Mayor attends Belfast Region City Deal Briefing which will benefit towns in Mid and East Antrim

Pictured is Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna and Council’s Major Projects Programme Director Jonathan McGrandle.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna and Council’s Major Projects Programme Director Jonathan McGrandle attended last week’s Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) event at City Hall.

The event, which was attended by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, outlined the significant opportunities being created by the Belfast Region City Deal programme of investment to attendees – and how they can connect to, and benefit from them.

The BRCD will deliver projects that are uniquely placed to support recovery, facilitating investment in businesses and in sectors which have the greatest potential for long-term growth, driving productivity and creating and sustaining jobs.

The transformative programme of investment is creating valuable opportunities for Belfast and the regional economy, with local businesses already awarded contracts to support delivery.

Mid & East Antrim benefits from the Belfast Region City Deal with key projects such as the Carrickfergus Regeneration project, the next stage of The Gobbins Cliffpath experience in the Larne area and the i4C Innovation Centre in Ballymena.

The new i4C Innovation and CleanTech Centre will support local business and industry to innovate and the transition to net zero. The project is backed with £20.5 million as part of the Belfast Region City Deal

The new state-of-the-art i4C Centre funded as part of the Belfast Region City Deal, and located at the St Patrick’s Barracks regeneration site in Ballymena.

The state-of-the-art i4C Centre will provide a physical base offering a range of accommodation types and programmes to support businesses and entrepreneurs with innovation and commercialisation.

This level of practical support will be vital in helping businesses launch ideas or improve their existing product and service offering.

The i4C Centre will focus on the development and adoption of clean technology (CleanTech) as part of the transition to net carbon zero and the creation of solutions in response to the challenges of climate change.

The i4C Centre will also offer ‘Grade A’ standard office accommodation available to rent by corporate clients that want to establish an office footprint in the area close to clients or customers.

The labs and co-working space for rental at i4C will target the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing facilities to support their innovation and growth journeys.

The engine room of i4C will be a manufacturing makerspace and innovation laboratory called the iLab; the base for a team of technicians using specialist equipment to provide technical innovation support to SMEs. Specialists will also provide bespoke skills training in key areas such as the emerging hydrogen economy and build on initiatives like the award-winning Hydrogen Training Academy that Council developed and delivered over the past year.

Located at the St Patrick’s regeneration site in Ballymena, work is set to get underway on the transformational project next year.

For more information, go to www.belfastregioncitydeal.co.uk and join in the conversation using #BRCityDeal