Diane Dodds. Photo by Aaron McCracken
Our retail and hospitality sectors will reopen to customers eager to reclaim normality. Our position as a go-to destination for tourists from across the world will be restored. Our business and industry sectors will return to well-established markets and develop new ones.
Every job is important and I will endeavour to protect the economic fortunes of everyone across Northern Ireland. However, as a small economy we must focus on the sectors where we can be genuinely world class; clean energy, digital, advanced manufacturing, and life and health sciences.
Just as local business demonstrated resilience and creativity by adapting to keep their staff and customers’ safe, the global economy is transforming too as we emerge from the pandemic. We must be ready to capitalise on the opportunities emerging from the disruption.
HIRANI works closely with Northern Ireland’s two universities, public sector bodies and local industry to act as one voice to enable the life and health sciences sector to collectively promote and strategically position itself both nationally and internationally.
The Minister said, “Our life and health sciences sector has experienced significant growth in recent years, employing over 8,500 people.
“Covid-19 has further emphasised the importance of collaboration between researchers, industry, health and government.
“As a result, it has been identified as a priority sector in my economic recovery plan, ‘Rebuilding a Stronger Economy’.
“The growth of HIRANI will drive collaboration between these bodies, as we look to the healthcare sector to form a key pillar to improve health and drive economic recovery.