Ulster Business

Ballymena-based The Wright Group is to invest £7 million in market-le innovation with support from Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund.

A US healthcare company, which announced a £4.4 million investment during a recent visit from US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has taken up residence at the Northern Ireland Science Park.

One of Northern Ireland’s largest agri-food businesses is investing £18m in a state-of-the-art animal feeds plant at Doogary near Omagh.

With Northern Ireland’s small business community attracting the notice of investors, the halo Business Angel network has seen a 300% increase in members over the past 12 months and has now reached the milestone of welcoming in its 100th investor.

Optimism among local privately held businesses on their economic outlook for 2010 has improved considerably over the last year, according to the latest International Business Report survey from advisors Grant Thornton UK LLP.