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Why NI businesses are targeting the United States

Clodagh Rice
BBC News NI business correspondent
BBC A man and a woman are looking into the camera. The man on the left has glasses and dark hair. He is wearing a dark suit, white shirt and a blue tie. The woman has shoulder length blonde hair and is smiling. She is wearing a dark patterned dress and dark jacket. She has a silver T-bar chain around her neckBBC
Alan Foreman of B-Secur and NI Chamber CEO Suzanne Wylie have both extolled the benefits of doing business in the US

Businesses from Northern Ireland in North Carolina say they are in the US for "strategic reasons, not just lip service".

The NI Chamber delegation is in the city of Raleigh alongside representatives from Queen's University Belfast, Invest NI, Catalyst, Software NI - as well as the first and deputy first ministers and the head of the civil service.

It comes after NI Chamber signed a collaboration agreement last year with North Carolina Chamber, known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU.)

One of the companies taking part in the trip is B-Secur, a Northern-Ireland based company that makes medical devices used to monitor heart health. The United States is its biggest customer base.

'Blown away' by the talent

CEO Alan Foreman said: "USA is a real target for us, but it's a very, very large place.

"We have some customers in the west coast, east coast, in the middle in Minneapolis, but it's really difficult to pin down where your entry point is.

"As a relatively small company, you have to grow from somewhere."

He said the feedback they have been getting, so far, in Raleigh is that many are pleasantly surprised.

"Typically, from North America they think of London or Dublin as an entry point into the western part of Europe and we have been in the shadows, perhaps.

"Bringing delegations as we did and the chamber did last year, they were just blown away by the talent.

"My number one feedback that I've been receiving is the access to quite a vast amount of talent from both universities.

"It's unbelievable, it's on par to some of the really large universities over in North America," he added.

How do Northern Irish businesses compete?

NI Chamber Four women and a man face the camera and are smiling. The man is in the middle of the picture and he is wearing a dark suit and orange tie. MIchelle O'Neill is to the left of the picture - she's wearing an emerald green trouser suit and white blouse and has shoulder length blonde hair. Beside her is a woman with long blonde curly hair who is wearing a cream coloured top and skirt with a black pattern at the top. She also wears a large medal around her neck, to signify that she's from the NI chamber. On the far right is Emma Little Pengelly wearing a dark jacket and red scarf. She has long dark hair. Beside her is another blonde haired woman wearing a dark patterned dress and dark jacket.NI Chamber
First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Cat McCusker, President, NI Chamber, Jake Cashion, NC Chamber, Suzanne Wylie, NI Chamber and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly during a business mission to North Carolina, hosted by NI Chamber.

Mr Foreman said what was important was that he was not there on his own, but part of a delegation.

"I bumped into the first minister this morning. These things are so powerful as I walk in to customers today and potential customers tomorrow.

"It's not just lip service that we are coming over for a single transaction, we are here for strategic reasons."

Geopolitical uncertainty

NI Chamber CEO Suzanne Wylie said the visit was part of a long-term process and they would be inviting a trade mission back to Northern Ireland in the summer from North Carolina.

She said some of their upcoming businesses, particularly the entrepreneurial businesses, have already had doors opened to them in the US.

In particular, she said parallels could be drawn between some sectors like health and life sciences, MedTech, healthtech and financial services.

However, there has been more geopolitical uncertainty this year than last year, including President Trump's introduction of some tariffs.

She said that while there's uncertainty across the globe right now, "businesses really just want to create the relationships and get on with doing business with each other and continue to look for further investment in some of our innovative companies".

"We still have a long way to go until we know where this is all going to land," she added.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill will not be heading to the White House after Monday's North Carolina event, as she is boycotting the St Patrick's Day festivities there due to President Trump's stance on Gaza.

Instead, she will be heading home, while Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will travel on to Washington DC.

She will be present at the White House reception on Wednesday and is likely to meet President Trump.