OCO Global and Tughans host a Cyber lunch for key players in the Belfast Cyber community

26 Nov 2019 | General

Press Release – Belfast, London, Dublin

For immediate release

Belfast’s Cyber Cluster Attracting International Attention

The unique combination of talent, research and innovation in Belfast is driving the city’s burgeoning Cyber Tech sector and is making the rest of the world sit up and take notice, with international businesses now following talent over geography, according to Brian Castleberry, the VP of International Investment and Trade at the Maryland Department of Commerce.

The US trade official stated that the growing opportunities in the Cyber cluster in Belfast are based on its talent pool of graduates, researchers and entrepreneurs alongside an affordable cost of living and its well respected research institutions.

Brian Castleberry was in Belfast to build Cyber relationships between Belfast and his home city of Baltimore in the State of Maryland.  He was hosted by Belfast Trade and Investment specialists OCO Global and will meet with companies that are seeking to invest and grow their footprint within the Cyber industry.

Brian and the State of Maryland have been working with OCO Global across a targeted trade and investment areas to foster partnerships between the two regions. Last month the Department of Commerce in Maryland and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build economic collaboration in the Tech and Cyber sectors.

Speaking at an event on Cyber Technology, which was hosted by OCO Global and Tughans Solicitors, Brian said “Belfast represents a substantial growth and investment opportunity for international companies in a global trade environment that is moving increasingly towards city to city trade links.  The offering of the city’s vibrant Cyber cluster is supported by broader considerations which are important for international companies such as the availability of talent and access to ground-breaking technology.”

In recent years, there has been a targeted focus from business to grow investment within second tier cities, which reside outside a nation’s capital but produce a significant contribution to the national economy.  A recent report by Monster ranked Belfast as one of the best cities to develop a digital career outside of London.  Reflecting this, the Northern Ireland Department of Economy has targeted 5,000 Cyber security professionals working in the city by 2030.

Mark O’Connell, CEO of OCO Global commented, “Belfast is a city with considerable potential due to its high standard of education and density of young, skilled workers.  The Cyber cluster that has been created here shares almost identical characteristics to Baltimore in relation to their tech offering and because of this, it proved a natural fit in creating a new trade relationship between the two cities.  OCO Global has also worked with Invest NI since 2003, supporting their trade programmes and missions.  With this insight and experience we are perfectly positioned to accelerate and facilitate the relationship between the two cities, which will help to further drive innovation and investment in the NI Economy.”

The event hosted by OCO Global and Tughans solicitors, who are providing expertise around IP, compliance and risk mitigation, saw Cyber companies from across Belfast including Anaeko and SaltDNA, alongside industry bodies such as Digital DNA and Technation in attendance, to hear from global trade and investment and legal experts on the opportunities for international expansion in the Cyber space.

During his trip to Belfast, Brian is also meeting with Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland.

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

OCO Global

OCO Global is a leading specialist provider of Trade and Investment services, including Market Entry Support, business intelligence for Trade and Investment, trade mission support, business development, advisory, trends analysis and software solutions.  Headquartered in Northern Ireland, OCO Global has offices in leading markets globally including UK, Germany, France, Japan, UAE and the U.S.  OCO Global’s clients include leading national, state and regional economic development organisations as well as private companies seeking to enter new markets or grow their domestic base.