Shared Island initiative seen as catalyst for integrated innovation ecosystem.
Ireland and Northern Ireland are being encouraged to work more closely to strengthen their indigenous technology sectors, according to a new report launched by Minister Jack Chambers.
The study, commissioned by InterTradeIreland and prepared by Scale Ireland and Queen’s University’s commercialisation arm QUBIS, maps early-stage financial supports and highlights opportunities for collaboration.
“Ireland and Northern Ireland have complementary tech ecosystems with real potential to achieve more through closer collaboration”
The report finds that both jurisdictions offer a similar mix of grants, equity funding, tax incentives and research commercialisation programmes aimed at helping start-ups move from concept to scale. Public money is widely used to leverage private investment, while tax measures such as R&D credits and share option schemes seek to attract talent and capital.
Figures from TechIreland show that investment in Irish start-ups reached €907m in 2024 compared with £71m in Northern Ireland.
While the Republic benefits from a more mature and geographically diverse ecosystem, Northern Ireland enjoys the advantages of the UK’s tax regime, including Enterprise Investment Schemes that are “more highly regarded” than Irish equivalents.
Despite these differences, the report stresses the potential for joint action. It recommends establishing a regular stakeholder forum and exploring a cross-border tech seed fund under the Shared Island initiative. It also calls for improved data collection to assess the impact of both ecosystems.
A major opportunity for the entire island
Martina Fitzgerald, chief executive of Scale Ireland, said: “This report presents a strong vision for enhanced collaboration between the indigenous tech sectors in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is very clear there are opportunities for further joint funding initiatives and data collection and this can be progressed by the setting up of a Stakeholder Forum bringing together key agencies and organisations.”
Brian Caulfield, chair of Scale Ireland, added: “It highlights shared challenges and opportunities in relation to funding. It will be of great value to founders and will, hopefully, encourage increased policy coordination.”
InterTradeIreland programme manager Rachael Corridan said the findings underline the importance of cross-border collaboration.
“InterTradeIreland is proud to support this project, and the work of Scale Ireland and QUBIS through our Synergy programme,” she said.
Professor Brian McCaul, chief executive of QUBIS, said: “Ireland and Northern Ireland have complementary tech ecosystems with real potential to achieve more through closer collaboration. By strengthening all-island cooperation we can improve access to funding, talent and international markets and build a more competitive innovation ecosystem.”
The Irish Government’s Programme for Government commits to building an all-island innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem, backed by €1bn in Shared Island funding through 2035.
The report concludes that closer integration would make the island’s tech sector more attractive to international investors and calls for a coordinated approach to scaling indigenous companies.
Top image: Scale Ireland CEO Martina Fitzgerald and Scale Ireland chair Brian Caulfield
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
