Back in 2017, Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) started a concerted effort to expand its international footprint. After Covid-19 lockdowns reinforced the importance of having in-country contacts, the investment promotion agency (IPA) doubled down on its presence across Europe.

The IPA recently opened shop in Paris, and will do the same later this year in Copenhagen and the Hague. However, its newest office and the 33rd in its global network, was opened in Milan on May 23.

On the day of its launch, executive director for international business and skills, Steve Harper, sat down with fDi to discuss the synergies and opportunities between Italy and Northern Ireland, the Windsor Framework, and Italians’ growing penchant for whiskey.

Q: Why has Milan been chosen as the newest office?

A: An analysis of Northern Ireland’s trade data showed that Italy is a key market for Northern Irish exporters, and that those sales have increased quite rapidly over the past five years. It made sense for us to be based in Milan as it’s a centre for international business and an awful lot of our exports come into Northern Italy.

Our office here is primarily focused on trade support, but we do hope to uncover some investment opportunities. For example, many of our advanced manufacturing and engineering companies source a lot of their components from Italy. With the Windsor Framework, we’d love to see if Northern Ireland could be a place where they’d expand given they already have a market there, and they’d have access to the UK market as well.

Q: Which engineering industries present the best opportunities? 

A: We have a very strong materials handling sector. Northern Ireland manufactures some 40% of the world’s tracked mobile crushing and screening equipment [which crushes and sieves rock for construction and mining projects]. It is a huge wealth creator for the region and we see huge opportunities off the back of their supply chains. If there is a Silicon Valley of crushing and screening, it is the Mid Ulster district. 

Q: Which other industries are exporting to Italy?

A: Our food and drink exports into the country  are also starting to grow. Italy is a remarkable country in terms of premium spirits. Compared to the UK, for example, the percentage of consumption of high-end spirits in bars and hotels is very high. Irish whiskey is a massive growth category right around the world, but we see huge opportunities for it in Italy. 

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Q: What opportunities are presented by the Windsor Framework announced in February?

A: We strongly welcome this agreement and believe it offers significant opportunities in manufacturing. Foreign investment into Northern Ireland has primarily been in technology and services, and that has been transformative for the economy. But we think the framework has the potential to allow us to bring some of that added-value manufacturing into Northern Ireland.

The interesting thing about Brexit is that it put Northern Ireland on the map. Even the Northern Ireland Protocol and the uncertainty around the UK leaving the EU raised awareness of the region. So when someone is considering investment into the UK, it actually makes them think: ‘is there an angle to being in Northern Ireland?’.

Q: Have you seen an uptick in queries since the framework was announced?

A: It’s too early to tell regarding the framework specifically, but since the protocol was signed we’ve seen an increase. Not many companies were phoning Northern Ireland as a solution 20 years ago. Our sales team had to be very proactive in winning business, but we now get an ever-increasing number of inbound inquiries. 

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity