Building work begins at Science park

Construction work got under way today on the first stage of the new Northern Ireland Science Park.

A €9.7 m Innovation Centre at the Titanic Quarter on Queen’s Island in Belfast is the first stage of the park and is being jointly funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the International Fund for Ireland.

The International Fund is providing €3.2m of the funding and the department the balance.

The Innovation Centre will be a 56,000 sq ft building providing incubator space for companies that need easy access to a research base.

Government hopes the Centre will pump-prime the development of the Science Park, which has an aim of ultimately providing 400,000 sq ft of high specification buildings across its Belfast, Londonderry and Coleraine sites.

Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, said at the start of building work said the establishment of the Science Park was ‘‘a significant step towards creating a world class, knowledge-driven economy in Northern Ireland in partnership with the higher education sector and private industry’’.

He insisted: ‘‘We must foster a culture of innovation and creativity in harnessing the talents and ambitions of our most capable young people if we are to be truly competitive as an economy.’’

William T McCarter, chairman of the IFI said they were very pleased to be associated with the development.

‘‘It will contribute not only to the physical regeneration of this famous area of Belfast but will help ensure that the area can continue to make a valuable contribution to economic development in Northern Ireland,’’ he said.