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People, Place and Prosperity Investment Symposium

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council hosted a showcase event at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle, highlighting the opportunities connected to upcoming multi-million-pound public and private sector investments. The People, Place and Prosperity investment symposium, supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, drew together more than 100 business and civic leaders, investors and entrepreneurs to hear about Council's strategic plans for regional economic growth. AI specialist and Founder of AI Ireland, Mark Kelly, shared valuable insights on the impact of artificial intelligence and how businesses should embrace this rapidly developing technology. Having advised industry giants like AbbVie, Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle, Mark addressed businesses in Newry, Mourne and Down on embracing AI transformation, future-proofing their businesses and navigating the digital age with confidence. Economy Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, who opened the event, said addressing regional disparity was a key objective for her Department through partnerships with Councils, local partnerships, Invest NI and education providers. Participants also heard from a range of expert speakers across two panel discussions. The first panel examined Newry, Mourne and Down as a unique region that could utilise its geographical location, outstanding natural beauty, and highly skilled workforce to attract and encourage investment. Speakers included Council Chief Executive Marie Ward, Laura O’Hare from Collins Aerospace; Anastasia Desmond from the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC) and David Conway, Chief Executive of Louth County Council. The second panel focused on innovation and the importance of businesses being encouraged and supported to harness cutting edge technology such as AI to drive growth and boost productivity. Speakers included Catalyst Chief Executive Steve Orr; Janet Burns from BT; David Quinn of the Belfast Region City Deal at Queen's University Belfast; and Adrienne Hanna, Founder of Right Revenue. The event concluded with the announcement of criteria details for a £3 million Grade A Office Accommodation Grant Fund for Newry. A Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) project, the Grade A Office Accommodation Fund aims to promote private sector investment through the development of new office space and create new employment opportunities. (See: https://www.newrymournedown.org/offic...) A district-wide £1 million Tourism Accommodation Programme Fund was also announced, providing targeted financial backing to local hotel accommodation projects. This will target proposals for the development of new build hotels with a minimum capacity of 15 bedrooms and above, and proposals for existing certified tourism accommodation that will add at least 15 additional bedrooms. Both the Grade A Office Accommodation and Tourism Accommodation Programme funds are due to open later this year.