Dr Adrian Johnston. Innovation Commissioner. Innovation City Belfast
Belfast’s strength does not lie in the size of its economy, but in the way we connect our anchor institutions, organisations and people. At the heart of this is Innovation City Belfast (ICB). Innovation City Belfast is not a programme or a brand—it is a place-based system where universities, councils, entrepreneursand industry operate as one. No other UK city has this level of deep integration. This is our superpower.
That level of alignment matters more than ever. The UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy is increasingly focused on delivery at pace, place-based impact, and clear lines of accountability between national priorities and regional execution. Regions that can demonstrate strategic coherence, shared leadership and the ability to mobilise quickly will be best positioned to compete for investment and influence policy and investment direction. Belfast is structurally designed to do exactly that.
We are already seeing this advantage play out. The Enhanced Investment Zone and Local Innovation Partnership funding both require deep alignment across local government, universities, industry and delivery partners. These are not funding models that reward fragmented initiatives or disconnected strategies. They favour regions that can speak with one voice, align around common outcomes, and translate national priorities into locally deliverable programmes. The Belfast Innovation landscapeprovides that capability by default.
The region already excels at developing and delivering complex innovation projects across government, industry and academia. Flagship initiatives such as the National Digital Twin Centre (Digital Catapult), Harlander (Belfast Harbour), AICC, Smart Nano NI, and the Belfast Region City Deal demonstrate what is possible when we act with cohesion and shared purpose. Our next challenge is to apply that same discipline and unity to innovation strategy.
What has been missing is a clear, shared regional narrative. If we get this right, we can articulate what Belfast truly excels at—whether that is a distinctive technological or sectoral strength, or an unrivalled ability to take innovations from idea to marketfaster than any other UK region. That clarity, combined with the agility of Innovation City Belfast and partners, will give us a decisive time-to-market advantage. While others struggle with complexity, Belfast will provide an aligned ecosystem for translation of research excellence.
With the Belfast Region City Deal investing £350m in five world-class Centres of Excellence including Momentum One Zero, our focus must now shift to commercialisation—supporting entrepreneurs, scaling innovation, and exporting Belfast’s ideas to the world. When we collaborate on both action and strategy, Belfast will deliver not just excellent research, but lasting economic and social transformation.
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