CYBER ECOSYSTEM

CSIT has been a critical resource in establishing and promoting Northern Ireland as a leading UK cyber security innovation ecosystem through spin-out commercialisation of research, the scale-up of local and regional businesses and attracting foreign direct investment. CSIT’s regional impact has ensured Northern Ireland continues to be the number one international investment location for US cyber security development projects (Source: fDi Markets FT, 2023).

CSIT leveraged its unique position as a leading academic research centre in cyber security to bring industry leaders together to establish NI Cyber, the region’s cyber security cluster.

This burgeoning cyber security innovation ecosystem has grown significantly and now numbers 120+ companies employing approximately 2,750 cyber security professionals generating over £237m direct GVA to the economy (Source: NI Cyber security Snapshot, 2024), with an ambition to reach 5,000 by 2030. 

The Royal Society recognised CSIT’s cyber security innovation ecosystem in its 2020 ‘Research and innovation clusters’ report, while the UK Research and Development Roadmap, published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in 2020 which highlights CSIT as a case study on how investment in research, development and innovation can deliver economic impact to the surrounding area and beyond.

 

CSIT MEMBERSHIP MODEL

CSIT’s membership model has seen us develop longstanding advisory and industrial collaborations with global partners including Altera, Allstate, BAE Systems, Cisco, Direct Line Group, First Derivatives, IBM, Infosys, Intel, McAfee, Roke, Rolls Royce, Seagate, Thales and Qualcomm.

Our model of innovation has been at the heart of our success over the last 15 years. It allows research to translate to industry in an agile way, ensuring demonstrable technology is in the hands of end users quickly.