Northern Ireland is entering an exciting new era of partnership. Through the City and Growth Deals, government is working alongside the private sector, local councils, and universities to deliver a generational investment in innovation that will drive economic and social transformation through digital technologies, writes Dr Stephen McCabe, Interim Executive Director at Momentum One Zero, Queen's University Belfast.
At the heart of this vision is Momentum One Zero, a business-led innovation centre at Queen’s University Belfast. Positioned at the intersection of trusted data, cybersecurity, AI, and wireless technologies, Momentum One Zero is accelerating commercial value for business and competitiveness in key sectors.
The convergence of these technologies is powerful and Northern Ireland can lead in this ‘hotspot’. Imagine a local hub providing tailored, secure, AI-enabled solutions—offering businesses a competitive edge. One such example is FlockFocus, a flagship project harnessing AI-driven computer vision to enhance chicken welfare. With over $1.5 million in investment from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and McDonald’s under the Smart Broiler program, FlockFocus is leveraging Momentum One Zero’s cutting-edge engineering and multidisciplinary expertise to deliver critical welfare data to the poultry industry. The ultimate result? A commercial farm management tool, yielding profitable revenue, that will objectively evaluate broiler welfare, having undergone trials with leading poultry producers in Northern Ireland, Hungary and the U.S.
Our goal is to partner with our strong ICT sector to bring integrated tech solutions like this to sectors where they can make a real difference, helping tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges in areas such as digital health, agri-tech, fintech, and space.
Momentum One Zero thrives because of its people. Our Commercial Team are experts at listening to businesses, understanding their pain points, and identifying opportunities. Our Engineering Team specialises in transforming cutting-edge research into commercially viable solutions.
Innovation often faces a critical challenge—the so-called “valley of death”, where groundbreaking academic research struggles to transition into market-ready products. Momentum One Zero exists to bridge this gap, providing the expertise and infrastructure needed to accelerate product development and create tangible value for businesses.
The City and Growth Deals represent a significant capital investment, and by 2027, we look forward to the completion of the Momentum One Zero building in Titanic Quarter—a purpose-built collaborative innovation space designed for co-location with businesses to drive their success.
But we’re not waiting until then. Momentum One Zero is open for business now. If you’re ready to explore how we can support your company, let’s start the conversation today.
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