AROUND 200 international delegates will descend on Belfast this week as the UK Government prepares to launch its Northern Ireland Investment Summit.
Dozens of potential new and existing investors will attend the event at the ICC Belfast on Wednesday, where senior UK ministers will essentially pitch the north as an investment location.
As well as putting on a showcase for potential new investors, the event is also expected to include some major announcements from well-established businesses.
New UK Government-funded programmes are also likely to be confirmed on Wednesday.
The event was originally announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in April during the visit of US President Joe Biden to Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
The summit comes just two days after the UK and Irish governments announced a £858 million funding package for the Peace Plus initiative, which will be used for projects around the north and border counties.
The choreography of both events is seen as significant as London and Dublin step up their efforts to encourage a political deal that would see the DUP to end its veto over the restoration of the executive at Stormont.
The party continues to oppose the Windsor Framework, claiming it undermines Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.
Despite the concerns of unionists, delegates at Wednesday’s summit are almost certain to hear about the merits of the Windsor Framework and Rishi Sunak’s claim that it makes the north "the world's most exciting economic zone".
Some 19 companies from across the north will take part in a showcase to potential investors from the US, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region.
The UK Government said the 200 delegates attending will include “the world’s highest profile CEOs, investors, and financiers”.
Most of them will gather for a networking event at Titanic Belfast on Tuesday night before the main summit on Wednesday, which will be moderated by former BBC news anchor Annita McVeigh.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris are all due to deliver addresses in front of around 700 people at the Waterfront conference venue.
US Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland Joseph Kennedy III will also take part in a ‘fireside chat’ with the UK’s Minister for Investment Lord Dominic Johnson.
Mr Kennedy is due to lead his own delegation of US investors to the north next month.
The UK Government has partnered with US financial services group Citi for the investment summit.
Already one of the north’s biggest private sector employers, Citi has year announced plans to 300 new staff across its four Belfast sites, taking its headcount above 4,000.
