strengthenedour relationshipwith Workday throughourexclusivearrangementforitto resellournewPay Transparencyproducttoits customers.

“Technology remainsthecornerstoneofthe UKGovernment’splanstomakepublicservices better,moreefficientandeasiertoaccess.

“Ourmajorcontractwinsintheyear reflect ourexpertiseandtrack recordinthepublicand healthcaresectors. We arealsoexcitedabout thepotentialinNorthAmerica,bolsteredby theadditionofDavisPierinCanada.

“WorkdayServiceshas regained momentum,aswehavefocusedonthemore complexdeploymentswherewehavedeep expertiseandcanadd realvalueforcustomers.

“WedeliveredstronggrowthinNorth America, astableperformanceinEuropeand continuedtoexpandinourotherinternational markets.

“Ourachievementsarebasedonenduring customer relationshipsandourengagedand talentedworkforce.

“Weare gratefulforourcustomers’ continuedtrustinusandourcolleagues’ dedicationandenergy.”

BrendanMooney ofKainos

£1.3bnharbourinvestment could support 5,500 constructionjobs

JohnMulgrew takes alookatBelfastHarbour’s new 25yearmasterplanwhichcouldmorethandoublethe tonnageitdealswitheachyearalongwith araftof otherpropertydevelopment

Some5,500constructionjobscould besupportedaspartof aplanned £1.3bninvestmentbyBelfast Harbour.

BelfastHarbourhaslaunched anew25year masterplan –settingout£1.3bnofplanned investmenttoensurethattheport remains resilient,efficientandcompetitive,capableof supportingeconomicgrowthacrossNorthern Irelandandthewiderislandfordecadesto come.

Thatcouldseeitmorethandoublingthe tonnesofcargoitdealswitheachyear,from 24milliontosome50millionby2050.

AnalysisbyUlsterUniversityandGrant Thorntonfoundthattheinvestmentssetoutin theMasterplanwillunderpinanincreaseinthe economicoutputenabledbyBelfastHarbour

toapproximately£12bninGross ValueAdded (GVA)annuallyfromtradehandledand supportalmost5,500constructionjobs.

Projectsincludecompletionofthe£90m D3deepwatercruiseterminal,Belfast’s firstland reclamationprojectin25yearsto create anewfreightterminalat WestBank Road, redevelopmentoftheisland’slongest deepwaterquay –StormontWharf; aberth extensiontoitscontainerterminalfornext generationvessels;thefirstshorepowerfor dockedvessels,constructionof anewlogistics parkand acleanenergyhub,andcreationof anewmaritimeskillsacademytosupportjobs inthesector.

“Together,theseplanspositionBelfast Harbourastheprincipalmaritimegatewayon theDublin–BelfastEconomicCorridor(DBEC),

strengtheningits roleas acriticalhubfor IrishSeatradeand aprimarylinkwithGreat Britain,”the reportsays.

“Themasterplanalsoidentifieshousingand other realestate regenerationopportunities requiringadditionalinvestmentofbetween £500mand£750m.BelfastHarbourisactively exploringdeliverymodelsandcommercial partnershipstobringtheseprojectsforward, Whatsomeoftheproposedharbourdevelopments couldlooklikewhencompleted

BelfastHarbour

helpingtoensuretheHarbourEstatecontinues tofunctionasboth aworkingportandan integralpartofthecity.”

DrTheresaDonaldson,chairofBelfast HarbourCommissioners,said:“BelfastHarbour hasservedthe regionaleconomyfornearly twocenturiesasaTrustPort –adapting, investingandgrowingastradehasevolved andthecityaroundushaschanged.Theport isnotsimply afeatureofNorther nIreland’s economy –itisacornerstoneofit.

“ThisMasterplansetsout aclear,longterm visionforhowBelfastHarbourwillcontinue todelivergrowthwithpurposeoverthe next25years.Itisthe resultoftwoyearsof extensiveengagement,and Iwanttothank thecustomers,tenants,governmentpartners, andmembersofthepublicwhohelpedshape it.Theirinputhasensuredthisplanisevidencebased,ambitious,and realistic, reflectingour responsibilitytotheeconomy,society,andthe communitiesweserve.

“Delivering aplanofthisscale requirestrue collaboration. We arecommittedtoworking withallourpartnerstonavigatethestrategic

challengesthatsitoutsideourdirectcontrol, ascoordinatedactionwillbeessentialtoour collectivesuccess.

“Forportprojects, akeypriority remainsthe reclassificationofBelfastHarbour’saccounting status,whichwouldallowustoborrow prudentlytofundcriticalinvestment. Without thischange,wecanstilldeliver,butwewill faceharderchoices regardingthepaceand scopeofourwork. Withit,wecangofurther andprepareforthescaleofgrowththatboth theeconomyandourcustomers require.”

Ondevelopmentchallenges,chiefexecutive JoeO’Neillsaidthe“infrastructureconstraints facingBelfastHarbour –transportconnections, gridcapacityandwastewaterprovision –are notuniquetous”.

In2026,theInstituteofDirectorsNI publishedanInfrastructureandInvestment ActionPlan,informedbystructuredworkshops withover200seniorbusinessleaders.

“Itsfindingswereunambiguous:89%of respondentssaidtheirbusinesshadbeen impactedbyplanningdelaysorlackof infrastructuredelivery,”the reportsaid.

“The reportconcludedthatNIcannot remaincompetitivewithoutmoreco-ordinated, evidence-basedprioritisationofinfrastructure atscale.

“…BelfastHarbouris aworkingportfirst andforemost.Muchofwhatpeopleand businessesacrossNorther nIrelanddependon passesthroughhereeveryday,fromfoodand fueltoconstructionmaterialsandconsumer goods.Ensuringthattradecontinuestoflow efficientlyisourcorepurpose.

“Ascapacitytightensatkeyportsonthe Irisheastcoast,weareputtingthescaleofour estatetoworkprovidingtheplannedcapacity theislandneeds,supportingcustomerstoday andpreparingBelfastHarbourtobethe principalmaritimegatewayontheDublin–BelfastEconomicCorridor.”

InfrastructureMinisterLizKimminsMLA said:“The2025-2050Masterplancapturesa boldandexcitingfutureforBelfastHarbour. Ifullysupportthisvision,whichpromises tosignificantlyincreaseBelfastHarbour’s contributiontooureconomyand regional connectivity.” ■ Whatsomeoftheproposedharbourdevelopments couldlooklikewhencompleted

EuropaHotelowner planning11-storey servicedapartmentschemeinBelfast

OneofNorther nIreland’sleading hospitalitygroupsisplanning tobuild aserviced11-storey apartmentandofficeschemeclosetotwo ofitsBelfasthotels.

HastingsHotels,whichownsthenearby EuropaandGrandCentralHotels,wantsto knockdownBlackstaffChambers, aformer linenwarehousedatingbacktothe1860s,at AmeliaStreetinthecitycentre.

Thatcouldthensee anew46-bedroom servicedapartmentschemebeingdeveloped, including retailonthegroundfloorandtwo floorsofofficespaceatthetop.

Investmentindevelopingthenewbuilding couldbeworth£16m.

HastingsHotels,whichisbehindthenew plans,owns arangeofluxuryhotelshere, includingTheCulloden,StormontHotel, BallygallyCastle,andtheEvergladesHotel.

Planssaythenewbuildingis“ideally located,withtheprimaryaimtosupporttheir twoexistingadjacenthotels,GrandCentral andEuropaHotel”

“Theschemeproposes anew retailuniton thegroundfloor, withhigh-qualityone-and two-bedservicedapartmentsonintermediate

floors,and atoptwofloorsofoffice accommodation.

“Thevisionforthedevelopmentistoprovide much-neededshort-termaccommodationin astrategiccitycentrelocationthroughthe provisionofone-andtwo-bedroomunits, bookedandmanagedcentrallyby William Hastings(Belfast)Limited,furthersupporting and supportedbyboththeiradjacenthotels.”

Thefamilyownedcompanywassetupby the lateSir WilliamHastingsinthe1960s, andistodayrunbyhisson,chairmanHoward Hastings,andmanagingdirectorJames McGinn.

Thosebehindtheconceptsayit represents “significantinvestment”byHastingsHotels “inthecityandinparticulartheLinenQuarter area”.

“Itishopedthedevelopmentofthis prominentcitycentresite,onBlackstaffSquare, willbringmuch-neededground-flooractive frontageand residentialaccommodationtothe area.Thedesignoftheproposalhasconsidered the surroundingareasandsitecontext,” supportingdocumentssay

“Thedesignprocesshasconsidered a numberofdifferentdesignapproaches,with

thepreferreddesignconceptnowpresented fordiscussionin relationtoall relevantdesign andplanningmatters.”

HastingsHotelGrouppreviouslysubmitted plansin2019totur nthebuildingintoan office,butthathassincelapsed.

Intermsofthesizeandscaleofthenew proposedbuilding,outlineplansfor a15-storey scheme,submittedin2022,wereapprovedfor thesamesite.

BlackstaffChamberswasbuiltbetween 1864and1865,formerly afour-storeylinen warehouse,with afifthflooraddedin1990.

Speakingaboutplanstorazethebuilding, planssay:“Althoughthebuildingislocated withintheLinenConservationAreaand makes alimitedpositivecontribution,primarily throughitsfrontfaçade,theproposal arguesthatdemolitionisjustifieddueto significantstructural,operationalandviability constraints.”

Andlookingatwhether retentionand refurbishmentwas apossibleoption, supportingdocumentssayitwasconcluded that“retentionoptionsareneitherfeasible nordeliverable,leavingdemolitionastheonly viablesolution”. ■

Avisualof‘optionsix’ofwhatthenew apartmentdevelopmentcouldlooklike

EDUCAT ION, TR AI NI NG &S KI LLS

‘Workmustcontinue todevelopintegrated education’

TheheadoftheNI CouncilforIntegrated Educationsaysoneofits maingoalsistoenable integratededucationfor everyfamilythatwantsit, writes MarkBain

Theworktoassessandmeet parentaldemandforintegrated educationmustgoon,a representativebodyhassaid. Itcomesafter areportfromtheDepartment ofEducationclaimedthereisnoNorthern

Ireland-widedemandfromparentsformore integratedschools.

Thedepartmentsaiddemandforschool placesis“uneven”,andhasbeenhighestin areaslikeMidandEastAntrim,ArdsandNorth Down,andBelfast.

ButincouncilareaslikeDerryCityand Strabane,CausewayCoastandGlens,and FermanaghandOmaghthereare toomany integratedschoolplaces.

SeanPettis,chiefexecutiveoftheNICouncil forIntegratedEducation(NICIE),saidone ofitsmaingoalsistoenableanintegrated educationoptionforeveryfamilythatwants it.“The reportconfirmsthatthisisstillnota reality.”

“Evidencethroughbothsurveysand parentalballotsfortransformationshowthat

supportforintegratededucation remainshigh, with55%of respondentsintheNorthern IrelandLifeand TimesSurveystatingthey wouldpreferanintegratedschool.

“The reporthighlightedthatthenumber ofchildreninintegratedschoolscontinuesto groweveryyear.”

Currently,8.3%ofchildrenareeducatedin anintegratedschool.

Measuringdemandis acomplextask, bringingtogether arangeofdifferentsources ofinformation,whichareweightedandvalued indifferentways.

The reportconcludedthereis“nosingle measureofdemandforintegratededucation”, andthat“allfindingsshouldbeconsidered indicativeandsubjectto refinementasfurther evidenceandyearsofdatabecomeavailable”.

MrPettissaid:“Parentalballotscontinue tobeanimportantvehicleofdemandfor integratededucation.

“Asthe reporthighlights,since2013,35 schoolshaveballotedparents,with32ofthem returninga‘yes’voteinfavourofIntegration. Ourownanalysisshowstheseballotshadan averageturnoutof70%withanaverage‘yes’ voteof85%.

“Whilenotallproposalsfollowing ayesvote aresuccessful,thisdemocraticmechanismhas beencriticalinturningparentaldemandinto integratedplaces.Infact,36oftheexisting76 integratedschoolsbecameintegratedthrough theballotingprocess.

“Transformedschoolsenrolaround34%of allchildrenattendingintegratedschools,with the remainderatschoolsstartedbyparent-led

groups,whoforged adifferenteducational experiencefortheirchildren.

“Admissionsdataisimportantbecauseit recordsactualparentalbehaviour.Butparents canonlychooseintegratedplaceswherethose placesexistandareaccessible.

“Everyintegratedplacenowcapturedin admissionsdataexistsbecauseparentsand communitiesfirstcreatedthatchoice,either throughparent-ledcampaignstoestablishnew integratedschoolsorthroughtransformation ballots.

“ThatiswhyNICIEbelievesthereisa compellingargumentforgivingballotsand surveysappropriateevidentialweightalongside admissionsdata.”

Hesaidtheorganisation recognisedthe demographic realitysetoutinthe reportthat

ION, TR AI NI NG &S KI LL S

thetotalschool-agepopulationisprojectedto fallby8.2%by2030/31,andthismustinform futureplanning.

Butheadded:“The reportalsoshowsthat thenumberofchildreneducatedinintegrated schoolscontinuestogrow,risingby38.2% since2009/10.Italsonotesthatintegrated schoolshave alowerproportionofunfilled pupilplacesthannon-Integratedschools.

“Demographicchangemeanseverypart oftheeducationsystemhastothinkcarefully aboutthefuture.ForNICIE,familiesshould haveaccesstothetypeofeducationtheywant fortheirchildren.Theevidenceinthis report showsthatintegratededucationcontinuesto grow,andthatdemandmustbeunderstood notonlybycountingadmissionsforexisting places,butbylookingataccess,awareness, geographyandbroaderparentalpreference.

“Integratededucationhasanimportant role toplayinsupportingwidereducationpriorities. TheDepartmentofEducation’srecentFiveYearEducationBudgetStrategyconsultation rightlyhighlightstheneedfor asmaller,more sustainableandfinanciallyefficientschool estate.TheIndependentReviewofEducation alsocalledformorelearnerstolear ntogether, includingthroughincreasingthenumberof integratedschools.

“Theseprioritiesshouldnotbeseen separately.Whereparentaldemandis evidenced,iIntegratededucationcanhelp supportsustainableareaplanningandeffective useofpublic resources.Itcanalsoenablemore childrenandyoungpeopletolear nwith,from andaboutthosefromdifferentbackgrounds, helpingtobuildpeaceand reconciliation.For NICIEthisisattheheartofthepurposeof measuringdemand —encouraging,facilitating andsupporting ahighquality,child-centred integratededucation.

“Weare committedtoworkingwith schools,ourpartners,localcommunitiesand theDepartmentofEducationtomakethis happen.”

ChiefexecutiveoftheIntegratedEducation Fund,PaulCaskey,said:“Thegapbetween currentprovisionandpublicdemandisclear.

“Evidencegatheredthroughdepartmentsponsoredsurveysindicatesthatthereis clearunmetdemandatboth asocietaland behaviourallevelforintegratededucation.” ■

EDUCAT

EDUCAT ION, TR AI NI NG &S KI LL S

Almost 2,500 assaults on teachers and classroomassistants inpast year

TheEducationministerhasbeen urgedtoquicklyintroduceaninjury reductionplanafteritwas revealed thatalmost2,500assaultsonteachers andclassroomassistantswerereportedin schoolshereinthelastyear.

Thestartlingfigurewas revealedby EducationMinisterPaulGivaninanswertoa writtenAssemblyquestionfromUUPleader JonBurrowsMLA,whichacknowledgedthat 2,472incidentsofassaultwerereported.

Ofthose,598wereagainstteachingstaff, with1,974takingplaceagainstclassroom assistants.

Over afive-yearperiodbetweenJanuary 2021and2026,therewereacombined 10,274assaults.

“Violenceagainstteachersandclassroom assistantsinourschoolsisdescribedtomeby thosewhoworkonthefrontlineas ataboo issue,onethatnobodywantstotalkabout, andnobodywantstoaddress,”MrBurrows said.“Thatmustchange.

“Whenwetalkaboutviolenceagainst women,werarelyspeakaboutwhatis happeninginourschools,yetthevastmajority

ofthosebeinginjuredandassaultedare female.

“Thesearewomengoingtoworkeveryday todotheirverybestforouryoungpeople,and theyarenotgettingthesupporttheydeserve.

“Noteveryincidentisstraightforward,”he added.

“Someinvolvepupilswithadditionalneeds whobecomedysregulated,andinthosecases whatisneededisbettertrainingandsupport forstafftomanagethosesituationssafely.

“Butthereisacultureinsomeschoolsof pupilswhoaresimplyunruly,abusive,and engagedindeliberateintimidation.Staffneed toknowtheyhaveourfullsupport.”

MrBurrowssaidthefiguresincreasedhis alarmatsuggestionsfromtheAllianceParty thattheminimumageofcriminalityshouldbe raisedto14.

“Inpractice,thiswouldmakebullying, assault,upskirtinganddownblousingbyany personunder14effectivelylegalinNorthern Ireland.Thatwouldbe adeeplydamaging outcomeand IurgetheAssemblytothinkvery carefullybeforegoingdownthat road.

“IhavewrittentotheEducationminister previouslyontheneedfor aformalinjury reductionplanforourschools.Schoolsmust

beempoweredtodealswiftlywithdisruptive pupils,notonlytoprotectstaff,buttoprotect thevastmajorityofwell-behavedpupilswhose educationisbeingundermined.

“Iwillalsosaysomethingothersmaybe reluctanttosay:thereare teacherswhoface abusefromparentswhentheyattemptto discipline achild,whofindthatinsteadof support,they receivehostility.Thattoomust beaddressed.

“When Ivisitschoolsandamtoldthata teacherhasjustbeenconcussed,speakto teacherswithbrokenribsandbrokenbones,I willspeakupforthem. Toomanyfeeltheyare notbeingheard.Ourpupilsandourparentsall deserveschoolsthataresafeforeveryone.”

Unionshavealreadywarnedofthegrowing threattoteachersandschoolstaffinthe workplace.

NASUWTGeneralSecretaryMatt Wrack said:“Teachershave alegalrighttoworkfree fromfear,intimidationandabuse.

“Thefailureofemployerstoactdecisively hasnormalisedunacceptablebehaviourand placedstaffatrisk.

“Schoolsmustbesafeworkplaces,andthat requiresclearboundaries, robustprocedures andzerotoleranceforabuse.”

MarkBain

NorthernIreland shopshaveworst declinein footfallof UK regions

FootfallinNorther nIrelandshops slumpedby14.3%inApril,according to areport.

TheNIRetailConsortium(NIRC)saidthe performanceacrossbothhighstreetsand shoppingcentreshaddeteriorated,following declineofjust4.9%inMarch.

ItalsoleftNorther nIrelandwiththeworse rateofdeclineinfootfallacrossUK regions.

FootfallinNIshoppingcentresalone droppedby12.8%inApril,anincreasein March’srateofdeclineof8.1%.

AndBelfastsuffered adropinfootfallof 15.4%inApril,justoverdoubletheratein March.

Thecityhadthesecond-worstdeclinein footfallof11UKcities,behindLiverpoolwitha slumpof18%.

TheearlytimingofEaster —whichfell inearlyApril —waspartlytoblameforthe month’sdeterioratingpicture,theNIRCsaid.

TheNIRCsaidthatinordertocanceloutany impactoftheearlyEaster,itcombinedMarch andAprilperformancetogether,findingthat footfallhaddeclined4.4%.

NeilJohnston,directoroftheNIRetail Consortium,said:“VisitstoNorther nIreland’s

storeswentinto reverselastmonthaftera creditableperformanceinMarch.

“ThedipwaspronouncedduetoEaster fallingearlythisyearwhichbroughtforward foot-traffictostores.

“Whilst adropwasexpectedthatwillhave beenoflittleconsolationtoshopkeepers giventheextentofthedeclinewhichwasfelt acrossalldestinations.”

Hesaidworldeventshadcreateddifficulties for retailers.“Thiscomesat atrickytimefor NI’sretailerswhohaveseenemploymentcosts spikeand afurtherriseinthebusinessrate, allwhilstabsorbingadditionaloutlaysonfuel andshippingduetotheconflictintheMiddle East.

“Theconflictisalsosappingconsumer confidenceat atimewhenhouseholdbudgets havebeenstrainedbyrisingdomesticbills.”

Andhecalledforactionfromthe Executive.“Thereisarealneedforour devolvedgovernmenttobringfreshenergyto reinvigoratingNorther nIreland’shighstreets and retaildestinations.

“Centraltothisshouldbe aconcerted efforttobringenergyandfootfallbacktoour townsandlargerconurbationsalongwitha

plantomakethemcost-effectivelocationsfor retailersofallsizestoinvestin.

“Thisshouldbeginwithloweringthe businessratefor retailandhospitality businessesashasbeenintroducedinScotland andEngland.”

AndySumpter,retailconsultantEMEAfor SensormaticSolutions,whichgathersthe footfalldata,said:“Aprildelivered astark reminderofhowfragilethe recoveryin retail footfall remainsinNorther nIreland.

“Total retailvisitsfell14.3%year-on-year, theweakestperformanceinoverfiveyearsand thesharpestdeclineofthedevolvednations.

“Whiledisappointing,thescaleofthefall needstobeviewedincontext.Easterlanded earlierthisyear,drawing asignificantvolume ofactivityintoMarchandleavingAprilwitha muchtoughercomparison.

“Evenwhenlookedattogether,thepicture remainschallenging.Combined,Marchand Aprilfootfallwasdown4.4%,underliningthe pressurefacing retailers.

“Withconsumerconfidencefallingand cost-of-livingpressurespersisting,shoppers arebecomingmoreselective —makingfewer trips,butwithclearerintentwhentheydo.”

Planstobuild coveredpadelcourts atsiteofformerEuropaBusStation

Newpadelcourtscouldbebuiltat theformerEuropaBusStationin Belfastcitycentre.

Thestationhasalreadybeentransformed into afoodmarketcalledHalt.

Aspartofplansforphasetwoofthe redevelopmentoftheformerbusandtrain terminal,followingtheopeningofGrand CentralStation ashortdistanceaway, developerswanttoturn alargepartof theoutsideareaintocoveredpadelcourts, alongsideshippingcontainersusedas retailand co-workingspaces.

Thecourtscouldbebuilton atemporary three-yearbasis.TheHaltfoodanddrinkshall hastemporaryplanningpermissionuntilMay 2030.

Aplanningsubmission saysitisanticipated thelong-term redevelopmentofthebus areaat WeaversCrosswillnotprogressuntil 2028,with a“three-yeartemporaryforthese ‘meanwhileuses’thereforebeingsoughtwith thisapplication”

“Sinceopening,thesuccessofthe ‘meanwhileuse’atHalthasbeendemonstrated byitsshortlistingagainstsomeofthelargest regenerationprojectsintheUK,”itsays

Whatthenewpadel courtscouldlooklike whencompleted

“Ithasbeenincludedinthisyear’swidely recognisedPineapple Awardsthatcelebrate theverybestinplacemakingandplace-led initiatives.

“ItsshortlistingintheFestivalofPlaces Activationcategoryagainstprojectssuch asUnionSquare,CanaryWharfandBrent Cross Townis arecognitionofthequality ofthe‘meanwhileuse’anditsoutstanding contributiontourbandevelopment.”

Theapplicationsayspadelisbecoming increasinglypopularintheUK,Irelandand Europeasaninclusiveactivityforall.

“Thefinalconfigurationwillbring avitality anduseto asitethatwouldotherwise remain

vacantandunuseduntildevelopmentproposals comeforward,”itadds.

“Whencombinedwiththeexisting retail offerswithintheGreatNorthernMalland current‘meanwhileuses’,thisproposalwill create avibrantleisureandco-workingspace adjacenttothe retailandeatingdestinationin thispartofthecitycentre.”

Elsewhere,theformerBelfasthomeof lifestylemagazineTheUlster Tatlercouldbe turnedinto anewpadelclubaspartof a £1.5minvestment.

Feat4isplanningitsfirstpadelclubhere, andsaysithastheintentiontoexpandtoother locationslocally ■

JohnMulgrew

RobbieMiller ofPast TenseClothingspeaksto JamesMcNaney abouthispassionforface-to-face salesandcuratinghispre-loveditems

grownupinBangor,wherehistasteforusedfashiondeveloped.

“When Iwasyounger Ireallyenjoyedgoing aroundtocharityshopsandgoingtocar-boot sales.

Theownerof anewvintageclothing shopinnorthDownsaysthe “prideandsupport”localshavein supportingsmallbusinessesis akeypart ofhishopestobuild asuccessfulbusiness withoutanyonlinesales.

RobbieMiller,founderofPast Tense Clothing,hasfinallyfound apermanenthome forhisinpersonsecond-handclothingbrand, openingonHolywood’sHighStreetoverthe earlyMayBankHoliday.

Robbie(31)andhisteamwerepartof

Holywood’sfamousMayDaycelebrations,with thestoreclosebythetown’smaypole.

Someofthecrowdwhowenttotheloughsidetownstoppedbythenewshop,perusing aselectionofvintageclothinghand-pickedby thefounder.

Past Tensehasbeentradingforoverfive years,withRobbiegrowing aloyalcustomer basethroughface-to-facesales,foregoingthe onlinebusinessmodelcommonforsecondhandclothing.

Robbieis anorthDownnative,having

“Ithinkthat’swhen Ifirsttookaninterestin fashion,especiallythestyleandthequalityof theclothingfromthe80sand90s.

“Ialwayswantedtobeself-employedwhen Iwaswhen Iwasyounger,alwayshadan interestinbusiness.”

Heleftschoolwhenhewas16,andworked in avarietyofhospitalitybusinessesbothin Norther nIrelandandinGermany,wherehe livedfor afewyears.

“When IlivedinBerlinitwas reallygood forvintageshopsandfleamarkets,so Ispent

RobbieMillerofPast TenseClothing

alotofmytimedoingthat. Ialsohadthe opportunitytotaketripstootherplacesin Europeandcheckouttheirvintageshopstoo.

“Butitwasquiteinterestingtoseethat standardofEuropeanvintageshoppingwasn’t reallyavailableathome.

“I’dnoticed agapinthemarketandknew that Iwantedtobring asliceofthatbackto here.

“Inbiggercities,theretendstobe abetter standard. Ihadmyfavouritevintageshopsin thedifferentcitiesthat Ilivedin,andalways wantedto replicatethatandputmyownspin onitathome.”

RobbiedecidedtomovebacktoNorthern Irelandjustasthepandemicwasbeginning, anditwasovertheearlydaysoftheCovidera

thathebeganworkonPast Tense.

“Istartedbuilding acollectionofvintage piecesoverlockdown.Once Ihadenough reallygoodstuff, Idecided Iwouldorganisea pop-upeventat acaféinlockdown.

“Itwasduring aliftinthelockdown regulations. Ireallylovedtheexperienceof sellinginpersonratherthanonline.

“Ithinkaftereveryonehadfeltsoisolated overlockdown,itfeltspecialtobedoing somethinginperson.

“I reallylovethefeelingofsellingthings locally,building relationshipswithcustomers, evenseeingthemwearingthepiecesoutand about.”

Fromthebeginning,thepiecesavailablefor saleatPast Tensewerehand-pickedbyRobbie.

Hedescribestheprocessofcuratingthe selectionbeingaboutbothanticipatingothers desires,andtrustinghisowntaste.

“It’samixtureoftryingtocurateclothing that Ilikeandthat Iwouldwear,andkeeping upwithtrendsbutalsostillhavingthetimeless piecesthatpeoplearealwaysgoingtowant. It’samixture.

“Butitdefinitelycomesdownto, Iknow what Ilike,and Ihopethatotherpeoplewill alsolikethat.”

HumanconnectionhasbeenpartofPast Tensefromthatfirstmarket,whenpeople werehungryforface-to-facecommunication. Italsoplaysintothehand-pickednatureof theitems,withtheuniquenessof asecondhandfind,chosenbytheseller,adding>

Past TenseonHolywood HighStreet

anotherlayerofconnectiontothebuyers experience.

“Becausealltheitemsareoneof akind,and they’reunique,there’salwayssomethingthat’s goingtospeaktosomeone:they’regoing topickthatupandfeellikeitwasmeantfor them.

“Ithinkthat’sthespecialthingabouthaving acuratedselectionofclothing,isthateveryone willfindsomethingthattheylike,asopposed tojusthavingmassamountsofstuffthat hasn’treallybeenthoughtabout.”

Thesuccessofthefirsteventconfirmed Robbie’sdesiretokeephisbusinessawayfrom internetsales.

“Afterthefirstevent Ihad, Iveryquickly realisedthattherewasanappetiteforit.I knew Iwantedtokeepitlocalratherthansell mypiecesonline.

“Fromthenon,I’verunitasanevents businessforfouryears.I’vesortofmarketed andorganisedmyownpop-upshops.

“I regularlydothemarketatBananaBlock, EastBlockBazaar,aswellasorganisedpop-ups withtheJuiceJar, LushCosmeticsandUrban Outfitters.”

Whileenjoyingthepop-upnatureof thebusinessoverthoseyears,hehasbeen considering apermanentlocationforsome time.

“Overthelastcoupleofyears Ihavebeen lookingforanopportunity.Thespacewe’ve openedupin,wehadpreviouslydone apopupinitinHalloween2025andthe response wasamazing.

“Wethen,withmonthsofplanningand renovations,tookontheunitfull-timein Holywood.”

Alongwith refittingthestore,Robbiealso commissioned ahand-paintedsignforthe shopfrontfromalocalartist.

Past Tensenowlooks anaturalpartofan increasingly-bohemianHolywood,sitting betweenBakariBakeryandtheSecretMarket Fruitshop.

“Ilovethebuzzaboutthetown,I’mso excitedtobejoiningthecommunityofother smallbusinessesonthehighstreet,especially aswe’renextdoortoBakkariandtheSecret Market.They’reidealneighbourstohave.

“But IthinkwhatmakesHolywooddifferent

istheprideandsupportthelocalshavein shoppingsmallandshoppinglocally.

“Andasit’sonly10minutesbytrainfrom Belfast,weknowthatourBelfastcustomers willstillcomeandvisitusinHolywood.”

Whilethedecisiontomoveinto ahighstreetshopfeltlike anaturalprogressionto Robbie,hesayssomepeoplehavetoldhimhe is“mad”tobeopening aphysicallocationata difficulttimeforin-personshops.

Certainly,second-handclothesshoppinghas becomesynonymouswithonlinemarketplaces like VintedandDepopin recentyears,and Robbie’sin-personfocusstandsoutfromthe crowdinthatway.

“Itisdauntingtobeopening abricksand mortarshopwhenphysical retaildoesappear tobeindecline,andyouhearaboutallthe closures.

“Deepdown, IbelieveintheofferingPast Tensehas,and Iknowthatwe’llmakeitwork.

“Whatsetsusapartistheexperiencepeople haveseeinglikeone-of-a-kindgarmentsin real life.

“I’mjusthopingthatwe’llusethistoour advantage,andit’sreflectedinthegrowing numberof regularcustomersthatwehave.”

Whilehemightbebuckingtrendsinhow tobuythem,Robbiehasfeltthebenefitsof increasedinterestinsecond-handclothing.

“Idefinitelynoticed adifferenceinhow popularitisfromwhen Ifirststarted.

“I’m reallykeentopushourethosofquality overquantity.Idothatbychoosingevery lastpiecemyselfratherthanbuyinginbulk amounts.

“Itmeans Icantakeprideinthepieceswe haveandtryandhavethebestcuration.Itsort ofeliminateswasteandismoresustainable, whichkeepsourstockfreshandexciting.”

WhileRobbieisfullycommittedtothenew store,hehasn’tabandonedthepop-upsthat definedtheearlydaysofPast Tense.

“Iplantostillrunsomeeventsontheside. Itwouldbe ashametogivethemup. We’ll stilldothemonthlymarketatBananaBlock becauseI’vebeentheresincethebeginning,so IfeellikeI’mpartofthefurniture.” ■

Past Tense’s newstorefront

DanskeBankposts £70.5m pre-taxprofits forstart of 2026

DanskeBankhaspostedpre-tax profitsof£70.5mforthefirstthree monthsoftheyear.

Thebankhadloansof£7.16bnduring thestartoftheyear,withdepositssittingat £12.17bn.

Lastyear,DanskeBankpostedpre-taxprofits ofmore than£250m,whichsawbothlending andcustomerdepositsontherise.

“Iampleasedto report aprofit-before-tax of£70.5mforthefirstthreemonthsof2026, reflectingcontinuedgrowthbothinNorthern Irelandandacrossthe restoftheUK,” Vicky Davies,DanskeBankchiefexecutive,said.

“Lendingtocustomersincreasedby11% year-on-year,whilecustomerdepositsgrewby 6%.Costs roseduetoinflationarypressures andongoinginvestmenttoimprovecustomer experience.

“Ourfocusonencouragingmoresmall businessestojoinDanskeBankhascontinued, andaround450joinedusinquarterone–

withmanyattractedbythetwoyearsfee-free bankingonoffertothosethatopen asmall businessdigitalaccount.

“Anotherkeyfocusisprovidinglending supporttothesocialhousingsector,with privatefundingneededmorethanevergiven publicfundingconstraintsinNorther nIreland. 2025was arecordyearoflendingtothesector byDanskeBank,andoursupportinquarter oneincludedprovidingnorthAntrim-based TriangleHousingAssociationwith a£22m revolvingcreditfacilityforthedevelopmentof over100newsocialhousingunits.

“Wealsocontinuetoprovidestrongsupport tohomebuyersthroughoutNorther nIreland andinthe restoftheUK.Inthefirstthree monthsoftheyear,weprovidedover£300m intotalmortgagelendingapprovals,an increaseofaround20%year-on-year.”

MsDavieswillstepdownfromher role aschiefthisyear,withJulie-AnnHainesto succeedherinJulyfollowingthelatter’sfive

yearsinthepost.

SheistheformerchiefofthePrincipality BuildingSociety,thebiggestfinancialservices organisationin Wales.

Speakingaboutthelatest results,MsDavies said:“Weremaincautiouslyoptimisticabout theforwardoutlookforthehousingmarket inNorther nIreland,dueto acontinuedstrong demandforhomeownershipcoupledwiththe sustainedstrengthofthelocallabourmarket.

“Whenitcomestoeverydaybankingin Norther nIreland,wewelcomedaround4,000 newpersonalcurrentaccountcustomersin thefirstthreemonthsoftheyear.Inaddition tooureasy-to-usedigitalbankingplatforms, DanskeBankcustomersaresupportedonthe groundthroughour24branches,localcontact centre,mortgageadvisers,privatebanking team,business relationshipmanagers,and presenceacrosslocalbankinghubs.

“Wecontinuetoinvestinallthedifferent wayscustomerschoosetodotheirbanking withus,andthisyearthathasincludedthe openingofnew,morefitforpurposeHigh StreetbranchlocationsinColeraineand Lisburn.” ■

MasteringMichelinstarredsignaturedishes: EricRipert’s tunacarpaccio

JohnMulgrew takesonthesignaturerecipeofoneofNew York’stop chefs,EricRipert,ofthreeMichelin-starredLeBernadin

Ifyou’vespentanytimeinthe warmembraceof aMichelin-starred restaurant,oranyotheratthetopof itsgame,you’lloftenfindsimplicityfused withtechnique.

Homecooks,myselfincluded,sometimes havea kitchensinkapproach.Addmore things,moreflavours,andthingswillhavea

greater results.That’snotalways,oroften,the case,however.

Whilehe’snotquite ahouseholdname here,asidefromhisculinaryplaudits,he’sbeen afixtureonscreensstateside —including appearingalongsidetheinimitableAnthony Bourdainmanytimes,alongsidecountlessTV chefandjudging roles.

He’sbeenatthehelmofLeBernadinin MidtownManhattanformorethanthree decades —takingthe reinsfollowingthe deathoffounderGilbertLeCoze,whoshifted hisPariseaterytotheUSin1986.

Thisismyfirsttime recreatingthisclassic dish,so Icantrymyverybesttopasson whattodo,andwhattodobetterifyou’re

Thefinishedtunacarpaccio

EricRipertpreparinghistunadishon theLateNightwithSethMeyersshow

attemptingit.

Aswithsomuchincooking,it’sverysimple. Butit’stechniquedriven,and requires adeft hand—which Idonotnecessarilyhave.

It’sagoodexampleofwhat —asidefrom thecreativityinconjuringthismarriageofthe landandocean —differentiates amultiMichelinstarredchefwith ahumblehome cooklikeme.

Thisdishtraditionallyincludesfoiegras. Forbothaccessibility,cost,andformany,the ethicalquandary,we’reusing aworkaround thistime,insteadoptingforgoodporkliver patewhippedandaeratedwithlotsofbutter.

It’sabeautifulmarriageofclean,meatyfish, withtherichnessoffatfromthepate,lifted withthefreshnessoflemonandalliuminthe formofchives.

THETUNA

I’veseenRipertpreparingthisdishontelevision with asizeablegreathunkofhigh-qualitytuna. Butwe’llassumewe’relookingatsomething fromyourlocalfishmonger,orsupermarket.

You’llfindyellowtailsteaksinmost supermarkets,andthosewillworkforthis homeversionofthedish.

Thisiswheremostoftheworkhappens.If thereisanysinew,tryand removeitfirst,or

asyougo.Placeyourtunasteakbetweentwo largepiecesofclingfilm,andthenuse ameat pounder,oraheavy-bottomedsaucepanto flattenitout. Igavemytacopress ago,but thesurfaceareawasn’tquitelargeenough. Ripertsaystohitthetunaaswellassliding thesurfacesomewhat,tohelpspreaditoutas thinlyaspossible.

Iused acombinationof apotand arolling pin.It’stoughtogetitasthinas required, withoutdamagingtheflesh.Thisissomething thatwillcomewithpractice,and Iwouldhave preferredtogetitthinner.For alargerpiece, Iactuallyendedupusingtwopiecesoftuna, besideeachother.

Now,cut apieceofcardboardinto apointed oval,aroundsixincheslong.Usethis aguide, andcutoutyourpieceoftuna,whileit’sstill intheclingfilm. Youcannowstickthisinthe fridge,whilepreparingthe restofthedish,and tohelpfirmitup.

THEBREAD

Ripert’srecipecallsfor athinshardof baguette,butI’vegonefor athinsliceof brioche,usingsmall rollsavailableinmost supermarkets.Cuttheendsoffandthencut averythinslicebeforelightlytoastingin anonstickpanwith alittlebutter.

THEMOUSSE

Asidefromthecostandcomplexityinmaking afoiegrasterrine, Iimaginemanywon’t wantto.So,here’sawayto replicateitat home. Youcanmakeyourownliverpate,but Ioptedtobuy adecentqualityonefromthe supermarket.Placeinto afoodprocessorand whizzupbeforegraduallyaddingsmallpieces ofbutter.Alotofbutter.Atleastasmuchas thepateitself,in abidtotryand replicatethe fatcontent.Onceyouhave acreamy,slightly aerated,richandsoftpate,transferinto afood orpipingbag.

PULLINGIT TOGETHER

Placeyourbreadontheplateandthen carefullypipeon asmalllayerofyourpate andbuttermixture.Now,getyourtunafrom thefridge,carefully removetheclingfilm,and gentlyplaceyourthintunaontop.Shapeit carefullyandpinchitslightlyinandaround yourbreadandpate.

Onceyou’rehappywithit,brushtheoutside witholiveoilandsprinkleonsomeflakysalt. To finishthedishoff,addsomeveryfinelychoppedchives.Andjustbeforeserving,add alittlesqueezeoflemonjuicetocomplete. Don’taddthistooearlyasitwillbegintocook thefish. ■

Stormontdepartmentblames ‘administrativeerror’forlink to BBCRadio Foylesiteownership

TheDepartmentfortheEconomyhas saiditsnameappearednumerous timesonanownershipdocument linkedtotheBBCRadioFoylesitedueto an“administrativeerror”.

Lastweek,therewasshockasit emergedthatthebuilding,located at 8NorthlandRoad,hadbeen placedonthemarketfor£475,000.

Itpromptedquestionsaboutthefuture ofBBCRadioFoyle —astationthat wasunderthreatin recenttimesand sufferedcuts.

TheRadioFoylesitesitsadjacentto UlsterUniversity’sMageecampus.

Thesitewasownedby localbusinessmanGarvan O’Doherty.

In2024,itwasannouncedthat propertiesbelongingtoMrO’Doherty hadbeenpurchasedtofacilitateMagee expansion,withtheDepartmentforthe Economy(DfE)anintegralpartofthat deal.

Thisnewspaperobtained adocument relatedto 8NorthlandRoadin whichDfEismentioned anumber oftimesintheownershipsection.

Afterdaysofbeingunableto confirmwhyitsnameappears inthatdocument, aDfE spokespersonhasnowsaid:“Following engagementwithdepartmental solicitors,ithasbeenconfirmedthatDfE’s appearanceontheprioritysearcharose duetoanadministrativeerrorby athird party.

“DfEdoesnothold,andhasnotsought tosecure,anyinterestintheproperty, nordoesithaveanyintentionto pursueitsacquisition.”

Thelandownershipdocumentshows that,in2010,MrO’Dohertyand trusteeswerethefullowners,with avalueof£575,000mentioned.

Fast-forwardtoJanuary2025and acompanynamed 8NRLimited, basedattheUlsterBankbuildingon theCulmoreRoad,isnotedastheowner. Atthisstage,thecostwassaidtobe £520,000.

TAlookatcompanyaccountsfor8 NRLtdshowsthatMrO’Doherty isthesoledirector.

heyalsoshowthatareceiverwas appointedfor 8NRLtd,witha dateofApril22,2026,notedon CompaniesHouse.

Butitisbetweentheperiodof8 NRLtdtakingownershipofthe propertyand receiversbeing appointedthatDfEbecameinvolved.

Thedepartmentismentionedin September2025,inOctober2025 andagaininDecember2025.

Over recentyears,MrO’Doherty hassoldDa Vinci’sHoteland closed anumberofoff-licences.

Lastweek, apropertywebsite describedtheBBCRadioFoylesite as a“landmarkcommercialoffice buildingin ahighlyprominentposition”.

Incommentstothisnewspaper, MrO’Dohertypreviouslysaidthat “thebuildingismine”,ashemade referencetolegalaction.

GarrettHargan

Bill WolseyoftheMerchantHotelspeaksto Niamh Leneghan onthechallengesahead,hopesforfuture andwhyNI’spoliticiansmustditch‘narrowinterests’

TheownerofBelfast’sfirstfivestarhotelsaidheisproudtohave defiedofficialswhopredictedit wouldflop.

TwentyyearsafteropeningtheMerchant Hotel,Bill Wolsey revealedhewastoldit wouldn’tsucceed.

Instead,ithasbecome alandmarkbuilding inoneofthecity’sbusiestareas.

Whenitopenedin2006,Belfastwasstill rebuildingits reputationintheearlyyearsof thepost-GoodFridayAgreementera.

Mr Wolsey recallsapproachingthelocal touristboardwithhisideatoopen afive-star hotel.

“Theytoldusitwouldneverwork,”hesaid. “AndI’veneverletthemforgetthat.”

Withintwoyears,thehotelhadwon Ireland’sHotelofthe Year —amilestoneMr Wolseystill recallswithsatisfaction.

“Thathadneverbeendonebefore,”he says, referringtohowquicklytheyscoopedthe accolade.

Thehotelhashostedmanynotableguests overtheyears,fromglobalcelebritiesto literarygreats.

Whilediscretionispartofthebusiness, Mr Wolseydid recalloneencounterwith amusement.

“Icameintomyownhotelandbloody JustinBieber’ssecuritymantriedtothrowme out,”hesaid.

“Iwasonmyphone —hethought Iwas photographing.Soyes,thatwasinteresting.”

Helooksbackwithfondmemoriesonvisits fromfiguressuchasSeamusHeaneyand playwrightBrianFriel.

“Thatwas really,reallysomethingspecial,” hesaid.

Mr Wolsey(72)saidhe researchedhotels inNew YorkandLondonbeforefinding inspirationinParistotransformthegrade A-listedformerUlsterBankbuildinginSkipper Street.

Thehotelopenedinstages,startingwith27 roomsbeforethepropertybehindtheoriginal onewasacquired,providinganexpansionto 63 rooms.

WhenTheMerchantopened,theCathedral Quarterareawaslargelyundeveloped,with justone restaurant,Nick’sWarehouse,anda smallnumberofpubs.Footfallwaslimitedto around300onanaverageSaturdaynight.

Today,itisoneofBelfast’sbusiestdistricts,

TheGreatRoomatThe MerchantHotelinBelfast

withSaturdaynightnumbersestimatedat around15,000.

Mr Wolseypointstothehotel’sroleasboth atouristdestinationand alocalhotspot.

“You’dbesurprisedhowmanycustomers wegetfromBelfast,”hesaid.

HebelievesthatNorther nIrishtourismhas evolvedsignificantlyoverthepast20years.

“Dublinwaswayaheadofusonthetourist market. We’recatchingup,slowlybutsurely, eachyear.”

HebelievestouristsaredrawntoBelfast’s history, butalsoitsatmosphere.

“Ithinkthevastmajoritycomebecausethey enjoythenightlife,”headded.

“It’saveryfriendlycity.It’salsoquite asafe city.SoI thinkwe’ve alotgoingforus.”

Theentrepreneur’sBeannchorGroupalso runsotherbusinessesintheCathedralQuarter, andhas20barsaswellastheBullittHoteland Little Wing restaurantchain,directlyemploying 670people.

Speakingofhisearlydays,headded:“We knewwhatweweredoinghere,andwe beggedandborrowedasmuchmoneyaswe could.

“Wegambledthatwecouldrunthis spectacularbuildingsuccessfullyas ahotel, andthatonthebackofthat,thingswould change.”

ButaccordingtoMr Wolsey,whohasbeen inbusinessfor50years,progresshere>

Gok WanattheMerchant Hotelin2012

remainsfragile.

Heacknowledgesthatperceptions,and somenegativeheadlines,canstillhurtthe tourismindustry.

“Iworryif,youknow,abombgoesoff,as didgooffatDunmurrypolicestation.That’s always aworry,”hesaid.“Butbyandlarge,as acommunity,we’vemovedon.”

Thehotel’sstaffretentionis apointofpride.

“It’snotunusualinthishotelthatpeople haveworkedforusfor20years,15years,”Mr Wolseysaid.

“I’mattending adinnertomorrownightfor peoplewho’veworkedforusfor10years. We have10-year,15-year,20-yearbadges.That’s quiteanachievement.”

Mountingpressuresnowfacethehospitality industryinNorther nIreland,andrisingcosts areplacingincreasingstrainonoperators.

“InBelfasttheratesarehorrendous,”he said.“Thatdecreasestheamountyoucan reinvestinyourproperty.”

Hebelievesthat“notonlyhotels,butbars, restaurants,coffeeshops —hospitalityin general —isinadifficultplaceinNorthern Ireland.”

Hisconcernsarenotlimitedtobusiness. Reflectingonthebroadertrajectoryof Norther nIrelandsincetheMerchantopenedin 2006,Mr Wolseyexpressesfrustrationatwhat heseesas alackofprogress.

“Whenwegotourpeaceagreement,there was adegreeofoptimismastowhatwewere goingtodo —forouryoungpeople,howwe wouldfixthehealthandhousingcrisis,”he said.

“Butnoneofthatseemstohavehappened. Whatthereis,isinertia.”

“Ithinkthatthebusinesscommunity,and maybethepopulation,aredepressedthatwe haven’tmovedonin awaythatservesallthe people.”

Hedirectsparticularcriticismatpolitical leadershere.

“Ithinkit’snowtimethatthesepoliticians forgottheirnarrowinterestsanddid somethingforthepeople,”headded.

Evenso,hemaintainshisdeepconnection toBelfast.

“I’mproudofcomingfromthiscity,”he added.“And Ithinkit’sbeen reallygoodto me.”

Meanwhile,Mr Wolseyalsohopes anew BullitthotelinDublinwillopenin2028after nineyearsintheIrishplanningsystem.

Thelengthyprocesshasbeenhitbydelays, includingthediscoveryofmorethan100 skeletal remainsinthepreparationofthe project,intheCapelStreetarea.

“We’vebeennineyearsinplanning, becausewhatweboughtwasthe headquartersofRiverdance,andwethought itwas aGeorgianbuilding,anditturnsout bitsofitcomefromthe11thcentury,”he added.

“Andwithinourpropertywas agraveyard forStMary’sAbbeyandwefoundmorethan 100bodiesrangingfromthe11thcenturyup tothe15thcentury.

“Sothat’swhyit’stakensolong,andthen Covidgotinthemiddleofit.

“Butgettingplanninghasbeen abitofa nightmare,andweunderstandthehistorical formsofthebuilding,butnowwe’reableto goahead,wehaveanamazingsitewhenyou walkaround,seethedifferentbuildings,and wethink,andwehope,thatitwillbehugely successful.” ■

DavidHasselhoffarrivesat theMerchantHotelin2011

Up to 350jobsatriskatMetainIreland

Metaplanstocutupto20%of itsIrishstaffandhasformally notifiedthegovernmentthatit willseektoletpeoplego.

Thesocialmediagiant,whichemploys 1,800peopleatitsDublin-basedEuropean headquarters,planstoreduceitsoverallglobal workforceby10%butuptotwicethatfigure inIreland.

AMetaspokespersonsaidthatthecompany hadnopublicstatementtomakeonits potentialplansfortheIrishbase.

TheFinancialServicesUnion(FSU), which representsworkersacrossthetech andfinancial-servicessectors,saidMETA’s announcementhighlights a“dangerous” momentandisanexampleofjoblosses emergingacrosstechnologyandfintech.

“Wearereaching adangerousstagewhere regulationistrailingimplementationand

decisionsbeentakenbyemployerstoutilise AIacrosstheirbusinessishappeningwithout adequatetrainingforstaffandwithoutproper oversight,” aspokespersonsaid.

“TheFSU representsemployeesacrossthe fintechandfinancialservicessectorandhave produced researchinpartnershipwith TASC onthepossibleeffectsofAIonworkersin financialservices.Some88%of respondents believeAIwillleadtojobdisplacement with43%sayingtheyhadnot receivedany reskillingorupskillingandtheiremployerhad noplanstoprovidetrainingtomeetthisneed andgiveworkerschoiceswhenchangeofthis scaleisoccurring.”

Metahas reduceditsIrishstaffheadcount byalmost40%inthelastfouryears,citingthe cutsto acombinationofeconomicfactorsand, most recently,theadvancesofAIin replicating whatcurrentstaffcando.

Recently,theIrishoutsourcingfirmCovalen revealedthatitwasseekinghundredsof layoffstoaffectworkersassignedtoMeta fulfillmentcontracts.

Meta recentlyposted a33%risein quarterly revenueto$56.3bnand a61%rise inquarterlyprofitto$26.8bn.However,the companysaysthatitplanstospendatleast $125bnonAIdevelopmentandprojectsthis year,including acurrentprogramtotrainitsAI onexistingworkers’actionsandtaskssothatit canbemorecapablewithinthefirm.

Meta’sproposedcutsarepartof awaveof techindustrylayoffspotentiallysettoaffect thousandsofIrishworkers.

“We’restartingtoseeprojectsthatused to requirebigteamsnowbeaccomplished by asingleverytalentedperson,”saidMark ZuckerberginJanuary,citingthefutureroleof AIinthecompany’sworkflows.

Inadditiontoitsownstaffreductionsand thoseofCovalen,therehavebeencutsor proposedcutsatCoinbase,Amazon,Oracle, PayPaland ahostofsmallerfirms. ■

Metachief

MarkZuckerberg

Adrian Weckler

As tech jobnumberswobble, what’s theoutlookforbigIrish employers?

Ananalysisofthesector’stopplayers revealsthatmanymorepeoplemight yetfacecuts,writes Adrian Weckler

BetweenMeta’snewjobcutsand Covalen’sIrish redundancies,it’s been aterribletwoweeksfor techemploymentinIreland.WithAI replacementsystemsoftentoblame,how arethe restofIreland’sbigtechemployers faring?

Companybycompany,welookthrough Ireland’slargesttechmultinationals,assessing theirstrengths,weaknessesandjobprospects fortheimmediatefuture.

META

Employs: 1,800staff(plus5,000contractors)

Outlook: Neutraltonegative

More: Sinceitshiringboom reached apeakof justover3,000inIrelandduringthepandemic, MetahasbeenononeofthesteepestjobcuttingtrajectoriesamongIreland’s‘Tier A’ multinationaltechgiants.

Itcurrentlyemploysaround1,800staff –40%fewerthanin2022 –andmaywell reducethatfurther,followingthecompany’s recentannouncementofcompany-widestaff reductionandupto20%ofstaffinIreland.

Ittriggered ahugejobcullatthe outsourcingfirmCovalen,whichhandlesmuch ofthe“trustandsafety’activitiesforMeta’s FacebookandInstagrambrands.

Covalen, adivisionoftheIrish-founded HRcompanyCPLResources,intendstomake asmanyas700staffredundantbecauseof Meta’scutbacks.

AmongthebigtechemployersinIreland,no companyisasfocusedon replacingstaffwith AIasMeta.

“We’restartingtoseeprojectsthatused to requirebigteamsnowbeaccomplished by asingleverytalentedperson,”saidMark

ZuckerberginMeta’slastearningscallin January.

Recently,staffmemosseenbyReuters revealedthatthecompanyisinstallingnew trackingsoftwareonUS-basedemployees’ computerstocapturemousemovements, clicksandkeystrokesforuseintraining itsAImodels,partof abroadinitiativeto buildAIagentsthatcanperformworktasks autonomously.Inotherwords,itistrainingAI onitsstaffs’workflowstopotentially replace thosestaffintime.

ThecontextofMeta’semploymentcuts underlinestheruthlessmarchoftechnology andcapitalismin awayunmatchedbyother techgiants.

Itslastfinancialearningsshowed aprofit ofabout$1bn(€850m)everyfourdays,up 9%on ayearpreviously; revenue rose24%to $60bnperquarter.

AccordingtoeMarketer,thecompanylooks settoovertakeGoogleastheworld’slargest digitaladvertisingfirm,witharound€220bnof ad revenuefor2026.Sothereisn’treallyany financialpressureonMeta –otherthanthe fearofmissingoutonthepurestformofAI maximalism.

AslongasithasoperationsintheEUand keepsanofficeinIrelandtoservicethose operations,itwillneedstaffheretodoa multitudeofthings.Itsdatacentreoperations herewillalsoguarantee abasicfloorof employmentwithinthecountry.

Butit’sunclearjusthowfarZuckerbergsees AI replacingwhataretodayconsideredtobe valuablestaffjobs.

INTEL

Employs: 4,900

Outlook: Positive

More: Inteliscurrentlyonthebiggestupswing ofanyIrish-basedtechmultinationalfirm. Frombeingin aquestionablestateformuchof thelastdecade,itisnowbouncingbackwith significantindustrydeals,newfundingand newlifeforsomeofthechipsbeingmadein itsKildarecampus.

WhileIntel’sKildareoperationsdonot currentlymakeitsnewest18AorPantherLake chips,theycanproducethefirm’scutting-edge datacentreGraniteRapidsXeon6Achips,said tobethecompany’smostvaluable,in-demand productatpresent.

Intelexecutiveshave repeatedlydescribed theLeixlipcampusas alikelyhubforfurther investmentinfuture.Thecompanyhas investedover€30bninIrelandsinceitarrived herein1989.

Despitethis,thecompanyhasrisked stagnationin recenttimes,watchingone-time industryrivalssuchasNvidiasoarawayin valuationand relevance.

In2024,itneededtosell a49%stakeinits newestIrishFab34chip-manufacturingfacility (itsmostmoder nEuropeanfacilitywhichcost €17bntobuild)totheUSprivateequityfirm Apollotokeepitsplansafloat.

But achangeofchief,combinedwithan AI-spurredglobalchipboomand anumberof externalcashinvestmentsintothecompany haveseenthelong-standingKildare-based facility reboundwith avengeance,itsshare pricemorethandoublingoverthelastsix

months(andtreblingoverthelastyear).Itis currentlybuyingbackthe49%oftheFab34 plantfromApollo.

Crucially,itsKildare-based“foundry” business,whichaimstoseeIntelcompetewith globalleaderTSMCinmakingchipsforother chipcompanies,seemstobetakingoff.The Leixlipoperationisnowmakingchipsforthe TaiwanesegiantMediatek,aswellasother unnamedfirms.

Becauseit’samanufacturingplant,the impactofAImaybelesslikelytohitstaffing numbersinthesamewayasitisnowaffecting softwareengineering rolesinfirmssuchas Meta.

APPLE

Employs: 6,000

Outlook: Neutraltopositive

More: Thecompany recentlyopenedan advancednewbuildingatitsCorkcampusthat isdesignedtohold1,300peopleandismuch moreexpensivelykittedoutthanthetech

giant’sexistingstaffbuildingsattheHollyhill site.

Separately,Apple recentlyannounced anew permanentDublinofficewithspacefor300 peoplewhichthecompanysaysisdesigned to“complement”theworkdoneintheCork campus.

InIrelandsince1980,Apple’sCork sitehandlesfinance,customerservice, logistics,engineering,product-testingand manufacturing,amongotherthings.In2022, itexpandedCorktoincludehigh-endtesting ofexistingandyet-to-be-announcedproduct ranges.

Itisoneofthreecompaniestaggedbythe IrishFiscalAdvisoryCouncilas responsible for46%(around€13bn)ofIreland’sentire corporationtax,makingit acriticalsourceof incomeforthecountry’sday-to-dayspending. Italsopaid€14bninback-taxin amammoth windfalltotheIrishExchequer,aresultofan EUruling.

InaninterviewwiththeIrishIndependent

inFebruary,Apple’slong-servingvicepresident foroperations,CathyKearney,saidthatone ofthe reasonsAppleiscurrentlyannouncing newbuildingsandofficesinIrelandisthe company’spushtogrowinemergingmarkets, manyofwhichareservicedfromitsIrish operations.

AskedwhetherApplewouldexpandin Irelandinfuture,KearneysaidCorkwaswell placed.

“Thereare nobarrierstothat,”shesaid.

MICROSOFT(INCLUDINGLINKEDIN ANDACTIVISIONBLIZZARDKING)

Employs: 6,400

Outlook: Neutral

More: Microsoftiscurrentlyoffering aformof voluntary redundancyschemetoaround7% ofitsentireworkforce,buttheprocessappears limitedtoUSstaff.Itdidshedaround250Irish stafflastyearthrough avoluntaryscheme. Microsofthasthreedifferentoperations inIreland –Microsoftitself(over4,000

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TECH NOLO GY

Meta’sMarkZuckerberg

NOLO GY

staff)anditstwowholly-ownedsubsidiaries, LinkedIn(over2,000)andActivisionBlizzard King(around250).

Microsoft’sLeopardstowncampushosts employeesengagedinR&D,engineering, cloudservicesandsalesfortheEMEA regions, aswellassupportfunctions,includingfinancial andlegalservices,operationsandlogistics.It alsohas amajordata-centrecampusinwest Dublin.

Thereislittlesignofexpansiontooperations hereandsomeofthejobcategoriesitsupports appearvulnerabletoAI,accordingtowhat industryrivalshavedonein recentmonths. However,thefirmhasadopted asofter approachtojobcutsthansometechgiants, preferringsmaller,voluntaryprocesses.

MicrosofthasbeeninIrelandforalmost 41yearsand,likeApple,isoneofthethree multinationalsidentifiedbytheFiscalCouncil as responsiblefor46%(around€13bn)of Ireland’scorporationtaxtake.

AMAZON(INCLUDING AWS)

Employs: 6,000

Outlook: Neutraltonegative

More: Amazonhasestablisheditselfasoneof themoreaggressivetechgiantsfor reducing staffnumbersquickly,onceAIandothernew technologybecomesavailable.

Inthelastsixmonths,ithasannounced globalcutsofover30,000,affectingaround

450peopleinIreland.

Morethanmosttechgiants,ithasadopted athemeofcuttingmiddle-managementasone ofitscurrentmissions.

“Someofyoumightaskifthisisthe beginningof anewrhythm –wherewe announcebroad reductionseveryfew months,”wroteBethGaletti,Amazon’sHR bossearlierthisyear,whenaddressingthe most recent roundofjobcuts.

“That’snotourplan.But,justaswealways have,everyteamwillcontinuetoevaluate theownership,speed,andcapacitytoinvent forcustomers,andmakeadjustmentsas appropriate.That’sneverbeenmoreimportant thanitistodayin aworldthat’schanging fasterthanever.”

WhilethepaceofAIappearstobemaking this amoreregularoccurrencethanGaletti mightanticipate,it’sworthpointingoutthat muchofAmazon’spresenceinIrelandis wrappedupin AWS,itscloudanddata-centre division.

Inanerawhen adisproportionateamount ofAIexpansiondependslargelyon AWSand nomorethanoneortwoothercloudservices, manyoftheengineering,safetyandsecurity jobsassociatedwith AWSmaybelesslightly discardedthaninsomeothercategories.

Amazon’sphysicalwarehousinganddelivery businessalsoshowslittlesignofweakness here,withphysicalemployeeslikelytobe

requiredinlargenumbersforsometimeto come.

GOOGLE

Employs: 6,000staff(plus9,000contractors)

Outlook: neutraltopositive

More: Dublin-basedGooglehasquietlybeen hiringpeopleinIrelandwhileothershavebeen slashingandburning.Overthelasttwoyears, ithasgonefrom5,000to6,000full-time employeeshere, ariseof20%.

Officially,whilethisputsitonparwith Apple,AmazonandMicrosoftasoneofthe country’sfourbiggestmultinationaltech employers,itsoverallemploymentimpactis likelythelargestonceGoogle’sadditional 9,000contractorsaretakenintoaccount.

Googlehandlessales,finance,engineering and anumberofotherunitsfromitsEMEA headquartersinDublin.Italsohasconsiderable data-centreandcloudoperationshere.

IthasbeenabletohedgeitsbetsonAI in awaythatfewrivalshavebeenableto do –risingwiththehype(becauseofitsown Geministack)butnotplummetingwhenit’s outoffashion,duetoitscore advertising businessanditshugelyprofitable YouTube subsidiary.

IBM

Employs: 3,000

Outlook: Neutral

More: IBMemploysaround3,000peoplein Dublin, WaterfordandCork–andisIreland’s oldestUStechmultinational,havingfirst arrivedhere70yearsago.

Itsbusinessherespanscloud,software andconsultingservices,aswellasenterprise AIservices.Italsostillsupports asubstantial mainframecomputerbusiness.

Becauseoftherangeofitsserviceand expertisestack,ithasbeenunusually successfulin retainingbusinessfromhigh-end legacycustomerssuchasbanks,whichhaveto grapplewithhowtokeepexistingoperations runningaswellastryingtobecomedigital businesses.Thathaskept averysolidlarge workforceinbusinessherethroughoutthe dotcomera.

Recently,becauseofitssubstantialsoftware

TECH

CathyKearney ofApple

investments,ithasbecomeoneofthemany techfirmstoseeitssharepriceplummetafter AIfirmssuchasAnthropiclaunchednew toolsthatcould replacemuchofwhatcurrent softwarecompaniescandointhecoding world.

IBMitselfhas replacedsomeofitsownstaff withAIandhasspokenofitsopennessof embracingthetechnology.

Ontheotherhand,its roleinsupporting legacysystemsthatrunoldersoftware programssuchasCobol,couldprotectthe kindofwholesale replacementofstaffthat companieslikeMetaarecurrentlysignalling.

TIKTOK

Employs: 2,700

Outlook: Neutraltonegative

More: Despitebeingoneofthebigfour social-mediaplatformsthatshowsnothingbut growthinusage, TikTokhasbeenon adripdripofjobreductionsinIrelandsinceitpeaked at3,000threeyearsago.

Currentlyemployingaround2,500atits EUheadquartersinDublin,almostalljob announcementsinthelasttwoyearshave beennegativeones.LastMarch,it replaced 300peoplewithAI,while asecond roundin late2025focusedon amuchsmallernumber ofpeople.

Despiteitspopularitywithordinarypeople, thewiderpicturefor TikTokhasbeenan unsettlingone,withitsChinese-ownedparent company,Bytedance,forcedtodivestitself of TikTokbytheUSTrumpadministrationin 2025.

It remainsunclearwhether TikTokwillfall intofurthergeopoliticaltradetrapsastension betweentheEUandChinabeginstoratchet upoverindustrialprocessesandfairpractices.

OTHERNOTABLEFIRMS

ACCENTURE

Employment/outlook: Over5,000/Neutralto negative

More: Despiteitssize,onlypartofAccenture’s operationisdevotedtotechactivities.Ithas alreadyundergonesizablestaffcutsin recent yearsand remainsvulnerabletodownward labourtrendsinthetechindustry.

WORKDAY

Employment/outlook: 2,200/Positive

More: Evenasithas replacedsomeglobal staffwithAI,theenterprisesoftwarecompany hasbeenhiringatitsDublinHQandinvested €175mhereinR&D.

SALESFORCE

Employment/outlook: 2,000/Neutralto negative

More: Salesforcehasundergonemultiple roundsoffiring,andisusuallytouted alongsidefirmssuchasAdobeandServiceNow asoneofthemostvulnerablesoftwaresystems toAI.

ANALOGDEVICES

Employment/outlook: 1,800/Positive

More: Intelisn’tIreland’sonlysemiconductor player.AnalogDevicesdesigns,manufacturers anddoesR&Donchiptechnologyacrossits Limerick,CorkandDublinbases.

PAYPAL

Employment/outlook: 1,500/Neutralto negative

More: In aworldofStripes,legacyfirmslike PayPalarestartingtostruggle.Whilestilla relativelylargeemployerhere,thecompany

lastweekinformedtheGovernmentofits intentiontocutjobs.

EBAY

Employment/outlook: 1,000/Neutral

More: Despitebeingassociatedwithan internetbrandnamefromtheearly2000s, eBayhasproventobesurprisingly resilientand stillemploys alotofpeople remotelyfromits Dublinoffice.

ERICSSON

Employment/outlook: 1,300/Neutralto positive

More: OneofIreland’slongest-established techmultinationalsannounced anew€200m researchinvestmentlastyearandlookssetto upgradeitsmainAthloneofficethisyear.

ORACLE

Employment/outlook: 900/Neutralto negative

More: Oraclehasbeenwidely reportedto bepreparinglarge-scalestaffreductionsata globallevel,partlyduetoover-investmentin AI.NodetailsofIrishstaffcutshaveemerged, however.

STRIPE

Employment/outlook: 650/Neutralto positive

More: Like TikTok,Stripeisnotpubliclytraded. Andat650Irishstaff,it’sonthelowerendof whatcouldbecalled a“major”techemployer. However,it’sthelargestjoint-Irish headquarteredtechfirm.

Lastyear,itopened abignewHQinDublin withclaimsof a34%increaseinitspayments volumeto$1.9tr nand a“robustlyprofitable” status. ■

TECH NOLO GY

JohnandPatrickCollisonofStripe

Restaurant review: NewwestBelfastspot is flyingtheflag for Filipino food

ThesecondoutpostofFilipinorestaurant PlatitobyManganhasopeneditsdoorsin westBelfast. JohnMulgrew paysitavisit

Take adanderupanddownsomeof eastBelfast’smainthoroughfares andyou’llhardlymakeit afewsteps before trippingoveryetanothernew restaurantopening.

Whilethatoftenmeansothershave unfortunatelyshutteredtomakewayfor newblood,italsomeansmoreinteresting placestospendanafternoonorevening–withsomethingchilledandboozyinhand, preferably

And,withthat,brings agreaterdiversityof cuisine.

Filipinofoodhascertainlybeenunderrepresentedhere.ButLasa recentlyplanted itsflagonthe NewtownardsRoad,while Manong’spropsupshopclosertothecity centreontheCregaghRoad.

Andjustlastyear,husbandandwifeteam Kevin TuveraandEunicke Tilde-Tuvera –who movedtoeastBelfastattheageof10 –launchedPlatitobyManganonCastlereagh Road, reasonablynearby.Anditappearsit provedpopular

They’venowturnedtheirattentionto westBelfast,bringingthearea’sfirstFilipino restaurantandtheirsecondoutposttothe SpringfieldRoad.

Thisis alargerlocationthanitsfirstforay –sandwichedbetween adaycareandhair salon.It’sspacious,withtablestotheleft, smallbenchesinthemiddle,andtablesand banquettetotheright.

There’slittlepomporceremony.It’ssimple, paredback,anddoesthejob.

I’vebaulkedatthe‘haveyoudinedwith

usbefore…here’showwedothings’spiel thatseemstohaveoozedintothelexicon ofmany arestaurantthisdecade.Often,it’s completelyunnecessary.Onetacospotlikes todothis,beforeinformingyoutheydotacos andguacamoleetal.Thisisn’taRasmusMunk restaurant.

ButatPlatito,itfeelsentirelyjustified –patter asomethingof awelcometohelpyou weaveyourwaythroughwhatisaheftymenu.

There’sachunky alacarteoffering,with largerdishesaimedatsharing,and afew smallerplatesandstarters,warmingbowlsof Filipinocomfortfood,andthealldaybreakfast options.

Thelessfamiliarbitsoftheanimalareoften themostinteresting.Offalinitsvariousforms provideseverythingfromintenseiron-richness fromliver,tosomewhatastringentpotency withkidneys,and,essentially,chickennuggets forgrown-ups –sweetbreads

Butit’sthestrongtexturalcontrastwhich cantripyouup.Ortripeyouupinthiscase.

Beefkare-kare

Beefkare-kareandgarlic longsilogwithfriedeggand garlicriceatPlatitobyMangan

It’s asunnyweekdayandI’mstilldigestinga latebreakfast,sowhileI wanttostepintothe worldofporkchitlins –aslightlydisarming nameforpigintestines –Ioptforthemore familiar.ButI’dencourageyoutoatleastdip yourtoeinthewater,atleastonce

Abeigekarekarebringsforthspoon-tender beefshinbathingin ahearty,peanut-heavy sauce,toppedwithgreensandlightlycharred aubergine.It’ssavouryandwell-seasoned, withoutleaningintosodiumoverload,the protein ahealthymixture ofleanandjiggling fat,with alittletexturalcontrastfromthe crushednutsatop.

Anaccompanyingshrimppastepacks a wallop,souseinmoderation.It’sinnatelyfunky, salty,andintenselysavoury

Abreakfastplateofgarliclongsilog –a Filipinosausage –comessliced,alongside a sizeableheap ofsupremelygarlic-heavyrice,a friedeggwith aslightlytackyyolk,salad,and anacidicandanedifyinghousevinegarwhich playsasupporting rolealongsidethevegetables

inbalancingtherichness,fatandstarch

Thesausageis alittledarkinplaces,butis tenderandhassufficientallium,and alittle sweetness,toensureyou reachforthe Trebors when returningtowork.It’saharmonious combinationofthingswhichwillmakeyou smile.

Platitoiscurrentlybooze-free,butyoucan bringyouown.On asunny Tuesdayafternoon, asizeableglassoflimejuicewasmorethan sufficientlubrication –fresh,sweetandzesty

Whilethere’sjustonememberofstaffinthe frontofhouseduringmostthevisit,serviceis efficientandcheery

Atthetimeofwriting,theinaugural restaurantintheeastwasshutamidthe expansionintothesecondlocation,butkeep aneyeoutonsocialmediaforits reopening.

NorthernIrelandisfarfromthemeltingpot foundinlargerandmorediversecapitals –the lastcensusin2021showed ademographicof morethan96%white.Thankfully,wehavea modestgrowingpopulationofpeoplefrom

Garliclongsilog£13

Beefkarekare£16

Limejuice£2.50

Total £31.50

outsideourshores,andlongmayitcontinue.

Withthat,asidefromtheoverarching positivitythatdiversitycanhaveon communities,forthegreedyamongus,italso bringsnativecuisine.

RestaurantslikeLasaandthewonderful Kubohavealreadyproventhere’sanappetite forthismulti-facetedcuisine,cookedbypeople wholiveandbreatheit –embracedbythose whohavemovedhere,andthecommunitiesto whichtheynowcallhome.

Filipinofoodishavingsomethingofan annusmirabilis,andPlatitobyManganis certainlymorethanplayingitspart. ■

THEBILL

Starchanddairyaremorethangood friends.

Pizza,cheeseontoast,or ahearty risotto –thatmarriageofcarbsandfat aretrulymagical,ifperhapsnotthemost nutritionallybalanced.

Pastaisanotherone,ofcourse.Carbonara, orevenoneofthemostsimpledishes,cacio epepe,is asimplebringingtogetherofblack pepper,pastawater,andlotsofPecorino cheese,andcanbesublime.

Butfortheutmostrichandhearty expressionofthesetwofoodgroups,youmust tur ntowardsmacandcheese.

Whileversionsofthisdishdateback hundredsofyearsinItaly,macandcheesehas, in recentyears,become afixtureonAmerican barbecuemenus,steakhouses,andallmanner of‘dudefood’menushereandelsewhere.

Atitsworst,itcanbe amessofhalfbroken uppiecesofbulgingovercookedcheappasta, cakedinsludge,anddryas abonethanks to reheatingduringservice.But,whendone well,itcanbe arichandheartysidekickto red meat,chicken,vegetables,orstandonitsown.

Thisis aguidetopullingtogetherthebasics, butthisisopentoflavourinterpretationsand additions.Ifyou’recookingfor ayoungfamily, youmightwanttoavoidsomethinglikefresh chilliorcayenne,butbothwilladd asubtle kicktoproceedingsifaddedinsmallamounts.

Youcanalsosuperchargethedish,especially ifyou’rehavingitonitsown,addinginyour proteinofchoice.It’s agreatwaytouseupany leftovermeatorvegetablesfrom abarbecueor aweekend roast.

It’sasimpledishtomake,butthereare afewthingsneededtoensureitremains unctuous,with asaucethickenoughtocling tothepasta,whileavoidingbeingclaggy. Startwithyourpasta.Get adecentpack ofdriedmacaroni. Youcanuseotherpasta shapes,too,ifyouhavethem.

To cookyourmacaroni,addto apotof saltedboilingwater.Alotof recipescallfor cookinguntilslightlyunderdone,thenbaking themacandcheeseintheoventofinishoff.

Butaftertrialanderror,Ithinkthebestway toensureyoursauce remainsoozingandnot over-reducedanddryistocookyourpasta

untilit’salmostdone,andthenwhenyou’re finishingthedishoffwith requisitedairyatop, usethegrillfunctioninstead.

Forthesauce,you’restartingwith acore baseof asimplewhitesauce,orbechamel. Add alargeknobofbutterto asaucepanand melt,beforeaddingplainflourgraduallyand combining.Use aspatulaatfirstandkeepitall moving. Youwant aloosepaste.

After acoupleofminutes,andwhenthe flourhasbeguntocookout,startadding wholemilkgradually,using awhiskto combine,stirringwelltobreakupanylumps, whileyoucontinuetoaddyourmilk.

Cookthison alowheatwhilecontinuingto use awhiskorspoontoensureitdoesn’tstick. It’llthickennaturally,andaddinmoremilk ifneeded.However,asyou’reabouttoadd inlotsofcheese,keepitonthethinnerside, coatingthebackofthespoon,butstill alittle runny.Youcanalwaysadd alittlemoremilkin attheendifit’stooloose.

Now,addyourgratedcheesegradually.As forthetypesofcheese,youwant abalance betweenthosewithgoodmeltingproperties andotherswithheftierflavours.

Ifindthat Templegall,ifyouwant agood localoption,is astrongbase,alongwithsome nuttyComte.It’snotcheap,soI’d recommend

addinginsomecheddar,too.Somethinglike Emmentalisalsogoodfor asubtle,nutty flavour,whichmeltswell.

Foraddedsavouryheft,Parmesanisalso worthaddingtoyourmix.AnagedIrish Coolattinisanothergreatoption –alittleless intense,but abitsofter.Youwanttoadda lotofcheese,gradually,andmixandcombine well.

Youwantitthickandcreamy,butkeep inmindthestarchfromyourpasta,andthe pasta’sownporousnature.Afterdrainingand addingin,combinewithyoursauce. Youwant agoodratioofsaucetopasta.Ifit’sgettinga littlethick,addin alittlemoremilk.

Seasontotastewithsaltandpepper.Alittle dashof Worcestershiresauceand ateaspoon ofDijonmustardwillalsohelpboostthings. Thecheesewillbringsodiumofitsowntothe party.

To finishthemacandcheeseoff,andtoget thatdesiredflavourandtexturalcontrast,place in alargeovendishandtopwithsomeofthe cheesemix. Youcanalsoaddinsomethingto spiketheflavour,suchascayenne,orsmoked paprika.There’salsotheoptionofadding breadcrumbs,ifyouwant.

Stickthisunder ahotgrilluntillightly brownedandbubbling. ■

JohnMulgrew’s macandcheese

Next-generationAudiQ3 isfulloftechandluxury

Sinceitexplodedontothesceneat theShanghaiMotorShowin2011, theAudiQ3hassoldanimpressive twomillionunitsandhasbeen abestseller inthepremiumcompactsegmentforover adecade.

Themagic recipeofcomfort,styleand exceptionalbuildqualityproved arealwinner withcustomerslookingtomakethechange from atraditionalhatchbacktoacrossover.

Nowinitsthirdgeneration,thelatest offeringhasbigbootstofill,butwitha complete redesigninsideandout, Ireckonthe onlydisappointmentwillcomefromitsrivals.

Anotherboneofcontentionforthemwillbe theavailabilityof aplug-inhybridmodelwith anelectric-onlydrivingrangeofupto120km, butmoreaboutthatlater.

First,let’slookatthenewdesign,which issimplybreath-taking.Theheavilysculpted frontendgivesit amoreaggressive,muscular stancewithsuper-sleekLEDheadlightsthat accentuatethegargantuansingle-framegrille finishedinhoneycombpianoblack,whichis matchedbythedetailinginthelowerapron andairventseithersideofthebumper.

Viewedfromtheside,thecrisphorizontal shoulderlinebetweentheheadlightsand rear lightsvisuallydividesthecarintotwoparts, creatingaveryspecialdistributionoflightand shadow.

Thisbringsyoureyetothe rearsection, whichis amasterclassinilluminationthanks totheoptionaldigitalOled rearlights, complementedby acontinuousLEDlightstrip andthe redbacklitringsinthecentreofthe tailgate.

Thisleveloflightingtechnologyisofferedin thenewQ3forthefirsttimeinthecompact segment.

Inside,thecabinisunrecognisablewitha completely reconfiguredcockpitfeaturingthe DigitalStagelayoutseeninotherAudimodels, albeitsmaller.

TheQ3getsan11.9-inchinstrumentcluster twinnedwith a12.8-inchcentralinfotainment screenplus ahead-updisplay.

There’salso anewsteeringwheelcontrol unit,whichoffersmorestoragespaceinthe centreconsolebyplacingthegearselecton oneside,ontheotheristheleverforlightsand windscreenwipers. Atiny rotarydialbelow controlsthespeedofthewipersifneeded.

Wall-to-wallveganleathercoupledwith

heatedandventilatedseatsadd adollopof extraluxury,asdothesoft-touchmaterialsin theupperdashanddoors.

There’sadecent-sizedboottoo,with488 litresofluggagespacewithalltheseatsup andexpandingto1,289withtheseatsfolded flat.

Theplug-inhybridtakes ahithereto accommodatethebattery,reducingthe capacityto375litresand1,196litres respectively.

Thenewmodelisavailableinpetrol,diesel andPHEV(plug-inhybrid),withpoweroutputs from147bhpto268bhp.

We testedtheplug-inwhichisa combinationof a1.5-litrepetroltwinned withan85kWmotortogenerateallthat gruntwhilesippingfuelat aclaimed 2.1-litres/100km.

Weighinginat1.9tonnes,you’dexpect thepowerplanttobe alittlelethargic,butit preformedadmirably,especiallyunderhard accelerationandnothalfasvocalassome rivals.

It’sverycomfytooandlooksstunningin army-greenmetallicpaintandstonking19-inch rims –copper-fasteningitsplaceatthevery topofthecharts. ■

PhilipHedderman

Motoring

PatBurns

Livingbynumbers

TheEV5isKia’slatestadditionto itsEVlineupandsitsinthemost popularandcompetitiveC-SUV vehiclesegment.

Thisisthesameclassasthetopselling SportageandthisnewmodelmeansKianow offersfamilySUVswithfullyelectric,plug-in hybrid,hybridandpureinternalcombustion powertrains

Aswiththe3,4, 6and9,theEV5isoffered inthreegenerouslyequippedtrimlevels: ‘Air’,‘GT-Line’and‘GT-LineS’. Witheach equippedwith awidevarietyoffeatures,Kia aimsto keepthebuyingprocessassimpleand understandableaspossible.

AllvariantsofEV5areofferedwiththesame 81.4kWhbatterypackastheEV3andEV4. OntheEV5,thisenablesa rangeofupto329 mileson asinglecharge.

TheEV5ispoweredby asinglefrontmountedelectricmotor,producing160kW (214bhp)and295Nmtorquethroughthefront wheels.ThisallowstheEV5toacceleratefrom 0-62mphin8.4seconds,onto atopspeedof 102mph.

400VtechnologyachievedthroughKia’s Electric-GlobalModularPlatform(E-GMP) architectureensureschargingstopsareminimal hassle.TheEV5isabletochargefrom10to 80%injust30minuteswhenpluggedinto a 150kWfastcharger.

Although afamilySUVwithspaceforfive, Kia’s designershavemade aspecificfocuson aerodynamicefficiency.Onthemove,Active AirFlapsinthefrontbumperopenandclose automaticallytooptimisecoolingefficiency andmaximiseaerodynamicperformance.The EV5alsofeatures afullbodyundercover, as wellaswheelstrakesanddeflectors,toaid airflow.Wheelgapshavebeen reducedtoaid airflowaroundthewheelarchand reducedrag, whilethesubtle rearboattailshapetothe roof improvesaerodynamicsby reducingthesizeof thewake,andallowstheEV5 adragcoefficient of0.29CD.

AlthoughsittingalongsidethenewSportage inKia’sSUVline-up,thismakestheEV510mm wider,70mmlongerand30mmtallerthanthe Sportage,with awheelbase70mmlongerthan thatoftheSportage.

Thebootfloorisadjustableupanddown by100mm,eithermaximisingstoragespace orcreatingaflatloadinglip. Withallseats upright,theEV5’sbootcapacityis566litres, extendingto1,650litreswiththesecondrow folded.Forchargingcablestorage,theEV5also has a44-litreunder-bonnetcargocompartment ‘frunk’.Thebootoffersanopeningwidthof justover1,000mm,idealforloadingeverything afamilymightneed,suchaspushchairs, luggage,orlargersportsequipment.

TheEV5isequippedwith awidevarietyof

thebrand’slatesttechnologiesasstandard.This includesKia’snewconnectedcarNavigation Cockpit(ccNC),integratedintothedual12.3inchdisplayandinfotainmentscreens.This allowsforwirelessAppleCarPlayandAndroid Auto, arangeofon-demandfeatures,and a smoothand refineduserexperience.TheEV5’s displaysalsointegrateanadditional5.3-inch climatecontroltouchscreen,accompaniedby switchesonthecentrefasciatoquicklycontrol heatingandventilation.

Acustomisable12.3-inchHead-UpDisplay (HUD)isalsoofferedontop-specmodels.

TheEV5isoneofthefirstKiavehiclesto integratethebrand’sAIassistant,powered byChatGPT.First rolledouttoEV3models, customerscanusetheAIchatassistantto interactwithandcontrolthevehicle’sfeatures directlyandintuitively

EveryEV5comesequippedwithKiaCarPay andPlug &Chargeasstandard,andfreeof charge.CarPayallowsdrivestolocateand payforparkingthroughthevehicle’scentral infotainmentscreen,whilePlug &Charge streamlinesthechargingprocess.

KiaalsooffersfourlevelsofEntertainment PackagesontheEV5.TheEV5joinsitselectric siblingsinKia’sstrategyoflaunchingnine EVshereby2027.ItisKia’selectricSportage equivalent,andfollowsinthefootstepsofKia’s globalbest-seller.Pricesstartat£39,295. ■

Seventhheaven

BMWhasunveileditsnew7 Serieswhichwillarriveherein theautumn.Thenew,seventhgeneration 7Series representsthemost extensivemodelupdateevercarriedout bytheBMWGroup,asthebrand’sflagship saloonspearheadstheintegrationofNeue KlassetechnologiesintotheexistingBMW range.

Thenew 7SerieswilloffertheBMW Individualservicewherecustomersbenefitfrom abroadspectrumofpersonalisationoptions, includingnewcrystalheadlightsand aworldfirstdual-finishexteriorpaint.

Insidesees aminimalistandcontemporary design,withtheuseofluxurymaterials –such asleather,metalandcrystalglass.Interior highlightsincludetheintegrationofBMW PanoramiciDrivewiththefirst-everBMW PassengerScreen –fittedasstandard–an enhancedTheatre Screenexperiencewiththe additionofDolbyAtmosaudioand,forthefirst time,integratedvideoconferencing.

Comfortableseatswiththeoptional ExecutiveLounge,newsteeringwheeldesigns, upgradedautomaticdoors, adigitalinterior mirrorandahigh-levelofstandardequipment

– suchasapanoramicglass roof,four-zone automaticclimatecontrolandthetravel andcomfortsystem –roundofftheinterior package.

Thenewmodelfeaturesinnovativechassis technology,includingstandardadaptivetwoaxleairsuspensionfeaturingfourelectronically controlledshockabsorbers.

Twoplug-inhybridvariantswillbeavailable: The750exDriveandtheM760exDrive.Both benefitfromanupdatedstraight-sixpetrol engine,equippedwith anewturbocharger. Electricsupportcomesfrom asynchronous motorwithanoutputof197hp.Itispackaged withintheeight-speedSteptronictransmission, togetherwiththepowerelectronics,without takingupextraspace.Energyissuppliedby ahigh-voltagelithium-ionbatteryintegrated intotheunderbody,providing18.7kWhof usablecapacityandanelectricrangeofupto 50miles.

Inthe750exDrive,thecombustionengine andelectricmotordeliver asystemoutputof 489hp,withthestraight-sixcontributing313 hp, andmaximumsystemtorqueof700Nm Thesprintfrom 0to62mphtakes4.8seconds andtopspeediselectronicallylimitedto155

mph.Inall-electricmode,thevehiclecan reach 87mph.

Theplug-inhybrid MPerformancemodel, theM760exDrive,hasanincreasedpower output.Theoutputofthecombustionengine risesto426hp,takingthecombinedsystem outputto612hp.Peaktorqueis800Nm Accelerationfrom restto62mphtakes4.2 seconds. Topspeediselectronicallylimitedto 155mph,or87mphinall-electricmode.

Thenewelectrici7lineupofferssignificant improvements .Threederivativesofthei7will launchfirst:thei750xDrive,deliveringupto 452miles(WLTP)on asinglecharge;thei760 xDriveandtheflagshipi7M70xDrive,which produces acombinedsystempoweroutputof 680hp,enablingultra-fastacceleration –with 0-62mphachievableinjust3.8seconds.

Atthetopoftheline-upisthei7M70 xDrive.Inthe MPerformancemodel,two electricmotorsdeliver asystemoutputof680 hpand1,015NmoftorqueinSportmode, risingto1,100Nmwhenlaunchcontrolor thesportboostfunctionisactivated.This enablestherangetoppertocompletethe0-62 mphsprintinjust3.8seconds. Topspeedis electronicallylimitedto155mph.Pricesforthe new 7Seriesrangewillbeannouncedlaterin theyear ■

TopMazdaSUV movesupagear

TheCX-5isMazda’stopsellingmodel intheUKandwithglobalsalesof morethanfivemillionunitsacross two-generationssinceitslaunchin2012, theCX-5’senduringpopularityisclearto see.

ItisoneoftheverybestSUVsonthemarket andtokeepitaheadoftheopposition,Mazda haslaunchedanewthirdgenerationmodel withanentrylevelpricetagof£31,550, cheaperthantheoutgoingmodel.

ThenewCX-5isofferedacrossfourtrim grades:Prime-Line,Centre-Line,ExclusiveLineandHomura,allmodelsfeatureMazda’s 2.5-litre e-Skyactiv G141PSpetrolengine, pairedwith24V MHybridtechnology–replacingtheprevious2.0-litrebaseunit. Thisenginedeliversconfidentperformance withimprovedtorqueforquicker response, seamlessacceleration,andbetterdriving comfort.Producing141psand238Nm oftorque,thefront-wheeldrivevariant acceleratesfrom0-62mphin10.5seconds.

Prime-Lineistheentrylevelmodelandis frontwheeldrivebutat£31,550yougetall thespecyouneed,thoughitrunson17-inch wheelsinsteadofthe19-inchwheelsacross the restoftherange.

Exclusive-LineandHomuramodelscan specifiedwith achoiceoffront-wheeldriveor all-wheeldrive,whileallmodelsfeatureasixspeedautomaticgearboxasstandard.There arenodieselormanualoptionsinthenew CX-5range

Longer,widerandtalleritsnewproportions andthe115mmextendedwheelbaseenhance roadpresence,stabilityandspace -increasing overallpracticalityfordailyuse.Inside, connectivityandusabilityhavebeenimproved. Thenew12.9-inch –oronHomuragrade 15.6-inch –centredisplaydeliverssmartphonestyleinteractionwithcustomisablemenus.For thefirsttimein aMazda,theall-newCX-5 featuresGooglebuilt-inmakingeveryday drivingeasier.

A10.25-inchdigitalinstrumentcluster

andstreamlinedsteeringwheelcontrolshelp ensureessentialinformationisdeliveredclearly. Ontopofthat,ExclusiveLineandHomura gradesalsoinclude a12-speakerBosesound system.

Thecabinitselfoffers aclean,spacious andcalmingenvironmentcraftedwithquality materials.Keyfeaturesinclude anewcentre consolewithmorestorageandonExclusiveLineandHomuragradesthere’sapanoramic sunroof.ExclusivetoHomuramodels,the ambientlightingonthefrontdoortrimsadds tothecabin’srefinedenvironment.Designed forfamilylife,theCX-5nowhasanadditional 61litresofbootspace,wider-opening rear doorsand a40:20:40split-foldingbenchfor extraversatility.

Interioroptionsincludeblackortanleather (Homura)and atwo-toneblack-and-white artificialleatherandsuede-likefinish(ExclusiveLine).

ThenewCX-5benefitsfromchassisand suspensionupdates,deliveringmoreride comfortand roadhandling.Equippedwitha rangeofupdatedADASfeatures,theCX-5 achieves aEuroNCAP5-starsafetyrating. It’sgoingtobe abusyyearatMazda,it’s newelectricsaloon,the6earrivesinthe summerwhiletheautumnwillseeanallnew SUVEVjointhelineup. ■

BMWentersnew erawithiX3

Oncein alifetime, acarcomesalong thatsetsthebenchmarkforall otherstofollow.

Ifyou’rea memberofGenX,it’sprobably themightysuccessoftheVWGolf,which revolutionisedtheeraofthehumble hatchback.

Theinitialdesignwasprettyconventional, butwhatitlackedinsheersexinessitmore thanmadeupforindrivedynamic.Overeight generationsandwithconstanttweaking,itgot betterandbetter.

BMWdidsomethingsimilarinthe1960s with aprojectcalledNeueKlasse,whichnot onlysetoutto redesignitsmodelline-up, butwould,inturn,savethecompanyfrom liquidation.

Fast-forward65years,andwiththe onslaughtofelectrification,theBavarianshave embarkedonparttwoofthatvisionwitha templatethatwillfeatureinaslewofnew models,includingthei3compactexecutive salooncominglaterintheyear.

Firstoutoftheblocks,though,istheiX3 SAV(sportsactivityvehicle),whichisbasically anelectricversionoftheX3.It’sthefirstmodel tosportthenewkidneygrille, aclearnodto theBMW1500,1600and2000ofthe1960s, thoughthisoneissolidandilluminated.

VerticallyalignedLEDunitsoffer afresh

interpretationofitshallmarklightsignature. It’sasimilaraffairatthe rear,witha horizontal reworkingofthefamiliarBMW L-shapeclustersthatsurroundtheblueprop badgeinthecentreofthetailgate.

Inside,though,iswherethenewdesign languagebeginstomanifest,with acabinthat is revolutionaryintermsoftech,thankstothe introductionofthePanoramiciDrive.

Essentially,thisbringskeyinformationto afullwrap-arounddisplaybarthatsitsjust underneaththewindscreen’sedgeinsidethe cabin.Itlookslikeit’sburiedbeneaththe bonnet,deepintheenginebay.

Space-wise,theiX3isimpressive.Rearseatlegroomisvast,andthere’sacompletely flatfloorthataddstothecomfort.Despitea slightlyraked roof,headroomisn’ttoobad either.

Whenitcomestotheboot,there’sadecent 520litresofstorageavailable,or aformidable 1,750litreswiththe rearseatsfoldedflat.

There’salsoanextrabitofspacetobe foundinthe‘frunk’,withits58litresof room providing ahandyspottostorethecharging cables.

Butthe realUSPisthemassiverange.The iX3cancover aclaimed805kmon asingle charge.Thisis agame-changerintheSUV segment,andcoupledwithsuper-fastcharging (itcanjuiceupat400kW,meaningan80pc chargeinjust21minutes),thisshouldendthe

relentlessnoiseoverrangeanxiety.

Ourweek-longtestsawseveral return journeysfrom WarrenpointtoDublinat motorwayspeedswiththeheat,lightsand, moretimesthannot,wipersgoingfullblast. We clockedupwellover650kmon afull battery.

Butit’sonthe Broadsthatyou’llfindthe truecharacteroftheiX3,whichbehaved impeccablyandwassimplybloodygood fun.Evenwiththelarge108kWbattery,this hulking2.3-tonnebeastcanwhiskyoufrom0 to100kmhinjust4.5seconds,thankstothe 469bhpontap. ■

PhilipHedderman

APPOIN TM EN TS

DeniseKennedyisnowassociate operationsdirectorat TitanicBelfast. Withover20yearsofexperienceacross retail,eventsandtourismoperations,Ms Kennedyhasbuilt astrongreputationfor deliveringoperationalexcellence.

GerardCarlinhasbeenappointedas Translink’snewgroupchiefexecutive. Heiscurrentlydirectorofnetworksand innovationforSONI,NorthernIreland’s electricity TransmissionSystemOperator.

NIENetworkshasappointedHelenSullivan asitsnewchiefpeopleandcultureofficer withresponsibilityforhumanresources, learningandculture,healthandsafety,and communicationsandengagementteams.

UformGrouphasannouncedthe appointmentofDavidAdamsaschief executive,asthebusinessentersitsnext phaseofgrowthfollowingtherecent acquisitionofTKC.

CiaranMcManusisnowmanagingdirector, NIENetworks.Heheld anumberof positionsintheESBGroup,withhismost recentbeingheadofgenerationmajor projects.

FasthasappointedCliveWilsonasitsnew managingdirector,bringingmorethan 16yearsofseniorsupplychainleadership experiencefromCoca-ColaHBC.

HubPackaginghasappointedDavid Quigleyaschiefrevenueofficertoshape andexecutethecompany’scommercial strategyanddrivegrowthasthecompany aimstodoublecompanyturnoverto£40m inthenextfiveyears.

TheOpenUniversityhasappointed MichaelBowerasprincipalanddirectorof TheOpenUniversityinIrelandfollowinga competitiverecruitmentprocess.

KevinKeenanisnowgeneralmanager ofhospitalityat TitanicBelfast.Mr Keenanhas16yearsofexperienceinthe hospitalityindustry,with astrongfocuson hotel,cateringandeventoperations.

1. EconomyMinisterDr CaoimheArchibaldhas officiallyopenednew sportspitchesatStranmillis UniversityCollege,markinga significantinvestmentinthe collegeanditsstudents.

2. Picturedbeforeheadingtothe ConnectedFuturesConference in TorontoareMarkLawther, CharteredAccountantsUlster Society,ZaraDuffy,Chartered AccountantsIreland,andJohnPaulColeman,DanskeBank.

3. PicturedatMaeMurray FoundationareW illiamThompson andElishaMcNulty,Bankof IrelandwithSaul,MaeMurray Foundation.Thefoundationwas awardedmulti-yearfundingfrom BankofIreland’sCommunityFund in2024.

4. KingsbridgePrivateHospital GroupissupportingRoryBest’s charitywalkingchallenge,Rory’s MilestoMayo.PicturedareDr MartinShieldsandMarkRegan, ofKingsbridgePrivateHospital Group,andMariaSmall,Cancer FundforChildren.

5. ClareGuinness,Belfast Chamber,CoolFM’sPete Snodden,PaulMcClurg,Bankof IrelandUK,and LynseyMallon, ArthurCoxNI,picturedatthe launchofthe2026Belfast ChamberBusiness Awards, deliveredinpartnershipwithBank ofIreland.

6. Roadcrewshave repaired 10,000 roaddefectsin justeightweeksright acrossNorther nIreland, InfrastructureMinisterLiz Kimminshas revealed.

7. Gilbert-Ash’sfilm,Building Culture,celebratesfivebuildings whichwerepreviouslyshortlisted fortheRoyalInstituteofBritish Architects’(RIBA)StirlingPrize, includingtwoNorther nIreland projects.Picturedismanaging director,RayHutchinson.

8. BankofIrelandGrouphas beenawardedISO22301 certificationforBusiness ContinuityManagement, followingsignificantinvestment and resourcinginoperational resilience.

9. Norther nIrelandChestHeart &StrokeandMacehave revealed staffandcustomersfromMace storesacrossNorther nIreland haveraisedanimpressive£52,000 throughout2025.

10. BelfastHarbourhasmade itslatestinvestmentinthe developmentoftheportwiththe arrivalof anew£4.5mbulkcrane whichwilloperateonStormont Wharf.

11. DementiaNI’sMember Forumischallenging Stormonttoprovidea timetableofimplementation forLastingPowerofAttorney tobecomelaw.Pictured areAllisonBatchelor,Paddy Donnelly,ChrisHiggins, GrahamMcElhinney,Martin Murtagh,StephanieGreen, andClaireSugdenMLA.

12. SimonBrienhasbeen appointedastheexclusive associateofKnightFrankin Norther nIreland.Picturedare KevinDufficy,SherryFitzGerald, JamesMeagher,KnightFrank, SimonBrien,andDeclanO’Reilly, KnightFrank.

13. AroundNoonhassecured investmentfromWhiterockto supportthecompany’sambition forfurthersignificantgrowth intheUKandIreland.Pictured arePaulMillarofWhiterockand GarethChambers,AroundNoon.

14. BriannaHubbertalongwith herhusbandMatt,travelledfrom Sudbury,Ontario,Canadato celebratetheir10thanniversary with atriparoundtheUKand Ireland,andwerethe10millionth visitorsto TitanicBelfast.

15. BankofIrelandhaslaunched theSustainableBusinessCoach, afreedigital resourcegiving localSMEs apractical routeinto sustainabilityplanning.Pictured areGeorgeHigginson,Bankof Ireland,KrisMcClelland,Cherry Pipes,DianeMcCall,Bankof Ireland.

16. AbbeyAutolinehas announced afurther extensionofitspartnership withUlsterRugby,marking amajormilestoneasthe partnership reaches10years and reaffirmingitsposition asoneoftheclub’slongeststandingpartners.

17. KPSnacksandNowThat’s What ICallMusichavelaunched anewcampaignfeaturinganonpackpromotionacrossKPSnacks’ iconicHeritagerange.Launching thecampaignareNeil‘OurKid’ LarmourandRicky‘Freddie’ Watts fromKPSnacks.

18. CommunitiesMinisterGordon Lyonshasannouncedanincrease inthenumberofnewsocialhome startsacrossNorther nIreland during2025/26,following record levelsofinvestment.

19. Reflections,thenewsculpture whichformsthecentrepieceof SaltwaterSquareatWeavers Cross,hasbeenunveiled.Pictured arePeterRichards,GoldenThread Gallery,LizKimmins,Infrastructure Minister,TraceyKelly,Belfast LordMayor,andChrisConway, Translink.

20. Norther nIreland’s manufacturingsectorhastaken centrestageasover150senior andemergingindustryleaders gatheredfortheAnchorHigh LeadershipSummitatThe KingfisherEstate, Templepatrick. PicturedareStephenKellyand RachelDoherty.

21. Ana Wilkinson,chief executiveofFriendsofthe CancerCentre, LynnBlain, wifeofthelateGerryBlain, MichelleGreeves,centre manager,VictoriaSquare, andDeniseFalls,fundraising officeratFriendsofthe CancerCentre,launch anew charitypartnership.

22. The WaterfrontHallhas launcheditsnewpodcaststudio with amultimediaUlsterRugby podcast,StandUp.Picturedare PeterLockhart,RobMcConnell, andGarethSteenson.

23. Aconsultationonan IrishLanguagePolicyforthe DepartmentfortheEconomy hasbeenlaunchedbyMinister DrCaoimheArchibald.Sheis picturedwithIrishLanguage CommissionerPólDeeds.

24. EmmaMacPherson,food andbeverageassistant,Cormac Fadden,generalmanagerofthe CullodenEstate &SpaandGary Moran,generalmanagerofthe CultraInn,asitannouncesthe retur nofitsBollingerGardenfor summer2026.

25. CommunitiesMinister Gordon Lyonshashailedthe transformativeimpactthe Norther nIrelandCommunity InfrastructureFundwillhave oncommunityandvoluntary organisationsacrossNorthern Ireland.

26. EducationMinisterPaul Givanhascutthefirstsodon amajorcapitalconstruction projectatEdendorkPrimary School.

27. TheNorther nIrelandMotor Industry Awardsinpartnership withUsedCarsNIareofficially openforentriesfor2026, markingthefourthyearofthe region’spremiereventcelebrating automotiveexcellence.

28. StephenDallas,ofBytes Project,NICVA’sCeline McStravick,JahswillEmmanuel BEM,ofMulti-EthnicSports andCulturesNI(MSCNI)and memberoftheNICVAExecutive Committeepicturedlaunchingthe 2026NICVASummit.

29. BDONIhasannounceda twoyearpartnershipwithCancer FundforChildrentoraisefunds andawarenessforthecharity. PicturedareCiaraHughes,Sarah Clements,andLorraineNelson.

30. AIBhasenhancedits accessibilityandinclusionoffering acrossallbranchesinNorthern Ireland,whilebranchesnow recognisetheHiddenDisabilities Sunflower.PicturedareSinéad LuceyBrennanandDiana Johnston.

31. EconomyMinisterDr CaoimheArchibaldhas returnedfrom Washington wheresheandInvestNI havebeenleading amission ofsixlocalbusinessesat theSelectUSAInvestment Summit.She’spicturedwith InvestNI’sAndreaHaughian andMoiraLoughran.

32. ActionCancer,Northern Ireland’sleadinglocalcancer charity,hasannounced anew partnershipwithBor nandBred. PicturedareChristopherCorbett, ActionCancer,LinziRooney,Born andBred,andLucyMcCusker, ActionCancer.

33. CarrickfergusEnterprise,in partnershipwithMidandEast AntrimLabourMarketPartnership (LMP)andClanmilHousing Association,iscelebratingthe successofitslatestHospitality TasterProgramme.Picturedis HayleyBarr.

34. The WiBGrouphasappointed internationalbusinessleader AngelaMooreasitsnewchair, withAndreaMcIlroy-Rose,Pinsent Masons,andStephenMcCully, non-executivedirectoratPower NI,joiningasco-vicechairs.

35. Norther nIreland’sfoodand drinksectorgenerates£7.3bnin economicvalue,supportsalmost 109,000jobs,andplays avital roleinfoodsecurityacrosstheUK andIreland,accordingto anew industry report.

36. CGIhaspartneredwith theChiefExecutives’Forum (CEF)todeliver asenior leadershipbriefing.Theevent focusedonstrengthening cyber resilienceacross Norther nIreland’spublic services.

37. Anartificialintelligence(AI) strategyneedstobeurgently prioritisedbypolicymakersto harnessthepotentialofAIto boostproductivity,accordingtoa new report.PicturedisEconomy MinisterCaoimheArchibald.

38. ArdsandNorthDown BoroughCouncil,withsupport fromtheArtsCouncilofNorthern Ireland,hasannouncedthe appointmentofImogenDonegan asthenewartistin residenceat SeacourtPrint Workshop,Bangor.

39. AwakenHuband AwakenAngelshaveannounced theirfinalspeakerline-upfor SheVentures2026:TheCourage Edition,takingplacefromJune 7-9atLustyBegIslandResortand Spa,CoFermanagh.

40. Jet2hassetouthowthe governmentcanworkwith theindustrytokeepholidays affordableforfamilies,while creatingskilledjobsandcareer opportunitiesacrosstheUK.

Summer festivalsurprises hiking around Verbierand theValde Bagnes

FromhangingoutwiththeLibertinessingerto freejazzandthenaturalbeautyoftheAlps,the peaksaroundVerbiercomealiveinsummer,writes CatherineMurphy

Momentsafterhissetfinished, ex-LibertinessingerPeter(aka Pete)Dohertychattedwithme aboutGrogan’s puband recordlabel collaborationswithIrishperformers.

We weren’tinafashionableDublinhostelry however;weweresittingbythesideofLac des Vaux,2,543metresabovesealevel,over thecosmopolitan resortof VerbierintheValais regionofSwitzerland.

DohertyandhisbandmateAndyNewlove hadjustperformedatLac/itude,partof the PALPfestivalofart,heritageandfoodthatruns throughoutthe ValdeBagneseachsummer

Thefestival’sUSPisrunningeventsin incongruoussettings –likeDohertysinging halfwayup amountain.

Themusicianswereintriguedbythehighaltitudeglaciallakesetting –“it’s likeLord oftheRings,”Dohertysaid,addingthatthe bandhadarrivedattheirhigh-altitudeopen-air venuebycartoavoidtakingavertigo-inducing gondola

“Weliterallyhadnoideawherewewere comingtoorthatwewere playinginthis setting,”Dohertysaid,“butweloveit.”

Ifhewassurprisedbyhismountainous surroundings, Iwasjustassurprisedwhen DohertyspokeofhiscollaborationswithIrish singersLisaO’NeillandJuniorBrother(thelatter issignedtohisStrapOriginals recordlabel).

SeanO’Casey,thecolourofmyeyes,and droppingintoGrogan’sBarinDublin’sCastle Market,wereallupforquickdiscussionbefore IleftDohertyandhisbandmatestochatto enthusiasticfans.

Hehadbeenbemusedbythefactthat I walkeduphillforovertwohourstohearhim perform –nothowfansusually reachhisgigs I guess,butforme, ablissfulwaytomixoutdoor activityandmusic.

MyhiketoLacdes VauxbegannearLaCroix-de-Coeur restaurantatthetopofthe Savoleyreslift. Withanascentofaround600 metresover5.5km,thiswas amoderatelyeasy butmemorablehike,takingmethroughthe dramaticsceneryofColdesMinesand Vallon d’Arbi,steepareasthatarepopularoff-pisteski routesinwinter

Trailslinedwithflowersand acoupleofshort scramblestookmetothevastopenspacesthat VerbierandtheFour Valleysareaareknownfor,

beforearockysectionaroundthelakebrought metoDoherty’sintimategigfor800people.

Afterthegig, IwalkeddownhilltoLa Tzoumaz, atwo-hourhike(7.5k,1,000metres descent)throughpristinenature,along aforest trailtowardsdinnerinthefriendlyPapill’on restaurantandhotel.

Then,asifonesummerfestivalwasn’t enough, Isteppedstraightintoanother.The VerbierFestival –afeastofclassicalmusic, masterclassesandworkshops–hasbeen runningfor42years.

Iattended aconcertbythe VerbierFestival ChamberOrchestra(VFCO)atSalledes CombinsconcerthallfeaturingviolinistKristof BaratiperformingBrahms,PaganiniandAlexey Shor,energeticallyledby renownedHungarian conductorGabor Takacs-Nagy

Theonlyproblemwasfindingenoughtime toenjoyboththemountainsandthefestival –thereare somanyactivitiestoexploreinVerbier frommountainbiking,hikingandtrailrunning to ViaFerrata,climbing,fishing,golfingand paragliding.It’salsopossibletodo anine-day Grand TourdesCombinshut-to-huthikewith aguide.

Cleverly,the VerbierFestivalrunsUNLTD –a kindoffringefestoffreejazzandfunkgigs aimedatattractingyoungervisitors –alongside themainevent.Thisaddsanextralayeroffun toproceedings,withaninnovativemixofgigs

CatherineMurphy lookingdownon Verbier

includingurbanfunkatLeDahu restaurantnear LaChauxchairlift,aswellasjazzandclassical pianistsperformingtogetherinanoldcinema venue.

AftertheVFCOperformance, Iwasthrilled tofindmymealat Taratata restaurant(cool, artsy, underground)wouldbeaccompaniedby livejazz

AdventuroussoulsatUNLTDwillalsofind meditationconcerts,featuringsoundbowlsand cello.It’salltheretoenjoy,onceyoucarveyour timeupcarefullyinadvance.

Isplitmy VerbiernightsbetweenHotel Vanessa, afour-starhotelwithchalet vibesa coupleofminutes’walkfromtheexcellent l’Ecurierestaurant,andBastide, aluxury chalet offeringgreatmountainviewsandeasyaccess tothevillagecentre.

Forpre-hikebreakfasts, Ifilleduponlarge buthealthyportionsandgreenjuicesat Offshore, acafeneartheMedranliftinthe centreofthevillage.

It’seasytomovefromtheheightsofclassical musictotheheightsofMontFort(thehighest pointintheFourValleys,at3,330metres).If youdon’t wanttogetactive,youcansimply spendthemorningscalingMontFortvia a seriesofchairliftsandcablecarsfrom the centreofthe resort.

Thetriptakesaroundone-and-a-halfhours –andaswellaslettingyouenjoysomeof thehighestfondueinEuropeattheIgloodu Mont-Fortrestaurant,itoffersspectacularviews ofMontBlanc,theMatterhornand achainof Alpinepeaks.

WithChamonix,GrandJuraandCourmayeur inthedistance,wehikeduptothecabane Whatstruckmeonceagainwastheeasy accessibility.Ahikethatevenmoderatelyfit

peoplecoulddobroughtmetotheveryheart ofthemountainsandthesolaceofoutside spaces.Andrightbeforemewas a100-year-old chunkofVerbierhistory

FromCabaneMontFort,youcantake varioushikingtrails,butaneasyoptionisback towardsLaChauxalongthe500-year-oldBisse duLevron, awaterchannelwhichwasused for livestockandwhichcurrentlyfeaturesan outdoorexhibitionaboutCabaneMontFort’s history

IstoppedforlunchatLaMarlenaz restaurant (knownforitstrufflesandmorelles)before steppingbackonto Verbier’smainstreetfor moretastesofpristineAlpineculture.

TravellingthroughGenevaAirportonmyway backtoDublin, IbumpedintoAndyNewlove andDoherty’sroadie(sansPeter,sadly).“See youinGrogan’s,”theysaid,puttingthecherry ontopof averysurprising Verbiersummertrip Getthere

CatherineMurphywas aguestof Verbier

TouristOffice.verbier.ch

AerLingusfliesfromDublintoGeneva;direct returnflightsfrom€189.

Verbierisaround2.5hoursfromGeneva Airportbytrain.Use TravelSwitzerland (travelswitzerland.com)tobook.Thefinalpart ofthetripfromLeChableto Verbierisvia gondolaorbus(thegondolaridewithluggage isfarmoreentertaining).One-wayrailfarescost from€46.

CabaneMontFortcostsfrom€139pernight half-board.cabanemontfort.com

Hotel Vanessacostsfrom€430per roomper nightbasedontwosharing.

ChaletBastidecostsaround€160perperson pernight.

Forinformationaboutthe VerbierFestivaland PALP,gotoverbierfestival.comandpalp.com. Eachsummer,the resortalsohostsevents likeRocklette, aheavy rockandraclettecheese festival,andRandoGourmande,ane-biking foodtourthrough ValdeBagnes. ■

CabaneMontFort, above Verbier

PeteDohertypaddles atLacdes Vaux

Rolexinjectingcolour intothemix to mark100 yearsoficonic watch

TheOysterPerpetual

Datejust41with greenombrédial

JohnMulgrew pays avisittotheRolexboutiqueatQueen’sArcadeandgets handsonwithsomeofthelatestmodelsfor2026

There’scertainly anodtocolour amongthelineofnew releasesfrom Rolexthisyear.

WhiletherewasnonewGMT,infactthe brandisdiscontinuingits‘Pepsi’fromthe catalogue,itmarked100yearsofoneofits mostimportantmodelswithbothflair,anda mixtureofsteelandpreciousmetal.

Inoneinstance,theOysterPerpetualgets thegoldtreatment,with aRolesorbezel,and slatedial

Butit’sthefinishingtoucheswhichhelpit standout.Thecrownfeaturesthenumber 100in relief,whileeachfive-minuteinterval

ismarkedwith agreensquare,whileRolexis printedinthebrand’ssamesignaturegreen–oneof,ifnottheonlyinstancein recenttimes, thatthebrandhasusedthatshadeforthe logoasidefromontheAirKing.

Onwrist,the36mmpops.Despitethat sizebeingmorecommononsmallerwrists in2026,there’senoughgoingontomakeit interesting –alittlewarmthandshimmerfrom thepreciousmetal,withthebrushingparing thingsback.

Rolexhasgottheartist’spaletteoutfor anotherversionoftheOysterPerpetual.This timeitfeaturesthemulti-colouredJubilee

motif,takingcuesassociatedwithRolex braceletsandearlierdialdesigns.

It’sbrightandcolourful,andhasconsiderable presenceonthe41mm reference.

AndwhiletheOysterPerpetualhasoften beenanentrypointintotheRolexcatalogue, thebrandhasnow releasedsmallerversions,a 34mmand28mm,in18ctgold.

It’salsothefirsttimeRolexhasproduceda watchinpreciousmetalwithanentirelysatin finish.

Themodelcomesinbothblueandgreendial variants.

But IimagineRolexwillbegettingplentyof

requestsforitslatestDatejustin41mm.

Thisisn’tthefirsttimeit’susedombredials, butthisiterationseizesonthepopularityof green,aswellascominginonsteel,rather

thansomepreviousmodelswhilehavebeen producedingold.

It’s ahandsomepieceonwrist –thedepth andgradientofthedialradiatingfromdeep,

dark,torichverdanthues,complemented withthewhitegoldflutedbezelandJubilee bracelet,onthisoccasion.

There’salsobeenanupdatetothe YachtMasterII. Visually,thedialhasbeensimplified, andisconsiderablycleaner,thanks asmaller andmoresubtleinnerchapterring.

It remainsRolex’smostcomplexmovement, thecalibre4162,whichRolexsaysisan evolutionofcalibre4161thatpoweredthe previousversionofthemodel.

Thedisplayofthevariousfunctionsand theoperationofthecountdownhavebeen redesignedforenhancedlegibilityandeasier manipulation,andthecountdownscalenow appearson aflange,withthefunctionis programmedandoperatedbythetwoside pushers.

Ofcourse,Rolexhasalsounveiledsome stunningpiecesatthehighendamongits ‘exceptionalwatches’.

ThatincludesthenewDaytona.It’sthe firsttimethebrandhaspairedstainlesssteel withplatinum,with aGrandFeuenamel dial,visually,sittingsomewherebetweenthe current referencewith alittlemoreflairfrom thegranderLeMansvariant.

There’salso anewDay-Date40inJubilee Gold,sporting adeepandrich,aventurine stonedialingreen. ■

Review: iPhone 17e is the student-friendlyoptionin acostofliving crisis

Apple’supdatedentry-levelphonehaseverything mostpeoplewantat apricethat’sbelowthecostofa standardiPhone17,writes Adrian Weckler

WhatistheidealiPhonefora 14-yearold?Unlessyouspoil them,it’sthisone.TheiPhone 17eisalsoanaffordablealternativetothe usual£800-plusAppleoptionsthatgrownupsareoffered,too.

REVIEWED: AppleiPhone17e

PRICE: £599(256GB)

PROS: majorityof regulariPhonefeaturesata muchlowerprice

CONS: justonerearcamera,older-generation display

TheiPhone17emaybetheidealfirstphone for ateen,givenitsprice.Butitwouldalsosuit those,includingsmartphone-surfingsenior citizens,whosimplywant adecent,up-to-date iPhonewiththelatestchipandwhodon’t needlotsofhigh-endcameras.

Otherthanhavingjustone rearlens,the iPhone17eis90%oftheusualiPhonefor about75%oftheprice.For alotofpeople,it wouldbe agoodpurchaseanditcosts£799 lessthan aregulariPhone17.

InthethreeweeksI’vebeentestingit,the 17ehasproventobe atotallysolideveryday

phoneforalmosteverything,withthe exceptionofsomehigher-endphotography andvideographythatI’musedtowithmy‘Pro’ models.

It’sverysimilartolastyear’siPhone16e,save for afewupgrades.Thetwobiggestupdates areMagSafe(magneticwireless)chargingand doublethestorageforfree.Inotherwords, whereyoucouldplonklastyear’siPhone16e on regularwirelesschargers,youcannowuse snap-onmodelsthatchargetwiceasfastfor the17e.

Andyouget256GBofstoragenowatthe entry-levelprice, adecentspecificationbump foranyonewhotakes afewphotosorvideos.

Thescreencoatinghasalsobeenupdatedto CeramicShield2,whichAppleclaimsisupto

threetimesmorescratch resistantandbetterat handlinglight reflection.

There’sanew,fastermobileconnection modeminthere,too,Apple’sownC1X.

Andmytestmodelcamein asoft,pastel pink, anewcolourcomparedtothesimple whiteorblackoflastyear(alsoavailablethis year).

OthergoodthingsabouttheiPhone17e includeitspowerfulchip,thesameA19model that’sinthe£799iPhone17.Eventhoughthe graphicsareslightlyconstrainedcomparedto thepricieriPhones,gamesandotherusesare smoothandzippy.

Thestereospeakersonthephoneare impressivefora mid-rangephone,too.

Thereare acoupleofminorcompromises andonebigone.

Thelast-generation‘notch’isstillonthe screen(insteadofthenewer‘dynamicisland’ oblongshapesonthelatesthighendmodels). Andspeakingofthescreen,it’sstilltheoldergeneration60Hztypewhichtechsnobslikeme dislike –scrollingisn’tquiteasbutterysmooth asitisonthe120hzdisplaysthatareavailable

onmostrivalphones(althoughthe60hzhelps withlongerbatterylife).

Also,thisisthejoint-smallestiPhoneinthe range,withits6.1-inchdisplaysmallerthan the6.3-inchiPhone17(andonparwithlast year’siPhone16).

Butthemaincompromiseyoumakewith theiPhone17eishavingjustone rearcamera insteadoftwo(liketheiPhone17)oreven three(liketheiPhone17Pro).

Its48-megapixel‘Fusion’cameraiseasily goodenoughtocountas averydecent smartphonecamerainitsownright.The colouranddynamicrangeoftheshotsare lovelyandthere’sanice‘portrait’modethat makespeopleshotsstandout.Itcanoffer shortzoomphotosthatarereasonableand, evenifitssensorisn’tasbigasthe regular iPhone17(meaninglesslightintothephone whichmeansslightlylowerqualityshots),you won’tnoticethisingoodlighting.Ifyou’rea casualphototaker,it’sverygood.Thevideo qualityontheiPhone17eisalsowellabove averagebecause,well,video-takingoniPhones simply remainsthebestamongsmartphones.

Andthe12-megapixelselfiecamera,which isbasicallythesameasthelastgeneration iPhone’s,isalsogood.

Sowillyoumissthesingle rearcamera? Personally,Iwould.Thenagain, Itake alotof photosat alotofdifferentfocallengths.But ifyou reallyonlyshootandsnapcasually,this maywellbefine.Itamazesmehowmanynonpowerusersbuy a‘Pro’iPhoneandthennever, orrarely,usethezoomorultrawidelenses. Honestly,that’sagiantwasteofmoney.

There’salsonophysicalcamerabutton, bytheway,whichmoreexpensiveiPhones recentlystartedsporting.Thisisn’tamissfor me(Irarelyuseit),althoughIdoknowothers whousethecamerabuttonon regulariPhones andPromodels.

BatterylifeontheiPhone17ewasfairly reliablyall-daystandardformeandisalmost thesameasaniPhone17(it’smorethanan iPhone16).

In anutshell?Thisis asurprisinglypowerful, durableandusableiPhonethatonlykeen photographersorlarge-screenaficionadoswill reallyfindparticularlylimiting. ■

TECH NOLO

AppleiPhone17e

my day

CarolFitzsimonsMBE Chiefexecutive, YoungEnterprise NorthernIreland

7am

Myyoungestisstillatschool,sounless Ihave tobeupandout, Igetbreakfasttimewith familybeforeheadingintotheoffice. We’ve onelessschoolrunthisyearasmyeldest hasstartedin adegreeapprenticeshipincivil engineering,soit’sgreattoseehimupandout forthetrain,andofftoworkbeforeme.

9.30am

Ideally,Iprefertostartthedayintheoffice withtheteam.

YoungEnterpriselostallpublicfundsthree yearsagoandwe’veworkedhardtopivotto abusiness-ledfundingmodel,innovatingour deliverymodeltoinclude adigitalplatform, aswellasourbetter-knowncompany programmes,withstudentsrunningtheirown businesses.

Thishastaken alotofhardworkfromthe leadershipanddeliveryteams,andI’m really

proudofwhatwe’vemanagedtoachieve.It’s arelativelysmallteam,soit’sreallyimportant wegettimetocommunicatewithoneanother andmanagethechangestohowwework.

11am

Thereisarealseasonalitytoourworkaround theacademiccalendar,soatcertaintimesit willbeallaboutbeingoutandaboutacross Norther nIreland,meetingstudents,schools andbusinesssupportersatourtradefairsor events.

Atothertimes,thefocusisinternal,setting budgets,building relationshipsandpulling togetherproposalstogainfundingtoensure wecancontinueourwork.

Themostenjoyablepartofthejobisseeing theimpactofourworkonthechildrenand youngpeopleweworkwith.Thelastfew years,becauseofthemassiveimpactofthe fundingloss,it’sbeenmuchmoreabout

makingsurewe’veenoughfundsinplaceto continuetheworkofthecharity.

WhereIcan, Iaimtogetouttoourstudent events,asit’sagreat reminderofthepurpose oftheworkandthe reasonwedoit.

1pm

Lunchtime. Ioftenusedtoskiplunch, particularlyif Iwasoutandabout,butI’ve realisedthatmakingsureI keepfuelledis importanttohavetheenergyforthe restof theday.IfI’mintheoffice,we’lleattogether as ateam,then Itryandgetoutfor aquick walkandsomedaylight(ifthereisany)before theafternoonahead.

2pm

I’mfortunateinmy roletohave agreat networkofsupportersfor YoungEnterprise, meaning Igettheopportunitytogetinvolved in arangeofactivitiesacrossthebusiness community.

It’saprivilegetoseethepassionyoung peoplehaveforentrepreneurship,andtobe partoftheirjourney.TheNorther nIreland entrepreneurshipandbusinessecosystemis sosupportiveofourworkandwanttomake surestudentsfromallbackgroundsgetthe beststartinlife.Myafternoonsareoftenspent engagingwithoursupporters,inmeetingsor calls,whetherformallyorsocially.It’simportant tospendtimewiththesegroupstounderstand theskillsneedsforthefutureworkforce,to mapintoourwork.

6pm

It’seitherhometimeorgoingouttime.At thestartoftheweek,myeveningsinvolve scouting,runningandPilates.I’m anewcomer torunning,starting acoupleofyearsagoto increasefitness,getoutsideandmanagethe stressesofthejob.Ittook awhiletogofrom couchto5kto‘proper’running,but Ienjoyit nowandit’saregularpartofmyweek. Thursdaysaremostly‘blacktie’orwork events –alwaysgreattocatchupwiththe networkof YoungEnterprisesupportersina moreinformalway.Thereisagreatbusiness communityinNorther nIrelandandweare fortunatetobesowellconnected. ■