Economy minister Dianne Dodds has announced plans to focus on the Life and Health Sciences (LHS) sector as part of the region's economic recovery plan.
As every country around the world works to recover from the economic damage of the coronavirus outbreak, Northern Ireland is set to be hit with a double-whammy of both coronavirus and Brexit economic fallout.
The NI Executive has annoucned several key interventions and investments over the past several months aimed at helping Northern Ireland recover, including the incoming £700m Belfast City Region Deal investment.
Writing in Belfast Telegraph this week, Dodds identified NI MedTech firms and pharmaceutical companies as key players in the future economy of the region. Globally recognised players such as Randox, Almac, and Norbrook have already brought substantial investment and growth into Northern Ireland.
"LHS companies had a collective turnover in excess of £1.1bn in 2019. They employ more than 8,500 people, mostly in high value jobs," wrote Dodds. Emphasis was also placed on the world-class research coming out of Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University, both of which have been key players in research into COVID-19.
Source: Belfast Telegraph
