In February 2023, Northern Ireland's cyber security sector witnessed a significant leap forward with a groundbreaking £18.9 million investment secured by the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) within the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast. This includes £11 million Government funding through the New Deal for Northern Ireland, to develop a pipeline of cyber security professionals in NI as well helping businesses and startups develop new opportunities.

Collaborating with Innovate UK, EPSRC, and Invest Northern Ireland, this strategic investment aims to cultivate local talent, foster collaborative research with industry, and establish the transformative Cyber-AI Hub. The EPSRC's additional £3.3 million reinforces CSIT’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC), focusing on "Securing Complex Systems" until 2027, solidifying its position as a global leader in research and innovation.

To evaluate the transformative impact of this investment, CSIT joined forces with Perspective Economics to conduct an extensive overview of Northern Ireland's cyber security ecosystem. This comprehensive report, building upon the success of the Northern Ireland Cyber Security Snapshot 2021, delves into key themes such as products, services, financial performance, investment, research, innovation, and labour market activity.

The 2023 snapshot identifies 124 companies actively contributing to Northern Ireland's cyber security sector, showcasing a 19% increase since 2021. Belfast remains a central hub, hosting 85% of these firms. The research highlights strengths in managed security services, risk and compliance, application security, network and cloud security, operational technology security, and threat intelligence. Employment in the sector has surged to 2,749 professionals, with a 20% increase since 2021. The Gross Value Added (GVA) per employee has seen a remarkable 47% growth, reaching £85,920 in 2023.

In line with this growth, the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EEECS) at Queen’s has delivered 250 graduates with cyber security expertise annually for the last three years, with cyber security modules now  embedded within our all of our  computer science undergraduate programmes. This substantial contribution directly aligns with the ambitious vision of fostering 5,000 cyber security professionals by 2030.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the global cyber security threat landscape, focusing on strategies to counter threats in the UK, Northern Ireland, and beyond. Key findings include the identification of eight top threats, emerging trends, and insights into cyber resilience. Policy frameworks such as the EU Cybersecurity Strategy, NIS 2 Directive, and the UK Government Cyber Security Strategy (2022 – 2030) are detailed. Northern Ireland's own Strategic Framework for Action (2017-21) is examined, emphasizing the need for updated strategic direction to address evolving risks and technology gaps.

The study also delves into talent development opportunities and challenges, defining the workforce, examining demand trends, salary distributions, and contributions from the higher education system. It recommends sustained investment in skills provision, emphasizing the need for tracking outcomes over time and collaborating with key institutions.

Northern Ireland emerges as a leading destination for inward investment in cyber security, securing 26% of UK projects from the United States since 2016. The report underlines the importance of strategic planning and investment to sustain competitiveness, especially in the face of increasing public investment in technology globally.

The region positions itself strategically to attract inward investment, foster start-up growth, and lead in cybersecurity and AI research. The report concludes with comprehensive recommendations for policymakers, including updating the NI Strategic Framework for Action in Cyber Security, reconvening the NI Cyber Leadership Board, creating an NI Cyber Security Envoy Role, exploring long-term ambitions of cyber security businesses, increasing outreach and engagement, and sustaining investment in skills provision.

Read the detailed report HERE.

Media

Ankisha Rana (a.rana@qub.ac.uk)