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New cyber security technology could create 'hundreds of jobs'

Clodagh Rice
BBC News NI business and economics correspondent
BBC Steve Berry, an older man with short, white hair, smiles at the camera. He is wearing black-framed square glasses, a grey suit jacket and a blue and white checkered shirt. He is also wearing a green pin. He is standing in a large room with people in the background, but they are blurred.BBC
Steve Berry, ANGOKA chairman, says its investment in new software could help create more jobs in Northern Ireland

A Belfast-based cyber security firm is investing almost £2m in software to help prevent the advanced manufacturing sector from cyber attacks.

ANGOKA, which was set up in 2019, has developed the technology which could be used on the likes of drones, trucks and automated buses as well as manufacturing equipment.

It is being developed in partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), one of the Belfast City Deal projects, with financial support from Invest NI.

Six jobs will be created initially, but chairman Steve Berry said it could create hundreds of jobs in the years to come.

"This is a world leading project and the biggest in the UK in advanced manufacturing and, as a result, we have organisations like Thales, Rolls Royce, Airbus that are also advising us," he said.

Mr Berry said that the manufacturing sector in the UK alone totals tens of billions of pounds.

"If we could become an important contributor to make those systems safer, there's going to be a lot of export opportunities, who knows where this could go?" he added.

Cyber security 'expertise'

Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said this announcement will boost productivity.

She said: "We have a persistent challenge in terms of productivity levels compared to both the south of Ireland and Britain.

"The reason that is important is productivity is linked to prosperity and people's incomes and the greater productivity we can drive in our economy, the better that is for ordinary people and that's why investments like this are really important."

Archibald said Northern Ireland is known for its cyber security expertise around the world.

"We are a global leader and this announcement shines a spotlight on that and further enhances the offering that we do have here," she added.