Ambition Issue 6 (Sept/Oct 2014)

MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

£2.95

September/october 2014 ISSUE 6

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Interview with Bank of England Governor Mark Carney • IT is the business • BA’S BELFAST SERVICE set to FLy INTO HEATHROW’S T5

NI Chamber President Kevin Kingston on putting members centre stage

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NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

CONTENTS 94

26

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 | ISSUE SIX

12 74

54

NEWS

Columnists 54 Maureen O’Reilly 58 Ian Rainey 66 Neil Mulholland 96 Jim Fitzpatrick

59 In the fast lane with superfast broadband 68 Bright young business brains 74 Bank of England Governor on N.Ireland 82 Take off for BA flights move

SPECIAL FEATURE TECHNOLOGY

LIFESTYLE

NI Chamber President, Kevin Kingston and Chief Executive, Ann McGregor reveal future strategy Page 18.

08 Almac investment 10 HeartSine at the heart of life sciences 12 Belfast fashion brand to go global 14 Balcas helps Scottish whiskey go ‘green’

26 Taking stock of IT 36 Clicking with consumers 40 Staying connected on the move

88 Flexible on the road - James Stinson 93 Culinary delights - Chris Rees 94 Sharp, cool and timeless - Rebecca McKinney

FEATURES

Editor: Adrienne McGill Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Manager: Catherine Patton Editorial Assistant: Ashleigh Addis Email addresses: adrienne.mcgill@northernirelandchamber.com c.patton@ambitionni.co.uk Websites: www.northernirelandchamber.com, www.ulstertatler.com Addresses: Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 4-5 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT15JA Tel: 028 9024 4113 Publisher: Ulster Tatler Group, 39 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6UT Tel: 028 9066 3311 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim Front cover picture: Taken at The Grand Opera House, Belfast by Khara Pringle NI CHAMBER PATRONS

2 NI Chamber

[editorial]

driving ambition

BUILDING SUCCESS THROUGH CUSTOMER SERVICE

S

ummer is at a close and with the brisk winds of autumn blowing in, business events are starting to swirl into action again with Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as always, hosting a feast of events, programmes and initiatives for the benefit of members thereby enabling them to grow their businesses. In this issue, we list what’s on in NI Chamber’s packed calendar between now and the end of the year.

We also hear from NI Chamber President Kevin Kingston about the new Strategic Plan 2014-2016 which places members in the spotlight and from NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor on the vast range of services and support NI Chamber provides for members as they seek to expand their enterprises both at home and overseas.

NI Chamber’s team is committed to customer service and the commercial success of members and so as a guide, we detail the team with an overview of their responsibilities so members know who to contact for support, advice or a service.

In his first interview with a business magazine in Northern Ireland, the Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney reveals in Ambition why Northern Ireland is an important regional economy and why measures introduced to take the heat out of the property market are important.

Our special focus in this issue looks at how technology has become central to the way we live and work and how its application across a range of sectors including health, finance, construction, retail, agri-food and

furniture & seating storage solutions partitions design & contracting carpet & lighting 04 NI Chamber

telecoms has transformed the way businesses function.

On the fashion front, we feature some dashing styles for men this season courtesy of Remus Uomo from Victoria Square’s Rebecca McKinney. We have a gastronomic delight from Galgorm Resort and Spa’s Chris Rees, and for air passengers travelling from Belfast – we turn our attention to moves at London’s Heathrow by Aer Lingus and British Airways who are relocating to new terminals.

It’s another edition bursting with a cascade of issues which are sure to capture the attention of members from whom we are always delighted to hear.

Adrienne McGill Editor, Ambition

To find out how 1080 can help your business call us on 028 9070 1080 or email think@1080.co.uk www.1080.co.uk 1080 is part of the Alpha Group

[editorial] that the global economy is gaining speed and robust global growth of above 4 per cent is expected in the second half of this year.

Danske Bank’s global report also notes that the positive momentum is expected to continue into 2015. This augers well

“IT IS CRITICAL THAT THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR DEALING WITH CONTENTIOUS ISSUES WHETHER POLITICAL, FINANCIAL OR SOCIAL.”

MOVING FORWARD ON ALL FRONTS

F

or progress to continue and for Northern Ireland’s future potential to be turned into reality, political and social stability must also move forward alongside economic progress.

It has been really encouraging to see the flood of investment and job creation announcements in Northern Ireland in recent months.

These have included Almac’s £54m expansion and the creation of 348 new jobs, Airtricity creating 143 new posts and US firm

06 NI Chamber

Proofpoint generating 94 new jobs in a £6m investment….and on it goes.

Many of these investments have been backed by Invest NI, whose dedication to attracting inward investors and supporting indigenous companies is to be applauded.

Undoubtedly, there are opportunities for local companies to grow, innovate and expand both at home and in export markets and it is good to see that conditions are at last heading in the right direction.

A new report from Danske Bank shows

for further opportunities and investment in Northern Ireland.

The investment successes, the forthcoming export action plan that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is currently developing and the more optimistic economic indicators are all positive developments.

However, while the feast of jobs and investments underlines the confidence that the private sector has in the local economy, it would be premature to say that all is well.

For progress to continue and for Northern Ireland’s future potential to be turned into reality, political and social stability must also move forward alongside economic progress.

Northern Ireland’s business community has long urged politicians to find a way to work together constructively for the common good and overcome any impasse which stands in the way of progress. It is critical that there is a process in place for dealing with contentious issues whether political, financial or social.

The economy must remain at the top of the political agenda and our politicians must focus on being responsive to the opportunities that will arise out of developments such as the devolution of corporation tax. We must ensure that business has an environment in which it can flourish and that businesses of all sizes are supported to maximise opportunities that will arise, including those in the supply chain.

Progress should not be an aspiration – it should be immediate.

The ingredients are in place for Northern Ireland to begin a period of long-term sustainable economic growth.

All of us have a responsibility, whether in political, business or civic society, to make sure that we drive this region to become the success that it undoubtedly can be.

Kevin Kingston President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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[news]

MAJOR EXPANSION BY ALMAC Almac, the pharmaceutical research group, is investing over £54m and creating 348 high quality jobs over the next five years.

The investment, supported by Invest NI, relates to two of the Group’s business units, Pharma Services and Clinical Services.

Almac employs over 2,100 staff at its headquarters in Craigavon, with an additional 1,380 staff located in facilities throughout the rest of the UK, US and Asia.

Alan Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Almac Group, said: “We are fortunate to employ an excellent highly-skilled workforce at our Craigavon headquarters which has played a major role in our global growth. It’s fantastic that demand for our services has resulted in the creation of so many new jobs as we embark on further expansion over the next five years.”

Welcoming the investment, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “Almac is one of Northern Ireland’s most successful indigenous companies and a globally respected brand. This significant investment will enable the company to expand the range of services it can offer, allowing it to respond to key trends within the pharmaceutical industry and enhance its market-leading position.”

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster with Almac Chairman and Chief Executive, Alan Armstrong.

QUEEN’S AWARD FOR ALLSTATE IT company Allstate NI has been formally presented with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of Sustainable Development — the UK’s highest honour for business success.

Allstate’s Executive Vice President Suren Gupta and Allstate NI’s Head of Marketing and Communications Sonya Kerr attended a reception for Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2014 winners at Buckingham Palace hosted by Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

The US-owned company received its award for Sustainable Development in recognition of a sustainable employment model which creates prosperity, promotes work-life health and uses resources efficiently. Allstate NI was established in Belfast in 1998 and has grown to over 2,200 employees in a relatively short time, providing high quality software development and business services to its US parent’s operations, the Allstate Corporation, the largest publicly held personal lines property and casualty insurer in America.

Allstate’s Executive Vice President Suren Gupta meeting the Queen at the reception at Buckingham Palace for winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2014.

08 NI Chamber

John Doran is leaving the position as Managing Director of BIA.

John Doran steps down as BIA chief Belfast International Airport (BIA) has appointed Graham Keddie as its new Managing Director.

He takes over from John Doran, who has held the position since 2006.

Belfast International’s owners Airports Worldwide said in a statement that Mr Doran was stepping aside for health reasons.

Mr Keddie has 25 years’ experience in the industry and has held roles in the UK, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

He joins Belfast International from Hermes Airports where he was Commercial Manager for Larnaca and Paphos airports in Cyprus Belfast International Airport serves

over 70 destinations and over 4 million passengers a year.

Sara Yamotahari, Chairman of Belfast International Airport said: “I am confident that under Graham, Belfast International Airport will continue to build on its reputation not just as the most technologically advanced airport in Ireland, but one with considerable scope for future growth and customer service improvements”.

He also paid tribute to John Doran and added: “John has demonstrated throughout his time at the Airport to be a highly successful, diligent and capable Managing Director and he has all our best wishes for a speedy recovery.”

Celebrating your business success Our Awards highlight the spirit of excellence and innovation that are the hallmark of our most successful entrepreneurs.

Tell us your story before 26 September 2014.

Enter at businessachieversaward.com

This year’s award categories are:

In association with:

Terms and conditions apply. Ulster Bank Limited, Registered in Northern Ireland No. R733. Registered Office: 11-16 Donegall Square East, Belfast, BT1 5UB. Calls may be recorded.

BA2014_NI_Cat_Press_A4_210x297.indd 1

19/06/2014 12:10

[news]

Company at the heart of Life Sciences HeartSine Technologies has opened its new expanded offices in Belfast and announced its plans to create 40 new jobs.

HeartSine Technologies manufactures lifesaving defibrillators which are sold in more than 70 countries across the world. The company is the only manufacturer of defibrillators in the UK and Ireland.

Speaking at the official opening Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “This investment, supported by Invest NI, forms part of HeartSine’s strategy to further enhance its competitive position and increase export sales. The 40 new jobs will contribute around £1.3m a year in salaries to the economy. Life Sciences is one of Northern Ireland’s fastest developing business sectors and it is encouraging to see companies such as HeartSine investing in growing its operations here.”

Invest Northern Ireland has offered HeartSine £360,000 of support towards the creation of the new jobs, 15 of which are already in place. The jobs include senior management, sales and manufacturing positions.

Declan O’Mahoney, Chief Executive of HeartSine Technologies said: “Our objective is to strengthen our workforce in Belfast so that we can double sales of our existing product portfolio in our target markets over the next three years.

“Our newly expanded offices will provide much needed extra production space to ensure the output keeps up with customer demand.”

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster with Declan O’Mahoney, Chief Executive of HeartSine Technologies and employees Shauna Heggarty (l) and Eileen Ervin (r).

Brendan Lappin, Irwin’s Bakery Business Development Manager and Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI’s Trade Director.

Exports on the rise for bakery

WRIGHTS GROUP ESTABLISHES TOP LEVEL TEAM Wrights Group, parent company of Wrightbus, has announced the establishment of a high level executive team to oversee the strategic development of the business and co-ordinate the operational activities of the companies within the Group.

Mark Nodder is appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Steven Francey is appointed Chief Operating Officer and Mark Johnston becomes Chief Financial Officer.

Wrightbus has become one of Northern Ireland’s leading exporters, selling buses to China and Hong Kong as well as Singapore – and exploring markets in the Middle East, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

10 NI Chamber

the result of ongoing discussion over the past 18 months, which followed meetings with LuLu in Northern Ireland arranged by Invest NI.” Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI’s Trade Director, welcomed the deal. She said: “This very important contract for Irwin’s Bakery is an excellent example of an ambitious local company seizing the business opportunity provided by our strategic focus on identifying markets of potential for Northern Ireland food companies and then bringing relevant international food buyers to meet local food producers and to see and sample the quality, innovation, heritage and, of course, safety underpinning our products.”

Portadown-based Irwin’s Bakery has won its first export business in Abu Dhabi with help from Invest NI. The bakery has secured a deal to supply its Rankin Selection range of traditional Irish breads, including soda farls, potato farls, stone-ground wheaten, to LuLu Group in Abu Dhabi, one of the biggest retailers in the Gulf states.

Brendan Lappin, Irwin’s Bakery Business Development Manager, said: “This is a very significant contract for Irwin’s with one of the biggest and most successful retailers in the Gulf, which gives us a solid platform for further growth in a very dynamic marketplace. It’s a market that we’ve been targeting for some time and is

In recent times, the company has announced a raft of orders – the most recent one in July which saw it scoop a £30m

contract with public transport company SBS Transit in Singapore for 415 double-deck buses.

It’s the fourth big contract in a row with SBS Transit for Wrightbus and partner Volvo, and will see them supply the buses from 2015 to 2017.

Mark Jo

Mark Johnston

Steven Francey

Mark Nodder

[sponsored feature]

BELFAST MET GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS AS A NEW TERM GETS UNDERWAY, BELFAST MET’S DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, DAMIAN DUFFY, HIGHLIGHTS THE COLLEGE’S CRUCIAL ROLE IN MATCHING SKILLS WITH BUSINESS DEMAND Almost two years since its opening and Belfast Metropolitan College’s e3 economic development building has lost none of its wow factor. Equipped with the very latest in technology and designed specifically to stimulate enterprise, enhance employability and drive wider economic growth, the building acts as a sort of hightech intersection between an education provider on the one hand and the business community on the other.

There is a clear and critical link between the further education sector and broader business innovation and growth. Belfast Met is Northern Ireland’s largest FE college and works with hundreds of companies – from the biggest employers such as Bombardier, Deloitte and Harland and Wolff right through to the smallest of local businesses – in matching what they need with what our courses deliver.

Doing this effectively means listening carefully to employers, tuning into their needs and in effect giving them the opportunity to shape the education and skills solutions on offer.

With academies on cloud computing, data analytics and software testing beginning the new term with a fresh influx of trainees, we are currently working alongside Harland and Wolff in delivering a specialist Welding Academy, and with the financial services company, FinTrU, in running an intensive 20-week training programme aimed at giving graduates the skills and experience needed to take up opportunities in this rapidly growing market.

Collaboration with the employer is crucial at every stage in the process – from identifying the solution and developing the learning materials, right through to delivering the bespoke training package.

The Academy approach is similar to the Apprenticeship style of learning in that the focus is firmly on the needs of the employer.

Belfast Met is Northern Ireland’s largest apprenticeship provider and is a major champion of the “learning by doing” approach to education and training. The introduction of our new pilot Higher Level Apprenticeship (HLA) in Finance and Accounting, and the rollout of similar HLAs in Aeronautical Engineering, Science and IT later in the year are exciting developments in reconfiguring the skills landscape of the local economy.

The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) has introduced a range of initiatives designed to bridge the skills gaps within emerging and indeed re-emerging sectors of the economy.

The Academy approach is one such initiative and it’s an area in which Belfast Met has taken the lead.

One of our main strengths is the ability to react quickly and flexibly to changing industry demands. We train, retrain and up-skill people for a competitive and dynamic work environment; regardless of whether they are a 16-year-old school-leaver or someone who has already spent many years in the workforce.

Students bring these skills back into the workplace and this in turn puts businesses in a stronger position to adapt, innovate and grow. When you strip it back to basics, it’s about giving people the skills they need to do a job and giving businesses a workforce to get that job done.

For details of part-time professional development courses or tailored business solutions, contact our business development team on Tel: (028) 9026 5058 or check out www.belfastmet.ac.uk a3 Building

GENERATING leads Belfast Met is supporting SMEs in the Belfast, Lisburn and Castlereagh council areas in helping them to GENERATE business opportunities within the multi-million pound Renewable Energy Industry. With specialist industry mentoring, exclusive collaborative networks and meet the buyer events, places on the programme are going fast.

For more information, check out www.generateni.com or keep in touch via @generateni

L-R: Mary Young, Invest Northern Ireland Client Executive, Alderman Allan Ewart, Chairman of Lisburn City Council Economic Development Committee and Siobhan Lyons, Head of Business Development at Belfast Metropolitan College.

NI Chamber 11

[news]

Surge in jobs Energy company SSE Airtricity is creating 143 new jobs in Belfast in a relocation of its existing customer service centres in the city. The company currently employs 98 staff in two Belfast offices and is creating 143 additional jobs in support of its growing energy retail operations. The new call centre roles will be in the areas of customer service, sales and administrative support.

Making the announcement, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “This investment represents further growth in Northern Ireland’s important business services sector, which already boasts a number of international companies that have been attracted here by the cost-competitive environment.”

All existing and new staff will be based in the company’s new corporate premises at Millennium House on Belfast’s Great Victoria Street. It is expected that the company’s current Belfast workforce will relocate to the new premier city centre location in September.

Stephen Wheeler, SSE Airtricity Managing Director, said: “As Northern Ireland’s second largest energy provider we are committed to further increasing our share of the energy market here and our investment in new jobs and a new Belfast call centre at an expanded and central office location is our latest demonstration of that commitment.”

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster with Stephen Wheeler, MD SSE Airtricity, and Alastair Hamilton, Chief Executive, Invest NI.

BELFAST FASHION BRAND TO GO GLOBAL WITH HELP FROM FUND A unique Belfast-based fashion brand, Art on Fashion, has secured a loan from the Growth Loan Fund that will help it to create up to 12 new jobs, fund working capital requirements and export globally.

Finance for the £50m Growth Loan Fund – which provides loans to established Northern Ireland SMEs seeking to access growth finance – has been provided by Invest NI and private

Celine Magill, Managing Director, Art on Fashion with David McCurley, Senior Investment Manager, WhiteRock Capital Partners.

investor, Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC).

Art on Fashion was established in February 2012 as a niche fashion brand, collaborating with international artists to print their artwork on designer fashion. Each garment is produced in small quantities, matching the company’s ethos of exclusivity and uniqueness. The firm is currently exporting to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Holland and, most recently, America.

Celine Magill, Managing Director of Art on Fashion said: “This investment from the Growth Loan Fund will support our global marketing plans and enable us to meet working capital needs as the business transitions from in season selling to forward orders.

We also have plans to take on up to 12 more staff to help meet growing demand.”

David McCurley, Senior Investment Manager with WhiteRock Capital Partners, said Art on Fashion was a great example of the kind of company that the Growth Loan Fund seeks to support by having a clear strategy for growth.

WhiteRock Capital Partners was established in 2012 to manage the Fund by the consortium of three partners – Strathtay Ventures Ltd, NEL Fund Managers and Clarendon Fund Managers, all of which are authorised and regulated by the FCA.

Henderson Foodservice scoops £3m deal Mallusk-based Henderson Foodservice, one of the largest foodservice companies in Ireland, has won a contract worth up to £3m over two years from the Irish Prison Service.

The company, a division of the Henderson Group, is now supplying dry goods including the Country Range brand to all 14 prison sites throughout the Republic through weekly deliveries. The contract is for two years initially, with the

12 NI Chamber

possibility of an extension for a third year.

Henderson Foodservice has been expanding into the ROI market for some time and the Prison Service contract represents its biggest deal to date.

Damien Barrett, Managing Director of Henderson Foodservice, said the deal was “extremely significant” for the company.

He added: “We were wellplaced to win this contract as

we have extensive experience in winning and managing similar business in the Northern Ireland market. It further strengthens our position in the Republic of Ireland as we seek to grow our business there.”

The company supplies and delivers food products to over 4,000 customers across Ireland including hotels, schools, restaurants, fast food outlets, hospitals, nursing homes, cafes, sandwich bars and retail convenience stores.

Damien Barrett, Managing Director of Henderson Foodservice.

[sponsored feature]

Supporting people with disabilities and health conditions in Northern Ireland and helping them get back into employment

Robyn Girvan who gained paid employment with Jacksons Butchers.

Anthony Mitchell who gained paid employment with Oxfam.

Workable (NI) Ruth Bowen and Aaron Kennedy, alongside Dr Stephen Farry and Paul Browne, Equal Opportunities Manager at QUB.

Supported Employment Solutions (SES) is made up of seven disability organisations which have joined together to deliver employability programmes across N. Ireland.

SES aims to assist individuals with disabilities and health conditions to enter and stay in employment via specialist support from its partners who are: Action Mental Health, Action on Hearing Loss, Mencap, NOW, Orchardville Society, RNIB, The Cedar Foundation. Each organisation has extensive experience and knowledge of the needs of those with a disability or health condition and by working together can provide an enhanced platform of support to individuals and local employers alike.

Work Connect

Do you as an employer have vacancies for positions of eight hours+ per week ? Would you benefit from having access to a pool of suitable candidates?

Through the Work Connect Programme, SES support individuals with disabilities and health conditions who are currently unemployed move into lasting, paid employment through personalised support and training.

SES actively engage with employers to ascertain

their recruitment needs and provide them with suitable candidates, capable and ready to work. For those who are successful in gaining employment, SES offer ongoing in-work support to both the individual and employer to ensure a smooth transition into the workplace.

SES have been involved in tailored pre-employment training and recruitment programmes with Belfast City Council and Queen’s University which have led to paid employment for Work Connect clients.

SES are keen to invite employers to engage with them to help with your recruitment needs and assist with corporate social responsibility initiatives within your organisation.

Do you struggle with effectively managing staff with health conditions or disabilities?

Are you uncertain about what ‘reasonable adjustment’ means?

Through the Workable (NI) programme SES support individuals to retain employment where there is a risk of job loss due to a disability. SES advise employers about reasonable adjustments, work patterns and alternative strategies for managing their workforce and deliver disability awareness training.

SES also provide tailored, specialist support to effectively meet the needs of key stakeholders in the workplace such as: • One to one support to the individual and employer • On the job support and training • Specific training identified for the employee to assist them in their work above what the employer would normally offer • Specific disability awareness training to employer and work colleagues • Advice and assistance with making reasonable adjustments in the workplace

For more information please visit the website: www.sesni.org.uk Work Connect and Workable (NI) are funded by the Department for Employment & Learning.

[news]

Growth continues at Moy Park Moy Park is continuing to recruit for the 628 new jobs which were announced in July as part of a £170m expansion.

The jobs are being placed across three sites in Dungannon, Craigavon and Ballymena.

The investment by Moy Park, part of the Marfrig Group, will include additional processing lines and the establishment of an Innovation Centre, which will drive new product development, as well as Financial Services - a new role for the Craigavon site.

The new jobs, 100 of which are already in place, include roles in management, supervisory, processing and financial shared services.

Announcing details of the investment, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “This investment, which will mean a £10.5million increase in wages and salaries annually for the local economy, is a huge boost of confidence in Northern Ireland as a European food production and manufacturing centre of excellence by a world leading company.”

Speaking on what this investment will mean for Moy Park, Janet McCollum, Moy Park Chief Executive said: “Moy Park started as a small farming company in 1943 and has grown into a top UK business with a £1.5billion turnover. We continue to have big ambitions and this investment will allow us to further grow our operations and create new jobs in Northern Ireland.”

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and Moy Park Chief Executive Janet McCollum.

Geoff Jackson, CEO Equitix, Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chairman UK Green Investment Bank and Ernest Kidney, Managing Director, Balcas.

Balcas helps Scottish whisky go ‘green’ Fermanagh-based wood pellet manufacturer Balcas is set to power a second distillery with an innovative steam-generating biomass boiler.

The firm, the largest producer of wood pellet fuel in the Great Britain and Ireland, has partnered with UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) and infrastructure management company Equitix to invest in the Aberfeldy distillery in Perthshire.

This is GIB’s second investment at a Scottish distillery, following an announcement last year of an investment, in partnership with Balcas, in the Tomatin Distillery near Inverness.

The project at the Aberfeldy distillery will finance the installation of a 4MW biomass boiler, to replace the existing, inefficient, heavy fuel oil boiler. This will reduce the distillery’s energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, without requiring any up-front capital investment.

The boiler will be used to produce steam, necessary for several parts of the whisky production process.

Ernest Kidney, Managing Director of Balcas said: “Having a secure fuel supply and reducing environmental impact are two major challenges facing distilleries and are two key benefits delivered by our integrated energy solution. The biomass steam boiler at Aberfeldy distillery will be up and running by October this year and will reduce the distillery’s carbon emissions by approximately 7,500 tonnes annually.”

EXPORTERS RECEIVE A BOOST Three Northern Ireland companies - Quad X, BigWetFish Hosting and Resto Coatings - have been named the regional winners of an innovative export programme.

The Grow Global Export programme saw a total of 30 local companies from the Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne areas develop and pitch their export plans in a Dragons’ Den scenario. It is part financed by Invest NI and the European Regional Development Fund under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

Each of the participating businesses competed to win £5,000 to help them achieve their exporting plans.

The programme was offered free to companies by the North East Economic Development Forum

14 NI Chamber

– comprising the Councils of Larne, Ballymena and Carrickfergus.

Quad X who design and manufacture a range of all-terrain machinery for quad bikes and utility vehicles were announced the winners in the Ballymena region. Web hosting company BigWetFish Hosting picked up the accolade in Carrickfergus and paint manufacturer and distributor Resto Coatings won the Larne regional event.

Moira Loughran from Invest NI said: “Congratulations to all three companies who have demonstrated clear exporting strategies for their future growth. We’re committed to helping local businesses achieve their full potential and it’s encouraging to see these businesses explore opportunities in markets beyond Northern Ireland.”

Stephen Kinkaid, BigWetFish, Andre Van Es from Resto Coatings and Pauline Wylie representing Quad X have been named the regional winners of the Grow Global Export programme, winning up to £5,000 to spend on export activities.

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[columnist] PAUL MCGARRITY, DIRECTOR OF OCTAVE DIGITAL

BIG DATA IS A BIG DEAL BIG DATA IS BEING USED TO IMPROVE BUSINESSES AS PAUL MCGARRITY EXPLAINS.

M

odern businesses are increasingly dependent on utilising large volumes of data in order to make reliable decisions. Today’s savvy business leaders embrace and use technology to build up rich data across their organisations, helping them to drive actionable insights based on hard evidence. Welcome to the world of ‘big data’ – but what is it?

Big data is the term for the collection and management of the range of data across an organisation. By collecting and analysing the mass of data in your business, everything from website data through to sales and marketing figures, you can develop deeper insights about your business. The insights can then be shared across the organisation to improve efficiency especially in marketing, sales and work management.

There are some very interesting examples of how big data is used in sectors ranging from health, policing and manufacturing and retail. For example, The Los Angeles Police Department has a long history of using big data to predict likely crime incidents. Health organisations use Google Trends to predict the spread of the flu virus in different parts of the globe.

According to research from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), senior business figures are increasingly reliant on understanding big data to make major decisions, and no longer trusting business

16 NI Chamber

instinct. Their recent research, based on a survey of more than 600 senior executives across the globe, suggests the use of big data has improved businesses’ performance by 26 per cent and that the impact will grow to over 40 per cent by 2016 over the next three years. Over sixty per cent of executives consider their organisations are ‘data-driven’, and confirm that data collection and analysis plays a critical role in their decision-making.

And it’s not just senior executives who are more reliant on big data. Marketing and sales staff across all levels are increasingly expected to understand and interpret data to improve performance. The most sought after marketers are data geeks who transform data into business success. From a marketing and sales point of view, data is now the starting block for everything from planning campaigns to engaging with customers and measuring sales success.

The technology that both large and small businesses use to manage big data is fundamentally the same. The major IT companies including SAP, Intel and IBM have developed enterprise based solutions that help share and streamline the marketing, sales, product, customer service and HR data across large businesses and multi-nationals.

But big data isn’t just for big companies. The new wave of lean and agile small businesses that have been springing up over the last few

years depend on using big data to make the right decisions. Here are just a few examples of how big data is being used throughout a business.

Customer Insight: There are now lots of tech tools that can be used for gaining customer insights. For example, retailers monitor and learn from brand sentiment on social networks to build an understanding of how their products and company reputation are seen among the public. Businesses are also using online surveys and social media networks to canvas customer opinion. The insights are then shared across the business to make improvements.

Customer and Lead Data: Marketing and sales data is now best managed and shared by using a customer relationship management tool such as Zoho CRM (Customer Relationship Management). For instance a small business using big data properly will want to collect core information about leads and prospects through its website and social media, manage that information in a customer relationship management tool such as Zoho CRM and then work to convert the leads to sales.

Big data is the way forward for those intent on making their businesses better – in no small way.

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SPOTLIGHT ON MEMBERS

NI CHAMBER HAS DEVISED AN EXCITING STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS WHICH ENSURES THAT MEMBERS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT. THE PRESIDENT, KEVIN KINGSTON, SETS THE SCENE AND DETAILS WHAT’S CAST AHEAD IN THE 2014-2016 STRATEGIC PLAN.

N

orthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry boasts a rich history but it also has a dynamic vision for the future.

Central to that vision is putting members centre stage so they, through their businesses, can play a leading role in helping to grow the economy with NI Chamber.

Our members are too important to rest in the side wings and I want to share with you all the parts of NI Chamber’s new Strategic

18 NI Chamber

Plan for 2014-2016.

Central to it is our vision which reads: ‘NI Chamber is the network for business

in Northern Ireland, enabling members to grow their organisation both locally and internationally and drive the development of the economy.’

We currently have 1,200 members, ranging from top 100 companies to SMEs who join us to network, to influence and to grow their businesses.

Therefore, when drawing up our plan, core to it was the provision of high quality accessible services to our members and partners.

We set out ambitious goals and already have achieved many of them in areas such as: • Membership growth • Customer service • Membership satisfaction • Membership services We will continue to play a prominent role within the British Chambers of Commerce network and as a private sector expert on the provision of business support particularly for potential exporters.

In order to achieve our vision, we plan to simplify our membership offering and increase member engagement over the coming months. We will, therefore, be changing our membership levels, which are currently based around the size of a company, from 7 membership levels to 3 new levels.

These will be: • Corporate membership which will represent the leading companies in Northern Ireland, covering indigenous and multinational companies, across all sectors.

• Growth membership is for mid-size companies in Northern Ireland and those focused on export and growth.

• Essential membership caters for small business owners.

The refined arrangement will allow resources to be specifically focused at the appropriate level. This will ensure deeper understanding and stronger relationships with members to meet their expectations, increase engagement and satisfaction levels and ultimately enable them to grow.

Linking modernity to history, the rejuvenation plan of NI Chamber also includes our office move. After 30 years in Belfast’s Great Victoria Street, we are now back to Donegall Square, where we started out 231 years ago.

Our wonderful new, modern but modest premises reflect the quality of the

“WHEN DRAWING UP OUR PLAN, CORE TO IT WAS THE PROVISION OF HIGH QUALITY ACCESSIBLE SERVICES TO OUR MEMBERS AND PARTNERS.”

[feature] organisation and make us more accessible to members.

The move is the final phase in the modernisation plan of NI Chamber which was set out by past Presidents Dr Mark Sweeney of Caterpillar and Bro McFerran of Allstate in our 2008-2012 Strategic Plan and continued during the tenures of Francis Martin of BDO and Mark Nodder of Wrightbus.

We have developed strong partnerships to support our development including BT, our communications partner and our 12 patrons whose support is invaluable to us: Dankse Bank; Investec; Power NI; Moy Park;

Caterpillar; Fonacab; Ulster Bank; The Ulster Business School at the University of Ulster; Pinsent Masons; Belfast International Airport; TR Logistics and Grafton Recruitment.

We have a very strong board and council representing top 100 companies and SMEs and have an excellent succession plan in place with our Vice-President Stephen McCully from Power NI next in line.

However, as NI Chamber Presidents, we are the figureheads – the custodians of the vision but we each have our day jobs. This is why we have also invested in a top class operational team to implement the vision and objectives.

Our Chief Executive Ann McGregor, who joined NI Chamber in 2008, has worked closely with each President to deliver our ambitious goals.

We recognise that NI Chamber is just one element of the continuum of business support and we intend to use our unique position as an accredited chamber of commerce working with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the world chamber network to complement the work of Invest NI, councils and other business support organisations with the ultimate goal of growing export levels.

Let’s act on this.

SERVING OUR MEMBERS SERVICE AND DEDICATION ARE THE HALLMARKS OF NI CHAMBER AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ANN MCGREGOR MBE, EXPLAINS.

A

s a proactive and energetic business organisation, NI Chamber has developed a dynamic and wide portfolio of services designed to inspire members and potential members to grow their companies both at home and in overseas markets.

Our full time team of 15 is dedicated to helping members prosper and develop.

There are a wide range of benefits associated with NI Chamber membership such as: • High-level executive networking with other business leaders and government through in camera events and the ‘Minister on the Move’ series.

• Promotional opportunities through Ambition – NI Chamber’s official magazine; social media; the NI Chamber website and e-zines.

• Structured networking events and business clinics which are a fantastic platform to get to know potential clients and learn from others.

In addition – we offer a business information service to assist businesses find the best support available from a range of public sector providers including Invest NI, councils, InterTradeIreland, etc.

We can also enable members to access private sector support through three main programmes all of which are focused on helping businesses develop and expand: • The Danske Bank Export First programme which is designed to inspire businesses to export by hearing how other businesses have succeeded. Leading exporters such as Wrightbus, Ulster Carpets, Whale and Armstrong Medical have hosted visits from hundreds of SMEs. • NI Chamber Connections partnered with Ulster Bank which

creates: - One-to-one business to business connections to address a specific business issue or access a business network.

- One-to-one business to chamber connections where we are able to put members in touch with contacts in the target markets, to gain information, contacts or support in a specific geograpical area.

• The Connecting for Growth programme in partnership with Bank of Ireland UK is a cross border meet the buyer initiative which focuses on bringing together a large number of businesses with procurement teams

“WE ARE A VIBRANT ORGANISATION WITH A STRONG DESIRE TO SEE OUR MEMBERS BENEFIT FROM ALL THAT WE OFFER SO THEY CAN GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.” from large buying organisations and is open to any businesses that have an interest in developing cross-border trade opportunities.

We are very grateful to each of our banking partners for enabling us to deliver this support.

As well as these initiatives, NI Chamber also offers an export documentation

service which assists businesses to get products through customs overseas by providing a fast and efficient electronic processing platform, assisting exporters with documentation including EC, Arab and Egyptian Certificates of Origin, ATR forms, EUR1 forms and ATA Carnets.

We deliver more than 60 events per year, across a range of areas which enable our members to network with business leaders from across Northern Ireland. The events allow businesses to learn through a number of seminars and workshops covering the latest and upcoming business issues and also enable firms to grow through meet the buyer and speed networking events.

The pages of this magazine, Ambition, feature the successes of NI Chamber members and highlights issues of interest and relevance to them. It plays an important part as one of our key channels for helping members build their brand.

Furthermore, members can continue to capitalise on our e-shot service, a facility which provides them with a dedicated page on our website, event sponsorship opportunities and exhibition opportunities.

We will also continue to engage with our members through a range of initiatives including the popular ‘In Camera’ series and ‘Minister on the Move’ events, which provides members with the opportunity to meet government directly, and through our Quarterly Economic Survey in partnership with BDO – Northern Ireland’s largest business survey.

We are a vibrant organisation with a strong desire to see our members benefit from all that we offer so they can grow their businesses. We are here to support you every step of the way.

NI Chamber 19

[feature]

NI CHAMBER’S DYNAMIC TEAM – HERE TO HELP MEMBERS ann mcgregor mbe

Led by Ann Mcgregor mbe, chief executive of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the skilled and highly motivated team at NI Chamber works across a number of divisions and are dedicated to ensuring members connect to opportunity and gain the most from all the services provided by the organisation.

Here we list the team and their areas of expertise: Membership NI Chamber provides a bespoke membership service to meet the requirements of your business, ensuring that you maximise the opportunities provided. To find out how to maximise your membership, or for further information on joining NI Chamber, please contact our membership team: Oonagh O’Reilly Business Development Director oonagh.oreilly@ northernirelandchamber.com

Gareth Williamson Membership Manager gareth.williamson@ northernirelandchamber.com

Andrew Smythe Membership Executive andrew.smythe@ northernirelandchamber.com

Business information NI Chamber has an experienced business support team that can help growing businesses navigate through the support system, including the export journey and national schemes for unlocking finance.

For further information please contact:

For finance information please contact:

Martina Crawford Programmes & Information Manager martina.crawford@northernirelandchamber.com

James Woods Finance Manager james.woods@northernirelandchamber.com

20 NI Chamber

Darren Oldroyd Membership Executive darren.oldroyd@ northernirelandchamber.com

EXPORT DOCUMENTATION NI Chamber is your local partner for getting products seamlessly through customs and onward to your overseas customers. With our unique electronic certification platform you don’t even need to leave the office, eliminating downtime and speeding up the service.

For further information please contact: Dawn Robertson Export Executive dawn.robertson@northernirelandchamber.com

[feature]

Business GROWTH AND EXPORT SUPPORT Seek the knowledge and confidence to break into new markets for the first time or take your export activity to the next level by accessing NI Chamber’s suite of support programmes.

For further information please contact: Sandra Scannell Operations & Programmes Director sandra.scannell@northernirelandchamber.com

Profile enhancement Reach over 16,000 business leaders through NI Chamber’s multiple communication channels in a targeted and engaging way.

For further information on building your brand via NI Chamber’s eshots, online channels and annual awards please contact: Christopher Morrow Communications & Policy Manager christopher.morrow@northernirelandchamber.com

Martina Crawford Programmes & Information Manager martina.crawford@northernirelandchamber.com

For further information on Ambition, the magazine of NI Chamber, please contact:

Or if you would like to connect with over 400,000 chamber contacts from across the globe, or utilise the NI Chamber network please contact:

Adrienne McGill Editor of Ambition adrienne.mcgill@northernirelandchamber.com

Richard Willis Events & Connections Manager richard.willis@northernirelandchamber.com Martina Crawford Programmes & Information Manager martina.crawford@northernirelandchamber.com

Christopher Morrow Communications & Policy Manager

Sandra Scannell Operations & Programmes Director

Richard Willis Events & Connections Manager

EVENTS & NETWORKING Network with over 6,000 business leaders from across Northern Ireland at 60+ events per year.

For further information on NI Chamber events and event sponsorship opportunities please contact our events team:

Martina Crawford Programmes & Information Manager

ADRIENNE McGILL Editor of Ambition

Influence policy NI Chamber can provide you with direct access to Government and decision makers, or take your business issues directly to Stormont on your behalf.

For further information on how you can utilise NI Chamber’s lobbying service please contact: ANN McGREGOR MBE Chief Executive ann.mcgregor@northernirelandchamber.com Christopher Morrow Communications & Policy Manager christopher.morrow@northernirelandchamber.com

Louise Turley Assistant Operations Director louise.turley@northernirelandchamber.com JOHN QUINN Membership Services Executive john.quinn@northernirelandchamber.com ESTHER LETMAN Membership Services Executive esther.letman@northernirelandchamber.com

ANN McGREGOR MBE Chief Executive

Christopher Morrow Communications & Policy Manager

NI Chamber 21

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[columnist] angela mcgowan, chief economist at danske bank

WHAT IS HAPPENING? CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN NORTHERN IRELAND REMAINS ‘HEALTHY’ BUT THERE ARE WOBBLES AS ANGELA MCGOWAN EXPLAINS.

I

n July this year Danske Bank published its second consumer confidence index of the year. Overall Northern Ireland’s sentiment levels remain fairly healthy – the index is still 11 points higher relative to this time last year.

However, having risen every quarter since March 2013 the latest survey experienced a marginal dip of 4 points in Quarter 2. In the UK too, consumer confidence experienced a small fall during June - the first fall in the UK’s GfK index for six months - so what is happening?

turned a corner and is expanding – but do they feel that they are in a position to adjust to higher borrowing costs? Without wages rising, it is unlikely that households will easily adapt to higher borrowing costs. Indeed, the fact that the interest rate hike may now come sooner rather than later has most probably come as negative news to many households. Admittedly, Mark Carney has expressed concerns about household debt levels and the ability of households to adjust to rate hikes. Although he has stated that

“WITHOUT WAGES RISING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT HOUSEHOLDS WILL EASILY ADAPT TO HIGHER BORROWING COSTS.” While rises in consumer confidence are unlikely to continue indefinitely, the fact that the dip in the June survey was consistent right across the UK suggests that perhaps there is some underlying reason. Yet the labour market has strengthened, jobs are being created and the GDP data tells us that the economy is expanding. But are consumers actually feeling the improvement?

While an economist can never truly understand the psychology behind consumer sentiment and behaviour, there are nonetheless a few factors that jump out as possible reasons for this latest wobble in confidence.

Real wages still falling In the first instance, salaries are static and indeed when inflation is taken into consideration, real wages (earnings adjusted for inflation) are continuing to decline. The Office for National Statistics reported in July that wage growth is still running below inflation, with pay excluding bonuses for employees during March-May 2014 only 0.7 per cent higher than a year earlier. With real earnings falling since 2009, are consumers getting a bit fed up with not seeing the fruits of the recovery in their own wallets?

Interest rates Furthermore, in May this year the Bank of England Governor raised a new concern that has been off the radar for many years – the possibility of an interest rate hike! Again, households are aware that the economy has 24 NI Chamber

rate hikes would be ‘gradual and limited’, some consumers will nonetheless be worried that their own personal situation will be negatively impacted by higher borrowing costs.

Public services Despite the fact that the Chancellor of the

Exchequer George Osborne promised he would ‘balance the books’ by the end of 2015/16, it is widely acknowledged that this plan has been derailed. Public net debt as a percentage of GDP has been consistently higher than forecast under the coalition’s plan and Osborne’s initial forecast of a surplus in 2015-16 has now been pushed out to 2018-19. The impact of the government’s failure to balance the public finances as promised will translate into further fiscal adjustments in the years ahead. Recently Northern Ireland’s Finance Minister, Simon Hamilton, has warned that a public sector squeeze lies ahead – but unfortunately households don’t like to think about potential cuts in public spending.

Watch the trend line not the headline Without doubt a little volatility in this index must be expected from time to time and indeed this quarterly slip is too small to signify a significant loss of confidence amongst households. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to look at Danske Bank’s Quarter 3 2014 index to see if consumers have regained their confidence levels or if this latest dip is a little less transitory.

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FOCUS ON Technology I

nformation Technology (IT) has grown to become a crucial and integral part of running a business. From multi-national corporations managing huge amounts of data to small businesses with just one computer, IT plays a massive role. In this section we look at how technology is being used across a number of sectors including health, finance, construction, retail, agri-food and telecoms and reveal some of the ground-breaking technology which has been developed to allow businesses to operate effectively and also to help improve people’s lives.

Taking stock of IT In stock markets across the world, quadrillions worth of trades are conducted in micro seconds every day. Adrienne McGill talks to John Healy, Director of the Belfast division of financial services company, Citi about the sophisticated technology involved.

I

nformation Technology (IT) has become an essential ingredient for modern business and this is particularly true for the financial services sector. Whether it’s stock exchanges or banks across the world, neither could function without heavy reliance on state-ofthe-art and groundbreaking technologies to move and make money for clients in micro seconds.

Playing a vital role in the development and

26 NI Chamber

implementation of the sophisticated financial software used in these transactions is the Belfast operation of global financial services giant Citi which does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. The company provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities

brokerage, foreign currency exchange and wealth management.

The company set up in Belfast in 2005 to support its capital markets trading activities in London, across Europe and New York.

Following several phases of expansion, it now employs almost 1,400 staff at two offices in Titanic Quarter.

Citi’s Belfast division, which is an integral part of the whole of Citi’s operations,

is mainly focused on technology and comprises approximately 750 staff involved in the design, development, testing, rollout and support of computer systems that support its capital market activities, from trading platforms through to settlement and reconciliation. In addition, there are approximately 400 staff supporting capital markets business operations and almost 200 legal and compliance staff who primarily negotiate the contracts under which Citi trades with counterparties.

The capital markets business covers equities, rates and the foreign exchange side

based – who are connected to the trading floors in London and New York and make sure that the software is performing the way that it was intended – is where you hear the gentle hum of industry as they deal with queries.”

Financial services is a particularly competitive market with an ever-changing landscape. To stay ahead, companies need to have some of the best technology engineers in the world and John Healy believes Citi has them in the Belfast operation.

“The industry has changed totally since the days when paper tickets were written on the floor of the stock exchange. Exchanges are now electronic and the orders are placed and executed electronically. You could not manage the volumes of transactions that are conducted every day based on paper.

Technology platforms are vital to be able to sustain the level of business that is going on.

“The flip side of that is with technology comes all sorts of opportunities around how you execute the trade and computers are so clever they can work out what is the most efficient way of doing that and how to feel your way into the market to get the best price for your transactions.”

Technology is of course not without its hazards as was evidenced by Knight Capital, Wall Street’s biggest trading firm, which on the morning of 1 August 2012, sent out a wave of accidental stock orders – more than four million – that reverberated through the market and eventually resulted in a $460m loss for the firm.

The mistake nearly pushed Knight Capital into bankruptcy and set off an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The firm eventually agreed to pay a $12m fine to settle charges that it violated trading rules by failing to put adequate safeguards in place to prevent the barrage of erroneous stock orders.

Knight Capital, which was subsequently acquired by the high-frequency trading firm Getco for $1.4bn, neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing.

“Citi is well protected and has lines of defence in place from the firewalls to the way the software is written and delivered. There is a high degree of assurance in terms of level of protection,” says John.

Undoubtedly, a focus and investment in foreign exchange has helped Citi reach the top of its industry and regain first place in the prestigious Best Banks survey with its innovative Citi Velocity trading platform being a major advantage in terms of speed and precision.

“A large part of the business done in Belfast involves foreign trades. Globally, on a daily basis foreign exchange trades in the region of 5.2 trillion dollars a day are managed of which 10 per cent comes through Citi’s Belfast operation. You could not manage that size and scale of business without the efficiency of technology,” says John.

“Innovation is key to what we do here when you look at some of the products we develop in this building. This is all part of the competitive advantage that technology can bring.”

NI Chamber 27

FOCUS ON Technology

“Software development is as much an art as a science.”

of the business with teams of Citi’s highly skilled software developers in Belfast writing the software that is used in the trading, settling, and confirming of trades in stock markets around the world.

“Information technology is at the core of financial services,” says John Healy, Director of Citi in Belfast.

“You have businesses operating in financial services where every micro second counts.

It is really about who can get an order in from a client, process it and get it back out to an exchange to be executed or fulfilled faster than the competitor can.

“You have a platform where technologists are trying to shave those micro seconds off – and they are doing that by writing more efficient code, by having faster processing power, looking at networks to see how to cut down time to process transactions – all of that is technology driven.

“Technology is right at the centre of financial services as an enabler for businesses.”

John points to the fact that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Invest NI have identified IT and financial services technology as two core components of the economic plan for growing the Northern Ireland economy.

“By bringing them together you have a winning ticket. We have first rate companies in Northern Ireland such as Citi, NYSE, Chicago Mercantile Exchange and First Derivatives who are all in the financial services technology space.”

It’s hard to believe that in an unassuming office in Citi’s base at Gateway House, teams of equity technologists write and develop software that is used by the traders in New York and London to buy and sell trillions worth of stocks and shares every day.

But that’s what they do – they write the software that connects Citi to all of the exchanges around the world where these transactions take place.

“They write the software for the orders which come in and route it through to the correct trading desks and exchanges. The software is then used to take those trades and settle them with the counter parties and to collect in the cash and send out the stock and shares which have been bought,” explains John.

“Software development is as much an art as a science. You are actually creating something – when you are taking in the requirements from the traders’ who say ‘I need software to do XYZ’, the developers perfect it before final delivery on to the traders desktop. They test and make changes until it goes live. It can take weeks or months between taking the requirements and delivery time.

“The equity development floor is a quiet environment as the developers work on the next stage of evolving software. In contrast the floor where the support analysts are

FOCUS ON Technology

game on NORTHERN IRELAND’S DIGITAL CONTENT INDUSTRY is looking busier than ever SAYS THE FOUNDER OF DIGITAL CIRCLE MATT JOHNSTON.

D

espite the global recession, the entertainment industry has been buoyant. By most measures, we are living in a Renaissance for content; more money is being spent on developing content; households are spending more on entertainment and a lot more works are being created. We are living in an age of abundance and of amazing new opportunity.

Northern Ireland has a growing and profitable digital content industry.

Digital Circle is the organisation which represents digital content businesses in Northern Ireland and aims to promote 28 NI Chamber

the digital content sector both within and outside the Province. It represents over 350 companies making everything from web pages to e-learning apps to games.

We are seeing a noticeable growth in the aspiration and the ambition of local practitioners. For example, over the last six years the number of games studios in Northern Ireland has blossomed from one operation to over forty. These studios are small, aggressive and creative endeavours – harnessing the latest technology to produce games and entertainment apps which will be distributed worldwide through any of a variety of apps stores

– from Apple, to Google Play, Amazon, Valve and Microsoft.

Our companies have worked with indigenous businesses and vast multinationals, they have developed games and apps for NBC Universal, for Lionsgate Films and Sony Entertainment.

The growth of our industry is limited by the supply of skilled staff and development capital but this is an industry that can propel humble developers to superstardom and riches. Small studios like Rovio (founded in Finland in 2003 which created the globally successful game Angry Birds) can transform into 800

received the same levels of investment as other regions across the world).

The beauty of digital content is that while the costs of initial development can be high, the cost of reproduction and distribution of the intellectual property is trending towards zero. It becomes not only possible to make more money than before by reducing a price but even giving it away. In an experiment, Valve reduced the price of a game successively and discovered the revenues continued to rise. At the pinnacle of this experiment, they reduced the price of the game to 25 per cent of the original cost and saw a revenue increase of 1470 per cent. This proves the model of games companies who give away their game and make the money on advertising, in-game purchase and merchandising.

We believe these opportunities are also available to Northern Ireland developers and entrepreneurs. While most people know Angry Birds, they may not realise that Rovio Entertainment developed

“THIS IS AN INDUSTRY THAT CAN PROPEL HUMBLE DEVELOPERS TO SUPER-STARDOM AND RICHES.”

50 unsuccessful games before their “overnight success” with Angry Birds. We have to cultivate an industry to “try and try again” in order to compete and this means finding ways to support artists and software developers who can create these works.

There is a business model challenge and a marketing challenge but there are many new ways to make money and much more opportunity in the long run.

While not every game succeeds in popularity or profits, there are nearly endless examples of individual developers or small teams reaching success and the demand for entertainment is continuing to grow. We are seeing a surge in the creation of games (and game development companies) in Northern Ireland and they are targeting all sectors of the industry on every platform. They may specialise in mobile or console or PC, they may choose to make casual games or platformers or wargames, and they choose how much to translate their games for other markets. Games subsume all other types of media and they cross national and cultural barriers with ease.

The challenge for Northern Ireland is how to commit to this new market opportunity and how to exploit the opportunities afforded to a small region with a strong tradition of creativity and technical excellence.

Angry Birds, created by Finnish game developer Rovio Entertainment, has become a global success.

(Picture: Rovio Entertainment).

NI Chamber 29

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

employee entertainment behemoths with $200m in revenue whereas micro-studios like Mojang, with only 40 employees, can enjoy revenues of over $200m due to the successful exploitation of a single creative endeavour, in this case, Minecraft.

Supercell, with only 85 employees, is generating $2.4m a day in revenue while giving their game away. These are modern business models for modern companies; their ecosystems are just as vibrant as the App Store or Amazon.

The most money spent on a content property is currently Destiny, a brand new release with development and marketing estimates at around $500m but few realise that the second most expensive game was GTA V, developed by Rockstar North and their 360 employees in Edinburgh at a cost of $265m. These sorts of budgets eclipse most movies and are consistent with the most expensive television series such as Game of Thrones (which costs around $6m per episode – bringing the total cost to around $300m by the end of series 5).

We believe that if Edinburgh, being socially and culturally close to Belfast, can sustain one of the largest games franchises in the world, Northern Ireland can compete not only in the television entertainment market (which received considerable local investment since 1997) but can compete and win in the game and digital entertainment markets (which have not

FOCUS ON Technology

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE I

n 199 new M the do the inte recognis At that s Site Eng the cent forefron

Facts a • Ther servi • The temp the p had • Ther tech lapto • Ther stand calls featu Only phon as an • Com prim • Whe copy the p of ex • All m confe were • The to th was • A ne be u large com • Hand hard

30 NI Chamber

I

n 1999 as the world was preparing for the new Millennium, we experienced what was the dot com era. This was 15 years ago when the internet was just beginning to become a recognised tool in how business was conducted.

At that stage in my career, I was working as a Site Engineer on a £90m construction project in the centre of Belfast which at the time was at the forefront in the use of emerging technology.

Facts about it I remember include: • There was only one email address to service the project.

• The construction company had a

temporary base at the site yet none of the project management team members had their own individual email address.

• There was no wireless or broadband technology at the time. Anyone with a laptop needed a USB connection.

• There were no smart phones, just standard Nokia phones. Phone calls and text messages were the only features available on the handsets.

Only two people had a mobile phone on the project as they were seen as an expensive luxury, not a necessity.

• Communication between companies was primarily by Fax. • When a drawing was re-issued, a hard copy was printed and photocopied for all the project team members – causing a lot of excess photocopying.

• All meetings were face-to-face. Video conferencing was not available and there were certainly no Viber or Skype facilities!

• The main computer that was connected to the internet had a dial-up connection. It was a 64MB machine.

• A new technology was beginning to be used called ‘zipping files’ to send large attachments. At the time very few companies had even heard of it.

• Handover files were all hardcopy documents.

Fast forward 15 years and the Northern Ireland construction industry is progressing rapidly in the utilisation of IT. The progressive construction companies are now experiencing the following: • Smart phones for all key staff members with email access as standard.

• iPads and other touch-screen tablet technology are being introduced for tasks including getting visitors to sign off on site inductions, where previously a pen and paper with clip board would have been used.

• Back office server rooms are now being replaced by Cloud computing to reduce the physical space required in Head Office buildings.

• Integrated management systems incorporating quality, environmental and health & safety accredited to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards are becoming increasingly prevalent among companies. The documents and records are becoming paperless as far as possible. The use of surveymonkey.com rather than posting a customer feedback questionnaire with a self-addressed envelope is becoming common practice.

• Social media is being fully integrated into formal communication strategies. For example a major local Contractor has set up a Facebook sub-page for each of its construction projects as a means to update the local community around the project and neighbouring occupiers on progress. If the Foreman is informed that a delivery is due to arrive outside of the usual working hours, then that is updated on the Facebook page via a smart phone on site which is using the Wi-Fi to alert the neighbours as part of the company’s commitment to community liaison. Likewise if, for example, there was unavoidable noisy activity planned for during the week, this would be updated to the Facebook page so the neighbours would be alerted.

This also gives people the opportunity to give the Contractor feedback,

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THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS TAKING TECHNOLOGY TO NEW LEVELS AS GERARD GRAHAM, PROCUREMENT MANAGER FOR WILSON CONSTRUCTION, EXPLAINS.

which the progressive companies use to continually improve their operations.

• Large printers are becoming less common as drawings are being viewed on site remotely via iPads.

• Video conferencing is becoming commonplace.

• Apps are being created for almost everything.

Previously any defects would be handwritten on a page and managed from there. Apps are now being used so a Foreman can photograph a defect, add a description along with a date and time that it was identified and use an iPad to manage and track the actions before handover – all paperless.

The biggest challenge to face the industry in the last ten years is the introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM). The key fact for Northern Ireland companies is this: all suitable centrally procured projects over an EU threshold of €5,000,000 (approx. £4,320,000) have to attain BIM Level 2 by 2016. In simple terms, BIM is about taking the information produced by all the parties in a construction project including Architect, Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers and collating that information into one common platform that all the parties can see, use and interact with.

Up until now each of the parties involved in a project used software specific to their chosen discipline that only they could use. For example a typical scenario would be that a Mechanical Engineer would design an air-conditioning unit for a new multi-storey office building; when designing it they would have the Architect’s drawings of the layout of the building including where all the beams and columns were to be located. When the Construction Manager was managing the build on site it would become obvious that the air-conditioning unit could not be fitted in the exact location where it was meant to be due to the positioning of a column.

BIM helps eradicate a problem like this through clash detection as it allows 3D modelling before construction work actually begins on site. It is based on the principle of all the parties using IT to collaborate to make a more efficient industry and reduce life cycle costs. Some Northern Ireland firms are progressing very well with the introduction of BIM and have already won contracts in Great Britain where BIM has been a requirement.

Professionals involved in the Northern Ireland construction industry are very much harnessing the use of Information Technology. Recently I was invited to judge a HND student project where groups of students had worked together on a mock proposal to develop a site into a commercial building. The first group used BIM to prepare a design, MovieMaker to create a 3D visual walkthrough, Excel to prepare the financial forecast, Publisher to prepare marketing material and PowerPoint to present it - whilst using desktop and mobile technology to aid the construction process on site. Utilisation of these tools is becoming increasingly regular now.

Surely this bodes well for the development of a sustainable local construction industry.

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Digging deep Today’s businesses need to operate more efficiently and more costeffectively. Jason Bell, founder of Datasentiment Data Services, explains some of the innovative technology used to achieve this.

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he Cloud, Big Data and Data Mining – these three terms have become increasingly used in industry today – but they are still somewhat of a mystery to most businesses and this poses a number of questions. What do they achieve? Do they apply to what you are doing? Will they help your business? Here’s an explanation of the key concepts of each with the aim of making your decision-making more informed.

The Cloud It is quite possibly one of the most over-used terms in computing today and it also seems to cause the most confusion. The term ‘The Cloud’ represents anything that is stored on a machine based on the Internet. For example, if you are using Google Docs for editing a spreadsheet then you are using Software as a Service, otherwise known as ‘SaaS’.

However, there are other permutations of ‘as a Service’ that are available. The ability to store large amounts of data via services such as Dropbox, Copy or OneDrive has been made easier with large-scale cloud storage. These services enable you to access documents on any device that they support, at any time.

Entire platforms can now be run on the cloud as a service, for example Microsoft are making huge efforts for their Office suite of products to run on the cloud (called 32 NI Chamber

When coupled with Cloud Computing, then Big Data brings enormous insight to a company. For example, if you are in retail, using previous sales data and tying in the historical weather data for various retail locations, you may start to see patterns in sales depending on certain weather patterns. You can predict stock patterns based on all the previous usage data.

Big Data certainly has its uses but it’s not a simple case of throwing data at a processing system, like Hadoop which is the software used in many Big Data situations. It’s really down to knowing what question your organisation is trying to answer. The issues of the volume, velocity and the variety of data come later on.

Data Mining Detailed customer tracking devices, such as the Tesco Clubcard, enable retailers to mine petabytes of data on customer buying behaviour so they’re better able to target individual customers with specific offers. Let’s illustrate the point – if you have a Tesco Clubcard, take it out of your purse or wallet and have a look at it. There’s your name and the long number. Now think about the times you’ve handed it over to the cashier or waved it over the scanner at the unmanned checkout.

All those basket items logged and recorded, never to be forgotten? Well… not quite. With data mining that history is made into the offers that come back to you four times a year. The key is simple, if a business knows its customers and has a history of their purchases then there’s data that can be mined.

The marketing company behind the Clubcard, Dunnhumby, knows how to mine baskets to get as much insight out of them as possible and the customer gets something in return such as money off and other vouchers to incentivize more spending.

Office365). These services can link into other storage and processing products too. Software developers have used Amazon Web Services for hosting their websites, commerce systems and email on the cloud. An entire platform for web applications is common and there are a number of different platforms to choose from.

But why use cloud computing? The main answer is simple – price. The idea of cloud computing is a concept known as ‘utility computing’ where you can turn services on and off like a water tap. Instead of being charged annually or monthly, some cloud services can be charged on an hourly basis.

This means you can start up a service, process some data for a couple of hours and then turn it off again. If left continuously on, then cloud computing can become expensive so it’s important to weigh up the cost benefits when in the planning stages.

Big Data Along with ‘The Cloud’, two words have crept into the commercial lexicon over the last couple of years – ‘Big Data’. The notion that companies need Big Data to gain insight into their business and improve the bottom line is a promise that many managers can’t pass. The reality is that it can be difficult. Firstly, a company has to have the data available in the first place. This may not be Big Data but just data.

Using the Technologies The Cloud, Big Data and Data Mining can be used independently or in combination by companies to gain insight into customer preferences. These technologies can also improve the working environment of staff by enabling them to work online anywhere on documents on any device.

Not every company has Big Data but don’t worry, you can still use Big Data tools and Data Mining to make better-informed decisions.

They all have a place in most industries, the real question is how you can combine these things in to your day-to-day operations and improve your bottom line.

“The Cloud, Big Data and Data Mining can be used independently or in combination by companies to gain insight into customer preferences.”

LAW FIRMS ARE WORKING IN AN INCREASINGLY INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE. PAUL MCBRIDE, HEAD OF PINSENT MASONS BELFAST OFFICE TELLS ADRIENNE MCGILL HOW TECHNOLOGY IS HELPING THE GLOBAL FIRM STAY CONNECTED.

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ny professional services company providing a ‘business to business’ service will be reliant on a robust, up-to-date IT system. When the company in question is part of a global network then connectivity and communication becomes even more important. And when the business is a legal firm advising some of Northern Ireland’s top corporate organisations at a time when efficiency is the watchword, then the reliance on IT as a business tool really couldn’t be any higher. That is the case at Pinsent Masons and it’s the reason why Head of the Belfast office Paul McBride places such an emphasis on the use of the most effective IT systems within the firm.

Paul explains: “Really there are two ways of looking at the use we make of IT. “First, we have never been afraid to do things differently. Many law firms have regarded IT solely as a means to help lawyers work more productively, without actually changing how they work. So, swapping the quill pen for the word processor didn’t actually change how the underlying work was being done, it just made it a bit quicker.

“We are now in a phase where clients are looking to us to innovate in how legal services are actually delivered in order to achieve maximum efficiency and quality. And we are responding. We recognise that innovation within the legal sector is about getting the right people doing the right work, automating parts of the process where that’s possible and desirable, and getting the process right.

“That’s really the philosophy underpinning

“CLIENTS ARE LOOKING TO US TO INNOVATE IN HOW LEGAL SERVICES ARE ACTUALLY DELIVERED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY.” SmartDelivery, a suite of products we have developed which combines people, process and technology to deliver major projects cost effectively.

“Already, SmartDelivery products have been rolled out with clients such as Balfour Beatty and E.On UK Plc. And I’m delighted to say they are being extremely well received to the point where last year we were recognised by the Financial Times as being among the top ten most innovative law firms in Europe.”

Paul also points to another example of the firm’s ambitious approach to innovation – its cutting edge anti bribery technology platform, Cerico.

“It is a joint initiative between ourselves and a leading IT consultancy. Cerico is the merger of innovative IT with our in-house legal experience and expertise and the result is a technology platform which ensures that both supplier and employee compliance data is collated, updated and tracked with maximum efficiency. It is a great example, among others, of using IT to enhance our client service.”

The firm also makes use of the latest IT systems to keep its global network connected.

“We pride ourselves on our role as a law firm with a long history of providing strong counsel to Northern Ireland businesses and public sector bodies. In doing so, we have a number of core strengths - we cover a range of sectors, we have a highly skilled and motivated pool of lawyers, and importantly we are part of a global network. That means that we can assist our clients with local, national and international issues, tapping into a global team which can offer, when appropriate, geographical as well as sectoral insights. So effectively Pinsent Masons globally is one connected law firm. That is brought to reality through the use we make of IT; it is important to us that we can be instantly in contact with the colleague across the corridor and the colleague across the world.

“One of the most valuable members of our team is our in-house IT manager whose task it is to ensure that we maintain that contact and that ability to communicate with one another instantly. All of our lawyers work through a shared server and documents et cetera can be shared at the touch of a button. Given the legal confidentiality afforded to all of our clients, our systems must adhere to the strictest of security measures. And they do.”

Pinsent Masons recently relocated to the prestigious Soloist building on Belfast’s waterfront area. The move represented a significant investment by the firm and the IT element was central to the configuration of the new office.

“All of our staff are online within the office, whether they are at their own desks, the café or in a break out room with colleagues.

A large part of our business is conducted via audio/visual connectivity, both with clients and between colleagues, and each floor is equipped with high definition, connected screens,” says Paul.

“Is IT an important part of the service we deliver? The answer is a resounding yes; IT helps us deliver our legal service effectively, efficiently and to the benefit of our customer, but it is more than that. IT is actually a core part of our service.”

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A CASE OF INNOVATIVE SYSTEMS

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Improving healthcare involves a big operation The healthcare of patients is about to be transformed by the innovative analysis of huge amounts of data, as Adrienne McGill hears from the University of Ulster’s Professor Jim McLaughlin and Stephen McComb.

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ig data analytics, a term which has become increasingly used in business in the last couple of years, is the process of examining large amounts of different data types, or big data, in an effort to uncover hidden patterns, unknown correlations and other useful information.

It is a process which is used across a wide range of sectors but with particular value to the healthcare industry.

By discovering associations and understanding patterns and trends within medical data, big data analytics has the potential to improve care, save lives and lower costs…in other words transform the healthcare of patients.

The application of big data analytics in the healthcare sector takes advantage of the mountains of data captured about patients in order to extract information for clinicians to allow them to make better informed decisions.

It means that doctors and nurses involved in the delivery of healthcare can develop more thorough and insightful diagnoses and treatments, resulting in higher quality care at lower costs and in better outcomes overall.

Leading this specialised field of big data analytics in healthcare in Northern Ireland is Professor Jim McLaughlin and Stephen McComb.

Both based at the University of Ulster (UU), believe its use will transform patient care in the future.

Professor McLaughlin, a physicist, heads the School of Engineering research, where he serves as Director of the Engineering Research Institute and Director of the Nanotechnology and Integrated BioEngineering Centre (NIBEC).

In recent years Professor McLaughlin’s focus has been on developing connected health technologies within the University of Ulster. This work involves linking bioengineering and computing sciences with sensor technology developed within NIBEC and thus encouraging clinically-led research initiatives to benefit the healthcare sector.

He is also Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Intelesens, a spin-out from the UU that designs, develops and manufactures a range of wireless healthcare products and solutions.

“The medical sector is highly complex – you have to think of it in terms of surgical, therapeutic and diagnostic divisions,” says Professor McLaughlin.

“The concept of miniaturizing devices, using IT, electronics, sensor technology and good design is at the core of these areas.

“The IT side has been driven by the fact that we need to have healthcare more connected.

For example, in a hospital you are confined to a bed but there is a need to get you out of bed and home quickly – and that is where miniaturized portable wearable technology comes in. It is very important to add a lot of smart analytics into that.

What we are trying to do through the technology involving all sorts of vital signs and blood diagnostic monitoring is to help clinicians make better decisions earlier and be more predictive to get you out of hospital and reduce admissions.

“The elderly population will grow dramatically in the future as we live longer. The unfortunate side is that if they do fall ill, it is likely to cost the Health Service a lot of money. IT companies are waking up to this – they see the chance to look at patient data using analytics to form algorithms – which is a decision-making code to help clinicians make decisions faster, more economically and to the betterment of the patient.”

Stephen McComb, who heads the business division of the Northern Ireland Connected Health Innovation Centre (NI-CHIC), which is also based at the UU, points to the interconnection between patients and technology.

“There are two elements which overlap very

“It is a very interesting area. In CHIC we have over 25 companies working on collaborative research so there is a nice join between academically inspired businesses linked to some of the public health needs. It is a really interesting space and there is so much yet to be developed.”

Professor Jim McLaughlin and Stephen McComb, who are based at the University of Ulster and are leading the field of big data analytics in healthcare.

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well – one is at patient level around making his/ her health better by using devices and monitors.

The second involves the systems side with the Health Service using devices developed by companies to link in with records and capturing information which is then fed back to clinicians to help them form decisions about how to treat the patient earlier. Earlier intervention improves health outcomes and reduces costs to a strained healthcare budget.”

Even the world’s best scientists and doctors have limited knowledge of how different people respond to different treatments. The result is a “one size fits all” approach to medicine. But that’s changing.

Personalised medicine is moving us closer to more precise, predictable and powerful medicine — customised for the individual patient. Clinicians’ growing understanding of genetics is allowing them to provide better diagnoses, safer drug prescribing, and more effective treatment of the diseases and conditions that have affected people throughout history.

Today, scientists and doctors are learning how to tailor healthcare to a person’s unique genetic makeup.

That’s the idea behind personalised medicine.

“You will get 10 times better treatment if your medical condition is treated very specifically.

Everyone’s body delivers a slightly different prognosis and therefore you get better treatment if you use drugs or therapies that are designed specifically for you,” says Professor McLaughlin.

“The big thing in the future is to get data analytics completely right and then go into the world of personalised medicine so that your data is used to inform your care.”

But how is healthcare analytics being used in Northern Ireland presently to improve patient care?

“A lot of it is at a research level but beginning to be explored between academics and clinicians,” explains Professor McLaughlin.

“A joint Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2011 between the Department of Health and Department of Enterprise has been very important.

With that, both departments have driven forward two main ambitions – one is to drive the economy forward with connected health at the core and also to have patient benefits. The second involves using analytical methods to move things along – be that through personalised medicine or drivers in the healthcare service.”

In June this year Health Minister Edwin Poots launched a new initiative – ‘the Honest Broker Service’ – with the aim of putting in place a better and more secure process for the sharing of unidentifiable health and social care data within the Health and Social Care system. This means that patient data can be shared in a more efficient way, while keeping that individual’s identity anonymous.

“The interaction with the Health Service, utilising more personalised data from our citizens and getting the governance to set it up is at an embryonic stage. There has been 2-3 years of work to get the balance between protecting data and improving healthcare but it has still a way to go before we can make use of its full potential,” says Professor McLaughlin.

However, academics and companies in Northern Ireland are increasingly collaborating on new projects and innovations in a bid to gain a better insight into healthcare and needs in the future. This has been supported by the creation of a health “ECO system” which joins leaders from health, business and academia together once a quarter to investigate opportunities to improve.

“At the core is how do we use data in a different way in the future, to improve people’s health and create a sustainable healthcare delivery system,” says Stephen McComb.

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

SHOPPING IN THE FUTURE WILL BECOME EVEN MORE TECH-DRIVEN SAYS GEORGE RANKIN, SENIOR DIRECTOR, ASDA, NORTHERN IRELAND.

CLICKING WITH CONSUMERS

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s Asda approaches its 50th anniversary next year (and its 10th in Northern Ireland), we see the retail environment changing at an unprecedented rate. The digital revolution has changed the way the world works, interacts and most importantly for us, how the world shops.

It’s essential that, as a leading retailer, Asda moves with the times and starts looking even further ahead to what the shopping experience of the future might look like.

The online grocery market has doubled in the past five years and will at least double again in the next five, so it is clear that our organisation’s future depends on our ability to get ahead of the wave of advancing technology and stand ready to maximise the opportunities these new tools offer. It’s also important to remember that people are at the heart of our business, and they allow us to take hold of opportunities and help us make innovative retail into a reality.

Our approach isn’t just online or offline but an ‘across the line’ approach which will seamlessly combine real bricks and mortar stores with virtual shopping experiences to make shopping with Asda the most accessible and convenient retail experience in the country.

Having a global retail power like Walmart as a parent company is, of course, an advantage and developments such as the creation of the Silicon Valley–based ‘Walmart Labs’ – the company’s hub for creating technologies and businesses in ecommerce – is massively exciting. This underscores Walmart’s commitment to

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technology innovation in powering the next generation of retail.

However, we haven’t been waiting for our parent to lead the charge – we have in many cases been leading the way on many of the tech-driven service advances in the business and industry. ‘Click and Collect’ and our new ‘Same Day Click and Collect’ services were trialled and introduced in the UK and the lessons we’ve learned are now being adapted and trialled by Walmart in the US. We’ve quickly established a reputation as a leader in tech-driven service innovation and, having seen some of the long-term plans, I’m confident Asda will be at the very forefront of the creation of shopping experiences which will lead the retail sector into the future.

Our innovations are customer driven.

We’re changing to make sure we’re fit for the future, and because the digital revolution has put power back in the hands of the consumer. They have more choice than ever on how they shop as well as where – and so our aim is to be the most convenient supermarket for them.

Our customers want to save time as much as they want to save money which is why we introduced ‘Click and Collect’ at two thirds of our stores in Northern Ireland and our sector-leading ‘same day’ Click and Collect service, which arrived at eight Northern Ireland stores earlier this year. Services like ‘same day’ really shine a spotlight on how dependent any technology is on our colleagues – the people who make sure customers get what they’ve

ordered in time. Technology makes these fantastic services possible but it’s our colleagues who make it happen.

The retail landscape has changed at its most dramatic pace in recent years, and so, two years ago, we began to work on a new five year strategy to allow us to redefine value retailing in the UK. This strategy will ensure our business is fit for the future with the help of retail innovations and making sure we have the right structure and roles in place. We’re continually investing in the training of our people, up-skilling colleagues who have worked in retail for many years with expertise and IT know-how.

We’re not necessarily trying to move our existing shoppers from in-store to online but we’re offering that choice and extending the physical reach of our bricks and mortar stores to as wide an audience as possible.

Our remit is to make Asda’s Every Day Low Prices more accessible and more convenient but this isn’t all about the internet. The future for our business is the combination of ‘clicks and bricks’ – making shopping online a seamless part of our

business while continually improving the instore experience.

We’re focused on making shopping convenient without the need for convenience stores. We want customers to be able to take advantage of the great savings that shopping at a big store can provide but with a location and at a time which suits them best.

We serve thousands of Click and Collect customers in Northern Ireland and uptake for the service is growing phenomenally – tenfold last year alone. Across the UK, our physical stores currently allow us to reach 53 per cent of the population but this is extended to 98 per cent by our grocery home shopping service. In Northern Ireland we have ambitious plans to grow this reach and this means more bricks and mortar stores here as well as growing our home delivery service and increasing the number of places ‘click and collect’ can be accessed from. In the UK, we’ve already partnered with Transport for London to offer some shoppers in the capital the ability to pick up their groceries at their closest tube station and this is being further expanded this year.

Partnerships like this have been a great way of extending the reach of our stores further and a great example of the combination of ‘clicks and bricks’ which is central to Asda’s development plans.

Again, all of these services require a seamless connection between technology, the business systems and the people who make it happen. As a business with over a decade of large scale ecommerce behind us, we’ve worked tirelessly to make this connection work and we’re always looking for ways to improve it.

The store of the future might not look especially different but we’d hope to improve the shopping experience even further, offering more choice and more

“THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION HAS PUT POWER BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE CONSUMER.”

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Developments in technology mean that consumers have more choice on how they shop.

convenient ways to do your shopping.

As well as self-scan, we have ‘hybrid’ tills, allowing our shoppers the convenience of self-checkout but the surety of being able to switch to a manned till if it’s busy, or if that’s what our customers want.

We’re also continually experimenting with ways that technology can transform the customer experience. For example, we’ve trialled a ‘rapid scan’ check out at our ‘gadget store’ in York last year. The rapid scanner allows customers to put their shopping on a conveyor belt which passes through a 360 degree barcode scanner, dramatically speeding up the process, making this even more convenient for our customers.

In fact, the store of the future for many of our shoppers might not be a store at all – it might be their local train stop or petrol station and for many it will be entirely online with home delivery becoming a regular part of many people’s lives.

One thing is certain, the Asda of the future will be designed by customer demand, delivered by our investment in technology but only made possible by our continued investment in our colleagues.

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APPLYING REALITY MAKE YOUR BUSINESS AN ‘APPIER’ PLACE TO BE SAYS ADRIAN BRADLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF i3 DIGITAL.

The light continues to shine on digital technologies says Adrian Bradley, as he holds the “Best Productivity App” award which his company i3 Digital won last year.

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arring an extremely low number of exceptions, businesses per se in Northern Ireland and across the globe thankfully no longer see the internet as “the enemy”.

There aren’t even many “one-manbands” that don’t have some level of online presence – whether it’s a listing on Yelp, a Google Map pin, or a basic Facebook page.

Can you remember the last time you looked up a business or service by rifling through the Yellow Pages? Thought not!

Of course, not every business can be the next Google, Facebook, or Amazon, but each and every organisation must work harder than ever to build and maintain its business and reputation online. The amazing aspect of digital technology today is that it provides the ‘Davids’ with the same opportunities as the “Goliaths” of the business world. In many ways – it’s even more beneficial to SMEs than global blue chips.

We’ve always known technology travels at phenomenal pace – I remember being

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told by a friendly courier driver in 1997 that my freshly delivered (and unbelievably expensive) home PC was probably already out-of-date due to the constant advancements in digital technologies! Instead of levelling out like any other industrial (or economic) boom, the advancements of today’s digital technologies make the 90’s look like a period of digital depression!

“thankfully app technologies mean businesses no longer have to wait about and hope for client engagement.”

The European Commission estimates the mobile app market to currently be worth over €10bn, with smartphones in Europe averaging 27 apps per phone.

Additionally, Northern Ireland and the

Republic of Ireland are amongst the biggest users of tablets, smartphones, and apps in the world. The stratospheric growth of these applications and technologies in our own market provides opportunities for local businesses to make huge gains in their digital marketing strategies, before their foreign competitors do!

Where once our access to the digital world was limited to the aforementioned PC and laptop, we now mainly operate via our mobile devices, and it is this evolution that has catalysed the “App” into the business world. Look up the definition of an app in Google, and we’re told it is “a self-contained program or piece of software designed to fulfil a particular purpose; an application, especially as downloaded by a user to a mobile device.” What businesses need to focus on is that apps are available to them to not just engage with their audience (so last century!), but reach out and grab them! Consequently, the digital and app experience is now heavily influenced by mobile devices. Today’s user expects more compelling, richer experiences that are

and keep business. Apps are simply the next evolutionary step in the digital marketing world, and an absolute must for businesses that rely on physical or digital footfall to generate income.

Where apps and Augmented Reality differ to other trends like social media, is that app success is not about responding to or keeping up with hype. The key ingredient to success is productivity, and that’s why we were so delighted to win “Best Productivity App” amongst our awards at last year’s Appy Awards. For an app to be downloaded and repeatedly utilised, it must constantly bring genuine benefits and advantages to the customer – otherwise it will fail quickly!

Quite understandably so, there is an abundance of noise around digital at the moment, and many have the tendency to believe it is a new element in the business economy that simply didn’t exist five or ten years ago. However, we have been operating in the niche digital sector for over twenty years. Apps and Augmented Reality technologies are another hugely significant layer in the digital ecosystem, a layer that must be utilised by businesses and organisations in order to get the very most from their digital and online strategies.

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more complex to design but must also be simple, elegant, and easy to use across all devices and platforms.

If you’re like me, you’re just about sick of the “engagement” buzzword that’s thrown about every sales and marketing event (even in this very piece) since 1995. Thankfully, app technologies mean businesses no longer have to wait about and hope for client engagement. That is very attractive – given that only 2 per cent of online visitors make contact from viewing a business’s website.

Apps, especially those featuring Augmented Reality technologies, allow organisations to reach out and grab potential customers, but only when the conditions, locations, times and circumstances are right. Crucially, this ensures constant value and genuine benefit for the user. In essence, everybody wins.

After initially considering Augmented Reality (AR) as more of a gimmick, we have embraced the technology and are now Ireland’s key players in designing and delivering AR-based apps to public and private businesses. The technology is bringing unprecedented experiences for users and businesses. For the first time, organisations can make direct contact with a select category of potential customers, informing them of special offers, meal-deals, promotions and anything of relevance to the individual target. We can then literally guide them to your door, creating footfall and revenue that the business simply wouldn’t have access to previously.

Augmented Reality apps and digital technologies in general are now focused especially on user experiences, and businesses must deliver highly optimised cross-platform customer experiences to win

• Adrian Bradley with the i3 team responsible for the design and delivery of AR-based apps.

• Augmented Reality apps are focused on user experiences which includes guiding them to restaurants, places of interest, things to see.

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STAYING CONNECTED ON THE MOVE BT is offering SMEs access to its 4G network and unlimited Wi-fi in a move which the Head of BT Business in Northern Ireland Paul Convery tells Adrienne McGill is “transformational.”

“The 4G network means faster speeds for the user and greater access to a wider range of applications.”

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and uninterrupted access to company applications and programmes, using them as if they were stored on their own device.

They can quickly and easily view large emails, files, presentations and stream HD videos whilst on the move. Staff can also collaborate with other colleagues on documents in real-time online, using services like Microsoft Office 365.

BT says with access to 4G and BT Wi-fi, customers can keep connected and productive throughout their working day.

Every BT Business mobile customer will have unlimited access to over 5 million BT Wi-fi hotspots across the UK and customers can download the BT Wi-fi app which will automatically connect them when in range of a hotspot, helping save on mobile data costs.

The offer is available to both new and existing customers and those already signed up to BT’s business network will enjoy the benefits when they renew their plans.

Head of BT Business in Northern Ireland Paul Convery says it’s a “transformational” step.

“The big difference is that we are offering customers access to the 4G network, and for the first time offering customers unlimited access to the BT Wi-fi network – which is pretty transformational.

“The 4G network means faster speeds for the user and greater access to a wider range of applications. In the old days with slow speeds, it would be very unlikely that anyone would have access to back office files but with the evolution of Cloud solutions and the fact that you have superfast access to those applications, it allows people more flexibility to be out and about in the field and have virtual access to their office.”

BT Business 4G will run over the BT Business national mobile service, facilitated by an agreement with EE signed earlier this year. Under the terms of the contract EE will provide various mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) services to BT’s customers and employees based in the UK. “We have a very large wholesale agreement to acquire access to the EE network, thereafter it is entirely a BT

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

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elecoms giant BT has invested many billions of pounds in the development of new technologies in recent years in a bid to help business customers run their operations more efficiently and effectively.

While the multi-million pounds investment in the fibre broadband network in Northern Ireland is one of the most significant, the recent announcement by BT that it is offering business customers in Northern Ireland access to its 4G mobile network and also unlimited BT Wi-fi at no extra cost, will help SMEs capitalise on superfast connectivity through improved mobile broadband services.

BT claims the 4G mobile plans mean customers can do more on their mobile devices, wherever they are, with an online experience similar to being in the office. With 4G, businesses can make the most of the Cloud, with fast, secure

experience – so we have our own tariffs, marketing and customer service. Everything is as it would be with a network operator,” says Paul Convery.

“We currently cover 72 per cent of the population in Northern Ireland and roll out is continuing. I am confident that the coverage of 4G together with access to the Wi-fi network will ensure the user experience is very good.”

BT is offering a range of tariffs and handset options, which it says are “designed to meet the needs of all businesses”.

The new plans range from single user to shared bundles, data-only plans and a new Mobile Flex plan that can offer tailored pricing for larger customers. Customers have the option to select a SIM only plan or can choose from a range of handsets.

Customers can also add Mobile Extras to make sure they don’t run out of what they need, including options that they can share across their business. They can also take advantage of new short-term, 30-day roaming Extras for roaming in both Europe and the rest of the world.

Paul Convery believes that BT has shaken up the mobile market by offering customers an unrivalled service.

“The offer of 4G access to our customers is unique and new – we are very excited about it. It is not only about access to the network but it is what our customers will begin to do on it. I can guarantee that our customers will find ways of running their businesses and delivering applications and solutions over a very fast mobile network in ways that we possibly have not even thought about.”

Research carried out by BT shows that 24 per cent of employees now work regularly out of the office. Paul Convery says it is part of the company’s strategy to offer a portfolio that provides value for money and meets the changing needs of businesses and BT has designed its new mobile plans to cater for this.

He says that the new plans give customers the connectivity they need to help them stay productive when out and about, along with the flexibility to choose a plan that suits their way of working.

“One of the big areas for BT is flexibile working. We don’t see work as a place you go – it’s what you do and we like to encourage our staff to work as flexibly and remotely as possible.

“The network that we provide in the ground coupled with the 4G network coupled with the Wi-fi access means you can work remotely anywhere and have access to your office-based files – this is revolutionary.

“Our mantra is ‘to help businessses to do business more efficiently’. We are trying to drive and encourage a more connected community and allow our customers to run their business more efficiently and effectively so 4G and the fibre network are real highlights for us.”

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY Fujitsu has transformed clean rooms in the Fukushima province of Japan into carefully controlled environments offering the optimum conditions needed for the growing of lettuce with very low potassium levels.

Putting the Human Experience at the Centre of Technology Innovative technology devised by Fujitsu is set to revolutionise the healthcare and agriculture sectors. Newland McKelvey, Delivery Executive New Business, Fujitsu explains what’s involved.

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he Fujitsu World Tour 2014 landed in Dublin recently to showcase the current and future trends in technology and hardware as part of a 23 destination tour across Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

The theme for this year’s event was ‘Reshaping ICT, Reshaping Business and Society’ which focuses on concepts and innovations that can help public and private sector organisations improve efficiency and support growth.

42 NI Chamber

It was also an opportunity to explore Fujitsu’s vision for a Human Centric Intelligent Society which is essentially a world where technology complements and enhances all of our lives – a place where information continually delivers knowledge and where innovation thrives to support better and more efficient human interaction, whether that is in business, healthcare, education, transport, agriculture or public service delivery. The event heard from globally renowned ICT thought

leaders from a range of organisations and covered new technologies and topics, such as mobility, innovation, cloud integration, the future of IT healthcare, and commercialisation of research.

In showcasing the shift towards a ‘human centric intelligent society’, a number of exciting projects in healthcare and agriculture spring to mind which serve to highlight the true value of technology in improving people’s lives.

Independent Living and Healthcare Fujitsu, as a global business, is dedicated to providing a better living environment for hospital, care home and assisted living patients of any age, in a market area that is estimated will have a world-wide value of €17bn by 2017.

One project already is taking place in Ireland called the Kiduku project, which is helping the elderly to live more independently using home-integrated sensor technology. Until now, this technology has largely been based on movement and impact sensors. But new sophisticated camera technology and software from Japan looks set to change all that.

The research initiative being carried out in collaboration with INSIGHT, the Centre for Data Analytics and CASALA, a Dundalk Institute of Technology based research group, which aims to provide monitoring services and assisted independent living for senior citizens and patients who live in smart houses.

Over the course of the project, researchers are using a range of sensors to monitor patients’ daily lives, in addition to bringing the expertise of independent living support

Taking the guesswork out of agriculture Fujitsu also believes there is much room for innovation in the agriculture industry, especially when there is a recognised global food crisis. Agriculture is largely still an industry where people do work based on their knowledge and their skill sets and intuition and have yet to benefit from fully harnessing the power of technology.

This is particularly a problem when the farming population is aging and the skills and knowledge, built up over generations, are at risk of being lost In recent years in Japan the company has been challenging itself to see how ICT could be utilised within the agriculture industry.

As an illustration we have been developing and deploying technology for conventional farms, using sensors and cameras to optimise the use of land or animal husbandry and health, allowing farmers to respond quickly to changing conditions to maximise crop or animal yield and tighten up the supply chain.

Under the Akisai Food and Agriculture Cloud Services we are using big data to optimise cultivation schedules according to each type of product, region, and brand. Using this technology, we are helping to stabilise production volumes and enhance product quality, a capability that would normally depend on the expert judgment of farmers.

One project in the in Fukushima province of Japan, has even seen the company transform 2,000-square-metres of clean rooms – designed for semiconductor fabrication but equally beneficial for botany – into carefully controlled environments offering the optimum growing conditions needed for the growing of lettuce.

Some types of lettuce contain a very high level of potassium which makes them dangerous to dialysis patients and people with chronic kidney disease. Fujitsu has chosen to make its variety very low in potassium, making it suitable for patients with kidney problems, who would otherwise have to avoid the salad.

By growing the leafy greens hydroponically in disused clean rooms, the team have minute control over what nutrients are taken up by the growing plants, while light levels and wavelengths can be set at the optimal level for plant growth. As the plants’ environment is a clean room, it can be strictly controlled, meaning pollution and pests are kept at bay right through the growing and packaging process, also removing the need for washing.

Fujitsu’s lettuce is currently being supplied to hospitals and patients in Japan, but the main purpose of the project is to encourage Japan’s farmers to use ICT to grow better, purer crops. With the increased urbanised nature of many countries including Japan it is also believed that there will be a growing need for more intensive farming much closer to the urban populations and that the harnessing of technology could hold the key for the future of farming on this basis.

Another project is harnessing technology to streamline livestock husbandry and to promote improved health in cattle. Given the recent spike in the price of livestock feed, the emergence of cheaper imported beef, and other issues, farmers need to ensure efficient operations more than ever.

Using clever pedometer monitors on cattle and combining it with cloud-based services, which capture, interpret and communicate the relevant data through mobile devices, farmers now have the ability to accurately ascertain when cattle are in estrus and receptive to mating, which is key to increasing their productivity.

Already in successful operation at farms throughout Japan since 2012, Fujitsu aims to further expand its deployment to support livestock breeding and bovine health maintenance worldwide.

By demonstrating the potential benefits of technology in this way this fits perfectly with the vision of a human-centric intelligent society – one in which ICT touches, and betters, every element of our existence.

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specialists together with data visualization and analysis technologies. As a result, Fujitsu aims to develop a system that supports independent living through health management and ICT, as well as solutions for seniors and patients that participate in this system.

The research will help seniors and patients follow up with illnesses and support them with appropriate treatment regimes.

In addition, by streamlining the sharing of information among senior citizens and patients and their family members, primary physicians, and specialists, the project aims to leverage ICT to support the lives of people in an aging society.

FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

BEYOND THE FUTURE ROBOTICS, BRAIN SCIENCE AND HIGH END COMPUTING – DEVELOPMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY SHOW NO SIGN OF SLOWING DOWN BUT NORTHERN IRELAND NEEDS TO BE AHEAD OF THE GAME AS THE CHAIR OF MATRIX, DR BRYAN KEATING, TELLS ADRIENNE MCGILL.

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few years ago in a paper published in an issue of Science, neuroscientists said they’d developed a novel method of learning, which could cause long-lasting improvement in tasks that demand a high level of visual performance. And while the so-called neurofeedback method could one day be used to teach you kung fu or to play the piano or to aid spinal-injury patients on the road to rehabilitation, the evidence also suggested the technology could be used to target people without their knowledge.

The experiments, which were conducted at Boston University (BU) and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan, demonstrated that through a person’s visual cortex, researchers could use decoded functional magnetic resonance

44 NI Chamber

imaging (fMRI) to induce brain activity patterns to match a previously known target state and thereby improve performance on visual tasks.

However, the most fascinating or scary part was that the researchers found that this novel learning approach worked even when test subjects weren’t aware of what they were learning.

While its application is still at an experimental stage, researchers say such possibilities do exist.

The technology is the kind of thing seen in Hollywood’s “Matrix” films.

It’s this type of far reaching futuristic technology and its real life application which fascinates Dr Bryan Keating, who is Chair of Matrix – the Northern Ireland Science

Industry panel - very aptly named given what’s been just described.

He has more than 30 years’ experience as a director and as an investor in a number of high-tech businesses.

Dr Keating was one of the keynote speakers at the Intelligent Systems Summit and Science Festival which took place last June in Londonderry during the UK City of Culture 2013.

At the event, pioneering research at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) at the University of Ulster’s Magee campus which is turning once futuristic concepts into practical realities, with benefits in healthcare, education, industry and leisure was showcased.

Whilst primarily focusing on cyber security, robotics, brain science, high performance computing and energy systems, the festival was also an opportunity to inspire young people to get interested in science. It was here that Dr Keating met a highly sophisticated personal robot (pictured), which is a fun and practical application of intelligent systems.

It is these types of sophisticated technologies – impacting across many sectors – which will transform how we live and how businesses operate in the future and is at the very heart of what Matrix does.

“Matrix is about science and technology exploitation. We are a panel which is supported by government and inspired by education through universities and further education colleges,” says Dr Keating.

Matrix is a panel of 14 business and academic experts, launched in February 2007 by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) with a remit to give advice to the Northern Ireland Executive on the commercial exploitation of R&D and science and technology.

The panel represents the voice of Northern Ireland’s high tech industry and champions the role of science and technology as a key driver of economic growth in Northern Ireland. By working with industry and academia, the panel can identify new high technology market opportunities, IP and technologies for local companies to exploit and benefit from.

Matrix’s focus is on the demand-led view of what is needed for Northern Ireland to maximise the commercial potential of research, development, science, and technology capabilities. The panel identifies key areas of science, technology and innovation in which Northern Ireland has a lead over competitors, and advises on the policy required to exploit these strengths and deliver economic success. Its aim is to make Northern Ireland a leading region in

industry to operate effectively.

“Northern Ireland is a small economy but we are very competitive, and we have great technologists. Apart from DETI which supports the development of the ICT sector in Northern Ireland, we also have the Department of Employment and Learning which is listening to the ICT industry and tailoring courses to support it and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure which leads the creative industries sector.

“There is continued co-ordination and I am very optimistic that we will continue to be competitive.”

As well as creating and investing in a number of technology companies and in addition to his role with Matrix, Dr Keating has held a number of posts with public bodies and academic institutions including Invest NI, QUBIS, the University Challenge Fund, NICENT (the NI Centre for Entrepreneurship), Investment Belfast, halo – the NI Business Angel Network and Momentum.

With his vast experience in promoting the commercialisation of university research, for instance, through the formation of spinoff companies, he believes academic research holds the key to advancing the economy.

“Universities transfer knowledge to students and therefore those students are the seed corn for the

future in terms of the development of science and technology.

“Both Queen’s University and the University of Ulster work very hard at knowledge transfer in areas that are important to the economy. Further education colleges are also suppliers of great students and great solutions. Our educational establishments solve problems for industry – that is a great gift to have.”

“Thirty years ago, technology was a competitive advantage now it is a necessity – ignore it at your peril.”

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FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY

science and technology in the face of increasing competition from countries such as India and China.

“We look at what markets are available in 5-10 years that Northern Ireland can exploit,” says Dr Keating.

“We are looking at technology and by combining it with our resources in terms of education, training, marketing, design and sales skills, we have a very good chance we can trade on that which puts Northern Ireland in a very strong position. But we need to capitalise on our strengths to be ahead of the game.

“It is all part and parcel of what turns technology into wealth otherwise technology is a great absorber of money.

“Our main job is advisory – we advise government and other bodies about the exploitation of science and technology. We also champion science and technology.

We fly the flag which says to be a vibrant economy – you need to be an exporter and have ICT and services. For Northern Ireland, it means having an economy which starts to pay its way.

“Thirty years ago, technology was a competitive advantage now it is a necessity – ignore it at your peril. ICT is an essential enabler for most companies.”

He points to the advances made, in particular, in digital ICT. “Digital ICT in its many forms is simply one the great enablers that makes a modern economy competitive. Northern Ireland has ambition to build a knowledge-based economy. Very fast, ubiquitous, reliable and low latency communications is a prerequisite to allow digital ICT to happen effectively and

[Face to Face with....] JIM MORRISON, MANAGING PARTNER OF ANTAL EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT IN IRELAND

ON COURSE FOR THE RIGHT CAREER? GAINING SKILLS IS ONE THING BUT STUDENTS MUST ENSURE THAT IT RESULTS IN THE JOB THEY REALLY WANT JIM MORRISON TELLS ADRIENNE MCGILL.

“A YOUNG PERSON NEEDS TO IDENTIFY WHY A PARTICULAR CAREER WILL SUIT HIM/HER – RATHER THAN DECIDING THIS IS WHAT I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO DO.”

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he skills shortage in Northern Ireland continues to be a hotly debated issue.

Just last month, a survey by The Prince’s Trust revealed that nearly all firms in Northern Ireland fear that a skills shortage could hit their businesses in the next few years.

The charity, which helps disadvantaged young people get into employment, said members of the business community believe that recruiting young people will avert a skills crisis.

Around 89 per cent of businesses surveyed said they believed a skills crisis would hit over the next three years – and many feared a lack of skills could hamper the UK’s economic recovery.

And 45 per cent said they were unable to fill vacancies over the past year because of a lack of skills – and just under one third were frightened that a skills crisis could ultimately cause their business to fold.

There is no doubt that Northern Ireland’s young people have been badly affected by the economic downturn. Despite the gradual recovery, youth unemployment remains above 20 per cent.

The Prince’s Trust said it was calling on employers to invest in vocational training for unemployed people to avoid future skills shortages and create jobs.

Jim Morrison, Managing Partner of Antal

46 NI Chamber

Executive Recruitment in Ireland, believes that the skills crisis starts with many young people choosing a course without thinking, first of all, about the career they would ultimately like to follow.

“The feedback that I have got from young people going into higher education to gain HNCs and HNDs is that quite a number drop out of a course in the first two or three months.

“They decide at an early stage that this is not the course for them because it will not qualify them for the career they really wanted. This is where the problem begins.

“This puts colleges under strain in terms of offering courses which don’t have the sufficient numbers of students to make them sustainable.

“It is therefore vitally important to establish from an early outset how students want to develop as people and what career path they want to follow.

“Young people require an extra boost to help them understand themselves a bit better and how they will fit into the workplace. Do they want to lead? Do they want to follow?

Do they want to work in a dynamic fast moving environment or at a more measured pace.

“If young people understand themselves, that will put them in a better place to choose a course with the right focus.

“A young person needs to identify why a particular career will suit him/her – rather than deciding – this is what I think I would like to do.”

Skills have been recognised as fundamental to long-term growth and prosperity, and the Northern Ireland Executive has placed the issue at the heart of the Economic Strategy for Northern Ireland with a particular focus on key sectors such as ICT, Advanced Engineering and Food and Drink. It is envisaged that such a vision will help Northern Ireland plan for and ensure mechanisms are in place to meet the skills needs of employers and individuals both now and in the future.

Mr Morrison’s executive recruitment company is responsible for matching job candidates with an employer who needs their specific skills and attributes.

“I have to match the ability, skills and qualifications of a particular candidate with the requirements of a client. It is not always easy. A prospective job candidate who is looking for a new challenge may be trying to take a giant step rather than working their way towards a new position in two or three steps. There may be issues around their salary expectation or the type of company they want to work for. They may be setting their goals too high at an early stage.”

Mr Morrison’s comments follow the dramatic announcement by Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry that the expansion of the Ulster University campus in Londonderry is “off the table for the indefinite future” and that plans to have a total of 1,000 new undergraduate places by next year have been shelved. Despite a major backlash, the Minister insisted he had no other choice due to the fact that his department faced budget cuts of £34m. He said his department would have to carry an in-year cut of 4.4 per cent and the universities would have to take a share of that.

Jim Morrison wonders how can the economy grow if the necessary pool of young talent have had their futures blighted because of funding cuts in education?

He says: “Society is changing along with the skill sets that are being required by employers. Education is a critical part of this.

Universities are essential in producing higher level skills and developing the local research base. If the education sector is not given the funding and support that it needs – the outlook will be very bleak.”

[SPONSORED FEATURE]

In most family businesses the desire will be for the business to remain in family control and to be passed from generation to generation. This may not be possible for a number of reasons: •

• •

•

The children may be too old or too young to succeed or may have no desire to enter the business; The children may not have the skills to step into the new role; Some of the children may wish to work in the business and some may not; Some of the children may wish to “extract value” from the business to use elsewhere.

A realistic assessment of the current position of the business, the strengths and weaknesses of its key management and the intentions of its shareholders is required before any plans can be developed.

Succession plans will generally focus on two main areas; ownership and management. These will range from the family retaining both ownership and management, to a disposal of the business where the family ceases to be involved in the business. How realistic each of these options is will depend on the individual circumstances of each situation. Whichever option is considered most appropriate it is essential that a structured plan is put in place to realise the optimal benefits. Each of the options will require different factors to be considered, for example: •

Succession planning for family businesses Michael Nixon from ASM Chartered Accountants explains the benefits of successful succession planning for family businesses.

Only about 30% of family businesses survive into a second generation making succession planning one of the most important business decisions that most people will make and one that is frequently deferred or even ignored. Many family businesses are reluctant to deal with this issue in a timely manner due to a complex mix of business and personal challenges that will be faced. Ignoring these difficult issues does not resolve them.

Retain ownership and management – how is the ownership split? How do you treat children that do not wish to work in the business? How are funds extracted for retirement? What inheritance and capital gains tax issues need to be considered?

Do the children have the ability to drive the business forward?

Do they need further training? How will key customers and suppliers react to the retirement of the key stakeholder?

• Retain ownership but bring in outside management – where are the skills gaps? How will the children react? How is value extracted from the business? How is senior management recruited? How is senior management rewarded?

• Dispose of the business – what is the timescale for disposal?

What are the key tax issues to be considered? Is the business ready for disposal? Does the business have a senior management team in place? How will key customers and suppliers react to the disposal of the business?

Each of the above plans will take a number of years to deliver and as such it is essential that succession planning is commenced as soon as possible. Successful succession planning will increase the likelihood that your business will endure well beyond the transition phase, delivering lasting value to family businesses.

Michael Nixon Director ASM Chartered Accountants michael.nixon@asmbelfast.com 028 9024 9222

michael.nixon@asmbelfast.com

[Columnist] Trevor Annon, chairman of the mount charles group

FRACKING – FACTS OR FICTION? THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE OF FRACKING REQUIRES MORE INFORMED DEBATE ARGUES TREVOR ANNON.

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he unequivocal support for fracking led by David Cameron has set the parameters of a political battleground to win the hearts and minds of the public.

It will inevitably be a long drawn out campaign. The commitment by the Prime Minister to allow the exploration designation of large swathes of Britain represents a calculated gamble.

The ultimate prize however that Mr Cameron claims is at stake is that the controlled extraction of shale gas is capable of transforming Britain into being energy self-sufficient.

In a world increasingly vulnerable in terms of accessing sustainable long-term energy supplies, every source of potential power has to be regarded as a viable option.

Those in favour of fracking argue that, despite the well-documented and equally wellorganised opposition, Britain cannot afford to turn its back on an energy source that is literally under its own backyard.

In the context of Northern Ireland, Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan has taken a much more pragmatic approach.

The potential for confrontation in relation to drilling for shale gas reserves, especially if the operation has the capacity to impinge upon areas dependent on tourism revenues, is huge.

Passions have already been raised as a result of tapping into the shale reserves in the border areas of Fermanagh.

Other border areas of Northern Ireland have also been identified as holding the same energy reserves.

The question confronting society here, as in other parts of the United Kingdom, is whether we are prepared to face the overlapping challenges of our economy and our environment.

Political and public opinion in the province is polarised.

The fact is that, at present, there simply has not been nearly enough informed and independent debate regarding the issue.

Already there has been much heated discussion surrounding an application by Tamboran Resources to drill an exploratory borehole in a quarry near Belcoo.

Minister Durkan has pledged to take into consideration all aspects of the environmental, health and economic concerns raised by the protestors.

He recently rejected proposals for exploratory drilling to test for shale gas on the basis “of a precautionary principle” before a full Environmental Assessment is carried out at the quarry site.

In explaining why he has requested an Environmental Assessment the Minister stated

48 NI Chamber

Belcoo in Co. Fermanagh where controversy has arisen following an application by Tamboran Resources to drill an exploratory borehole for shale gas.

“THE QUESTION CONFRONTING SOCIETY HERE, AS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, IS WHETHER WE ARE PREPARED TO FACE THE OVERLAPPING CHALLENGES OF OUR ECONOMY AND OUR ENVIRONMENT.” that a “risk exists if it cannot be excluded on the basis of objective information”.

There are no guarantees, however, that the reprieve will be permanent.

The problem on the conservationist side of the argument is that economic considerations can never be totally shelved.

Equally there is a growing public distaste for the alternatives to shale gas extraction.

During the past decade there has been a groundswell of opposition to the imprint left on both the land and seascape by large-scale wind farms.

The expertise of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth in trying to generate a change in the cultural UK mindset has failed to convince countryside lovers that wind farms are acceptable.

Natural gas may be a carbon-based fuel but burning it produces only half as much carbon dioxide as burning coal.

Currently the United Kingdom still relies on coal-fired energy to provide at least 30 per cent of its electricity demands.

Supporters of shale gas can point with some significant justification to the United States of benefits that have come from replacing coal with shale gas.

The Obama administration, through

Picture: John McVitty, Impartial Reporter.

enthusiastically supporting the expansion of fracking, has the statistical evidence to prove that using fracked gas has brought CO2 emissions back to the levels of 20 years ago.

The initial horror stories surrounding fracking, particularly those of underground blasting triggering earthquakes and tap water catching fire, have been well documented.

Supporters of fracking claim, however, they are relatively isolated cases as a result of the early wildcat days of the industry in the United States.

Continued advances in drilling techniques and other related technologies, they argue, will continue to make the process increasingly community and consumer friendly.

It is an argument the environmentalists dismiss out of hand.

The anti-fracking lobby is undoubtedly sincere in its belief that we have to step back from our global addiction to carbon-based fossil fuels.

However, the problem for their campaign is that it is ultimately reliant on bringing on board the wider elements of society.

And society will be swayed, irrespective of political balancing acts, by what it perceives to be in its best interests whether on the basis of jobs, lower energy costs or the cost to the environment.

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Flying High It has been a busy period of late at Belfast International Airport. Staff have been working hard to accommodate the usual summer peak and there is a marked buzz around the building with people toing and froing excitedly on flights both near and far.

In addition, things have been busy on the news front, with developments ranging from direct Las Vegas flights with Thomas Cook Airlines, the

island of Ireland’s only link with Iceland being launched by easyJet, a breakthrough in attracting Virgin Atlantic to offer transatlantic flights from Belfast next summer and, most recently, a significant employment boost unveiled

by Jet2 through basing a new aircraft in Belfast, offering four new sun and city routes and creating over 80 new jobs. www.belfastairport.com

MLA Jonathan Bell at the announcement of Jet2. com’s expansion at Belfast International Airport. He is pictured with Miss Ulster Shaniece Nesbitt, Jet2. com managing Director Ian Doubtfire and Belfast International Airport’s business development director Uel Hoey.

NI Chamber 49

#wellconnected #wellconnected With... fellow chamber members NI CHAMBER NETWORKING EVENTS PROVIDE ACCESS TO BUSINESSES FROM ACROSS NORTHERN IRELAND AND TO KEY GOVERNMENT INFLUENCERS. HERE, WE HIGHLIGHT A NUMBER OF RECENT EVENTS WHICH HAVE ENABLED OUR MEMBERS TO BE #WELLCONNECTED AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS.

Rosalind Cole, Events and Community Fundraising Officer with the charity Age NI and NI Chamber’s Louise Turley at the Summer BBQ.

NI Chamber’s Summer networking BBQ, which took place at the Park Inn by Radisson in Belfast, proved as popular as ever with over 100 guests attending the event. Sarah Gribben from event sponsor Visit Belfast is pictured with Mills Selig’s Vicky Green and Lisa Copeland.

Citybeat’s Stephen Clements provided the music at the Summer BBQ with Yvonne McIlree from event partner the Park Inn and NI Chamber’s Louise Turley.

Over 150 members of the business community attended NI Chamber’s Growing Something Brilliant leadership breakfast sponsored by Ulster Bank at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. Pictured at the event are Ellvena Graham (Ulster Bank); Colm Lyon (Realex Payments); Grainne Kelly (Bubblebum UK) and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber).

Roy Creelman (MB McGrady); David McEwen (Agnew Group); and Stephen McCracken (Minprint) networking at the event.

50 NI Chamber

NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor addresses a packed auditorium of guests who attended the leadership breakfast.

#wellconnected With... #wellconnected government

Finance Minister Simon Hamilton addresses NI Chamber members attending the ‘Minister on the Move’ event at the Portadown operation of electrical heating business Glen Dimplex.

Glen Dimplex Managing Director Neil Collins explains details about the company’s products to Finance Minister Simon Hamilton.

Brenda Morgan (BA); Neil Collins (Glen Dimplex); Finance Minister Simon Hamilton; Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) at ‘Minister on the Move’.

NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor and President Kevin Kingston welcome Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry (centre) to NI Chamber’s offices.

Finance Minister Simon Hamilton delivers his speech at the ‘Minister on the Move’ event which is sponsored by British Airways.

Minister Farry meets part of the team at NI Chamber.

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#WELLCONNECTED #wellconnected WITH...

EXPORTERS To find out how to maximise your membership, or for further information on joining NI Chamber, log onto www.northernirelandchamber.com or call 028 90 244113.

NEW MEMBERS NI CHAMBER WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS:

Chris Moore (Irwin’s Bakery); Liza Hammond (Etihad Airways); Oonagh O’Reilly (NI Chamber); Lance Hamilton (Mash Direct); Katherine James (Danske Bank); and Michael McCallion (Asda) pictured at Danske Bank’s latest Export First event held at the Park Inn by Radisson in Belfast.

Katherine James, Head of Small Business at Danske Bank, addresses NI Chamber members at the Export First event.

Marshall Boyd (DSV Air and Sea); Keith Graham (Radical Packaging); and Archie McAvoy (Marsh) catch up at Export First.

Pat McKeever (Long Meadow Cider); Gail Lockhart (Labelone); and Alanna McKeever (Long Meadow Cider) pictured at the event.

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Agri Food Irwin’s Bakery Business Services Antal International Brightwater Recruitment Specialists Marlborough Place Ltd. McQuillan Companies Omak Agencies Ltd Personnel & Training Services Ltd Reliant Associates RTA Ireland Ltd Taylor Signs Construction Mascott Construction Creative Industry Sugar Rush Creative Government Equality Commission For Northern Ireland ICT ECO-OMG Limited Insurance Bluefin Sports Legal JMK Solicitors Manufacturing Brett Martin Ltd Clarehill Plastics Ltd Tech Europe Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association Valpar Industrial Ltd Marketing & Public Relations Baxter Public Relations Professional Services Clyde Shanks Ltd. Evolve Football Consultancy Radical Packaging Solutions Retailing Screwfix Direct Ltd Training Paragon Training NI Transport Hemisphere Freight Services Utilities Avenir

NI CHAMBER EVENTS CALENDAR AUG-DEC 2014 AUGUST 21 AUGUST, 8.30am - 10.30am Danske Bank Export First: Food for Thought Park Inn by Radisson, Belfast Exporters and potential exporters

SEPTEMBER 11 SEPTEMBER, 5.30pm - 8.00pm In Camera: Minister Mark H Durkan and Senior Planning Officials Hilton Hotel, Belfast Members Only £40+vat

For further information and to register for events, please visit www.northernirelandchamber.com

15 SEPTEMBER, 4.30pm - 6.30pm Building Brands and Businesses University of Ulster, Ulster Business School, Belfast Campus This event is FREE to attend

17 SEPTEMBER, 2.00pm - 4.30pm Minister on the Move Terex (GB) Limited, Dungannon Members only FREE

24 SEPTEMBER, 6.00pm - 8.30pm Danske Bank Export First: Private Dinner with Patrick Joy, Suretank Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Belfast Invitation only

26 SEPTEMBER, 8.30am - 5.00pm Golf Day Belvoir Park Golf Club Members £85+vat Non Members £100+vat

OCTOBER CONNECT

GROW

2 OCTOBER, 8.30am - 12.30pm Connecting for Growth Cross Border Meet the Buyer Armagh City Hotel, Armagh Members Free, Non Members £30+vat

ACCESS

PROGRAMMES

EVENT KEY

8 OCTOBER, 8.30am - 1.30pm Annual Networking Conference & Business Showcase Europa Hotel, Belfast Members FREE, Non Members £35+vat

10 OCTOBER, 8.30am - 10.30Am Danske Bank Export First: Meet the Expert: Innovation and Exports Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast Exporters and Potential Exporters

14 OCTOBER, 8.30am - 10.30am GSB Leadership Breakfast The MAC, Belfast Members FREE, Non Members £25+vat

16 OCTOBER, 9.30am - 12.30pm Danske Bank Export First: Meet The Minister with DETI - Diageo Baileys, Newtownabbey Exporters and potential exporters

With thanks to:

17 OCTOBER, 8.30am - 4.00Pm Export Payments Workshop Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast Members FREE, Non Members £25+vat

NOVEMBER 5 NOVEMBER, 5.30Pm - 8.00pm In Camera: Chairs’ Forum James Street South Restaurant, Belfast Members Only £40+vat

12 NOVEMBER, 6.00pm - 8.30pm Danske Bank Export First: Private Dinner with Patrick Higgins, Queally Group Riddel Hall, Belfast Invitation only

14 NOVEMBER, 8.30Am - 12.30pm Connecting for Growth Cross Border Meet the Buyer Ramada Plaza, Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast Members FREE, Non Members £30+vat

20 NOVEMBER, 7.00pm - late President’s Banquet Titanic Belfast Members £120+vat or £1,200+vat per table of 10 Non Members £160+vat or £1,600+vat per table of 10

27 NOVEMBER, 6.00pm - 8.30pm Danske Bank Export First: Private Dinner with Mark Roden, Ezetop Malone House, Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast Invitation only

DECEMBER 4 DECEMBER, 5.30pm - 7.30pm Christmas Networking Party Crumlin Road Gaol Members £15+vat, Non Members £30+vat

18 DECEMBER, 6.00pm -8.00pm Carol Service St Anne’s Cathedral & University of Ulster, Ulster Business School, Belfast Campus This event is FREE to attend

COMING SOON COMING SOON GSB Corporate Champions Dinner with Phil Smyth, CEO, CISCO UK & Ireland & Chairman of the Technology Strategy Board Details to be announced soon Invitation only

[Columnist] Maureen O’Reilly, NI-based independent economist

NECESSITY OR OPPORTUNITY? SELF–EMPLOYMENT IS ON THE RISE BUT IT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE A GOOD THING. MAUREEN O’REILLY ANALYSES DATA ON THE TREND.

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ne of the very notable features of this recovery has been the key role played by the self-employed in both the UK and Northern Ireland’s improving labour market performance. In the UK the numbers in self-employment have risen by 8 per cent over the last year making up almost one-third of the overall increase in employment. The UK’s selfemployment rate has been typically low by international standards but has now caught up with the European average (14%) and has grown faster than its western European neighbours. In fact the IPPR Policy Research

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Think-tank recently described the UK as fast becoming the ‘self employment capital of western Europe’. Northern Ireland has also experienced a surge in the numbers of self-employed. Over the last year alone 13,000 more people have become selfemployed here (up 13 per cent over the year to 121,000). Most significantly the selfemployed have made up around half of the increase in employment. Northern Ireland had experienced a strong increase in selfemployment (particularly one-man bands) in the build up to the ‘boom’ driven largely by the Construction sector but by mid 2012 the

numbers had dipped to levels last seen at the start of the 2000s.

The big question about this selfemployment boost is whether people are being ‘pushed’ into self-employment out of necessity or ‘pulled’ into it because of opportunity. Recent research by the Resolution Foundation which included a survey of 1,000 self-employed people in the UK found that, while the majority of the recently self-employed were in the position willingly, a substantive minority (27%) who had become self employed in the last five years would rather be employees. This falls

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to just 11 per cent for those who have been self-employed for five years or more. They found that underemployment i.e. where people are not using their skills/education/ experience or are working part-time when they want to work full-time, was higher among the self-employed compared to employees. Also more unemployed people have been moving into self-employment which they believe largely reflects both a lack of jobs along with stronger competition where job opportunities exist. There is a cyclical element to this growth in that as the economy continues to recover more job opportunities will emerge. Only time will tell how that will impact on the numbers of self-employed.

The nature of self-employment has also changed. The Resolution Foundation largely attribute this to the UK’s aging population and the role of self-employment as an alternative/ complement to retirement as people live longer and pension incomes/savings become increasingly harder to live on. There is also a growing trend towards self-employment among women which is thought in part to reflect some level of necessity although female self-employment in the UK remains low by international standards.

Wages are a particular concern with the self-employed who are far harder hit than the employed. The Resolution Foundation found that self-employed weekly earnings

have fallen by 20 per cent since 2006-07 compared to a fall of just 6 per cent for employees. On average a self-employed person now earns a staggering 40 per cent less than an employed person. The gap was 28 per cent in 2006-07.

The wages debate is an important one.

Real wages in the UK have shown no

an ‘All Workers’ measure for wages to be developed to better inform the economic/ policy decision-making process.

The self-employed make up around 10 per cent of the electorate in both the UK and Northern Ireland so should form an important part of the Government policy agenda. However, some argue that despite

“THE BIG QUESTION ABOUT THIS SELFEMPLOYMENT ‘BOOM’ IS WHETHER PEOPLE ARE BEING ‘PUSHED’ INTO SELF-EMPLOYMENT OUT OF NECESSITY OR ‘PULLED’ INTO IT BECAUSE OF OPPORTUNITY.”

sign of recovery and are thought to signal a continuing degree of slack or unused capacity in the economy. However, these official figures only include the employed and actually omit the self-employed so are likely to overestimate the level of real wages. Wages play an important part in the Bank of England’s decision-making process around interest rates so serious decisions are being made with only part of the picture.

The Resolution Foundation has called for

this the Government is not doing enough to both promote and protect them. Concerns focus on issues around pension provision, difficulties in accessing both business and personal finance (particularly mortgages) and poor protection within the welfare system.

Some innovative thinking is required on the best policies to support the self-employed. It will be interesting to see how they feature in Party manifestos in the UK General Election next year.

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NI Chamber 55

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Having an “off day” Workforce ‘sickies’ are causing an expensive headache for the economy, a new survey has revealed. Adrienne McGill looks at the findings.

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third of Northern Ireland workers have admitted to having lied or exaggerated the truth to take time off work, potentially costing the local economy over £8m annually, a survey has revealed.

According to research by business advisors PwC, sick days cost the UK economy around £23bn a year, but as much as £9bn is lost to workers who just decide to pull a ‘sickie’.

While the figure for Northern Ireland was in line with the UK average of 35 per cent, a staggering 71 per cent of local workers said a hangover had prompted their sickie – over twice the UK average (32%) and the highest of all 12 UK regions.

Amongst Northern Ireland’s workers, the most popular reasons why people pulled a ‘sickie’ were hangovers (71%), to watch a sporting event (17%), being bored with their job (34%) and job interviews (26%). One in 6 local employees admitted they have lied to take time off work due to good weather.

Illness is the most common excuse, used by 66 per cent of workers across the UK, although fewer in Northern Ireland (45%) offer this excuse, preferring to claim a medical appointment (29%) or a family crisis (18%).

However, the research has revealed that some employees go to very creative lengths to cover up why they are taking unauthorised time off work.

Excuses quoted in the research include: • “I was caught in a bomb scare.”

• “I was attacked by ants.”

• “My dog has eaten my keys.”

• “I got a rash from eating too many strawberries.”

Despite the magnitude of sickness costs, the overall bill is falling. PwC analysis of over 2,500 global organisations shows that the UK’s

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sickness bill (including genuine and made-up illness) has fallen to £23bn from £29bn a year ago.

But despite this positive trend, UK workers still take nearly triple the amount of sick days as their global counterparts in Asia Pacific (4.8 days) and nearly double the US (3.8 days).

Central and Eastern Europe has the highest level of sick days at an average of 8.3 a year.

Sick days still account for the majority of absence and make up 87 per cent of the overall absence bill to UK economy.

Most industries have reduced their sickness levels compared to a year ago apart from technology, chemicals and utilities companies.

Retail and leisure, services sector and finance companies report the lowest levels of sickness.

Commenting on the survey findings, Jon Andrews, Head of Human Resources consulting at PwC, said: “Despite overall levels of absence falling in the UK, this could be even lower if organisations crack down on unwarranted absence. Sickies are costing business £9bn a year – much of which is avoidable.

“The combination of major sporting events such as the World Cup and Wimbledon may mean that the temptation to lie to take time off

work to watch sport is too much for some.

“Companies could easily reduce the knockon impact on their employees’ productivity levels by offering flexible working or allowing them to watch key matches in the office.

“Compared to our previous research in 2011, interviews now feature heavily as a reason to pull a sickie as the economic recovery is feeding through to a hotter job market.

“This should be a wake-up call for businesses, especially start-ups and SMEs – where absence can be particularly crippling.”

The PwC research shows that when it comes to reducing absence levels, a carrot rather than a stick can be the best approach.

Having a flexible working culture can go a long way to breaking the cycle of people feeling that they are entitled to days off outside of their holiday allowance and encouraging better employee engagement.

The change in law that means anyone now has the right to request flexible working should help more people achieve the work/life balance they need without impacting on organisations’ productivity, says PwC. • The research by PwC was based on a survey of over 2,000 adults in the UK in June this year.

“The combination of major sporting events such as the World Cup and Wimbledon may mean that the temptation to lie to take time off work to watch sport is too much for some.”

CONTINUING THE FOCUS ON EXPORTING FOR GROWTH

BY IAN SHEPPARD, BANK OF IRELAND UK, HEAD OF BUSINESS AND CORPORATE BANKING IN NORTHERN IRELAND.

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t’s no secret that Northern Ireland’s priority is to strengthen its competitiveness through a focus on export-led economic growth, building a larger and more export-driven private sector.

Companies which limit their sales to within Northern Ireland often have their potential cut short by the relatively small marketplace. With some 65 per cent of micro, 50 per cent of small and 40 per cent of medium-sized firms in Northern Ireland relying solely on domestic business, the market can become overcrowded and highly competitive.

For those companies who have realised that the rest of the world provides endless possibilities to grow their business, it has been the incentive they needed to start exporting.

At a recent roundtable discussion hosted by Bank of Ireland UK, a group of experienced

Northern Ireland businesses – including Nugent Trailers and Kestrel Foods – agreed that breaking into new export markets, or even maintaining existing ones, takes hard work and dedication – with everyone acknowledging that the real challenge is to assist our developing companies to emulate the success of those that have achieved this.

Our customers’ experience shows that businesses which are successful exporters, very quickly understand the environment they are entering and are flexible enough to adapt their products and services.

Having the confidence to stand shoulder-toshoulder beside competitors in a foreign region might seem daunting but time and again we’ve seen how Northern Ireland products quickly prove to be world class and come with service levels which are as good, if not better, than any on

the world’s stage.

There is a wealth of support on offer for potential exporters and Bank of Ireland UK is working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry to deliver the Chamber’s Connecting for Growth Programme, a cross-border trade initiative designed to facilitate increased business between companies from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Bank of Ireland UK is ready and willing to provide finance for those looking to take a first step into the export world or those looking to expand their reach and we will continue to do all we can to assist exporters with advice and finance.

If we can get more companies exporting then Northern Ireland can truly become a force to be reckoned with.

CREATIVE ACADEMICS WORK WITH AGE NI.

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ge NI has recently been involved with the Publicity Association for Northern Ireland (PANI)’s Education Programme, which supports future talent within the advertising and publicity industry. Six advertising agencies from PANI including Ardmore, ASG, AV Browne, Mammoth, RLA and Walkers teamed up with students from the University of Ulster’s Communications Advertising and Marketing course and the Graphic Design and Illustration course to create a campaign to increase awareness of Age NI and increase calls to the charity’s Advice Service. This year’s winning team, mentored by agency RLA, will see their ‘Age is Just a Number’ campaign feature on Clear Channel 48 sheet billboards around Belfast.

Siobhan Casey, Marketing Director at Age NI, said: “We were delighted with the standard of work produced by the students and how insightful their research was into issues affecting people in later life. It was great to see the relationships they developed with clients when they visited one of

our Age NI day centres. It was very clear that they had developed a deep understanding of the needs of older people and the role of Age NI before producing the final work. We’re also very grateful to the agencies for their time in mentoring the students. And of course to Clear Channel and other media owners, who supply media space free of charge to support this programme – and our campaign.”

Chair of PANI Cathy Martin, who judged the entries with Siobhan, added: “I loved the selection of straplines, photography and deep conceptual links as well as the quirky below-the-line advertising and marketing ideas that the teams came up with. It was a challenging brief for students, however I was really pleased to see that the teams went well beyond their academic capabilities to show some genuine commercial and creative flair which touched exactly upon the brief. I’m looking forward to seeing the winning campaign going live across billboards later this year and of course hoping that it will meet the objectives in increasing calls to the Age NI Advice Service.”

University of Ulster students Lucia Cerda, Rebecca Russell, Elliot Lyness and Marleta Bailie (mentored by agency RLA) will see their Age NI campaign on billboards around Belfast.

[Columnist] Ian Rainey, Former International Banker

WOMEN CHANGING THE FACE OF AFRICAN POLITICS CAN FEMINISM SOLVE AFRICA’S PROBLEM? IAN RAINEY LOOKS AT THE ISSUE.

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he outbreak of the Ebola virus in the last few months in West Africa has once again highlighted the plight of African nations when faced with a killer disease. Again the demand has gone out to the western world to provide financial and medical assistance. By any standards West Africa without Ebola, is in a terrible mess. In Sierra Leone it is reckoned that six out of every hundred pregnant women going into Freetown’s Princess Christian Maternity hospital, dies in childbirth. Not surprisingly this number escalates in the rural areas where most mothers deliver at home.

Again the problems of Africa and Aids featured in the world press recently when Bob Geldof attacked the Australian Government for drastically cutting its contributions for Aids Research. In typical Australian prose Geldof was told that the Australian people were showing a growing reluctance to seeing their tax money being ‘flushed down the toilet in Africa’.

Those of us who have lived and worked in Africa for many years have sympathy for the Australians and have a healthy disrespect for Geldof’s infantilizing Africa’s problems. It is rare to find anyone with the courage to put the blame where the problem really lies and that is with the widespread practice of polygamy throughout Africa. Percy Zvomuya in South Africa puts it very succinctly when he says for years in the days of colonialism and apartheid the ringing cry was for ‘One Man, One Vote’ today the cry should be for ‘One Man, One Woman’.

While not advocating the one child policy of China, one has to have a sneaking admiration for that country’s insistence on putting the feeding of its people as its top priority. In contrast the birth rate in Niger in West Africa is 47.7 births per 1000 people. The top 27 countries in the world when measured by birth rate are all in Africa. The lowest birth rates in the world excluding China are to be found in Bosnia, Japan, Austria and Germany which all have birth rates of under 9.0 per thousand of the population. The highest use of contraception in the world is in China and the UK where 84 per cent of married women practice contraception. The lowest levels are in Somalia at 1.2 per cent and the lowest 23 countries in the world where statistics are kept, are in Africa. Is it any wonder Mr Zvomuya is

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crying out for ‘One Man, One Woman’ when President Zuma, has just taken on wife number 7 at the age of 69? He is unlikely however to catch up with King Sobhuza, of neighbouring Swaziland, who when he died in 1982 had acquired 70 wives, 210 children and over 1,200 grandchildren.

Yet against all this array of statistics there is, I believe, hope on the horizon. We have seen a new phenomenon in the last five years whereby African countries such as Rwanda, Malawi, Liberia and Senegal have women at the helm of Government. In Rwanda women hold some 64 per cent of the seats in parliament. Prior to the genocidal conflict (when 800,000 people lost their lives) in 1994 only 18 per cent of seats were held by woman. In Senegal, Seychelles and South Africa more than 40 per cent of parliamentary seats are occupied by women and in Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania and Uganda more than 35 per cent of the seats are occupied by women.

The Chairperson of the African Union is also a woman.

Unfortunately the western feminist movement is still mostly disengaged from the struggles being fought and won by women in other parts of the world. In an increasingly interconnected world, feminism needs to lend a listening ear to its feminine voice in Africa.

“WE HAVE SEEN A NEW PHENOMENON IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WHEREBY AFRICAN COUNTRIES SUCH AS RWANDA, MALAWI, LIBERIA AND SENEGAL HAVE WOMEN AT THE HELM OF GOVERNMENT.”

There is a very true saying that only Africa can solve the African problem. Neither Aids nor the Ebola virus will be eliminated by western money. However, with the increasing role of African women in the political spectrum, as referred to above, we are beginning to see an encouraging change away from the patriarchal society which has dominated this part of the world for so long with such catastrophic results.

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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE SUPERFAST BROADBAND HAS BECOME THE FIBRE OF LIFE. ADRIENNE MCGILL HEARS HOW IT’S CHANGING HOW WE LIVE AND WORK FROM FRANK MCMANUS, BT’S HEAD OF WHOLESALE SERVICES.

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orthern Ireland is leading the field across Europe in the lightning speed advances in fibre broadband which is transforming how businesses operate and homes run.

Superfast fibre broadband is the ultimate game changer – and Northern Ireland is in the privileged position of having one of the world’s best fibre network infrastructures in place to offer us that luxury.

BT is leading the superfast broadband revolution in Northern Ireland and the successful delivery of this programme will see over £120m having been invested in a fibre-based next generation broadband in the Province over a five-year period through BT’s own investment and in partnership with local government including the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Development (DETI) and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

The rollout is ongoing and Northern Ireland currently has 90 per cent coverage of fibre broadband – more than most major European countries – and well ahead of the rest of the UK which has 60 per cent coverage.

But what’s so great about the technology?

Well, our lives are more connected than ever. In the home, more and more gadgets and appliances – phones, TVs, tablets, games consoles – work best with a good internet connection. Meanwhile, small businesses need to operate faster, manage an increasing amount of data and have more flexible working practices.

Traditional broadband connections often struggle to cope with all these simultaneous demands. With superfast fibre broadband though, the limitations are removed.

So far, the older generation network that has served today’s phones and broadband is an all copper infrastructure. But that means the further from the telephone exchange you are, the slower the broadband speed.

Fibre is different. A single fibre is capable of carrying much more information than copper, and doing so in a far shorter space of time.

BT is rolling out superfast broadband with two approaches.

“A SINGLE OPTIC FIBRE CAN TRANSMIT THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA IN LESS THAN A SECOND, HAVING A HUGE IMPACT ON THE TIMING INVOLVED IN SENDING THE FILES.”

One is Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) which involves running fibre optic cables from the telephone exchange or distribution point to an existing or new roadside cabinet (green box) which then connect to a standard phone line to provide broadband. This is combined with a copper cable from the cabinet to the home or business which uses technology that can deliver much faster speeds over shorter distances.

FTTC broadband can deliver services offering a downstream line speed of up to 80 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upstream speeds of up to 20 Mbps.

The second approach involves Fibre-tothe-Premises (FTTP), which also provides an end-to-end fibre optic connection the full distance from the exchange to the home or business premises and can deliver faster speeds than FTTC as there is no copper at all. At the cutting edge of broadband technology, this is when the fibre optic cable runs directly from the exchange right into your premises and currently is capable of delivering download speeds of up to 330Mbps and upload speeds of up to 30Mbps.

Frank McManus, BT’s Head of Wholesale Services says: “Fibre optic cabling allows us to bring faster technology further into the network and it allows us to bring faster speeds closer to people.

“Put simply – the line contains a mass of optic fibres, each one only as thick as a human hair. A single optic fibre can transmit the entire contents of the Encyclopaedia Britannica in less than a second, having a huge impact on the timing involved in sending files.

So just think of the impact it can have on your business or in your home.”

Since rolling out the fibre network to over 90 per cent of cabinets in Northern Ireland, BT has connected 180,000 homes and businesses to this cutting edge technology.

However, Frank says there is still much to do. He points to the fact that by December 2015, under the new Northern Ireland Broadband Improvement Project announced by DETI and costing £25m, BT will deliver better broadband services to over 45,000 additional premises in rural areas, meaning even more people can avail of this technology that is enhancing our lives.

As a group, BT is investing around £2.5bn in the fibre network across the UK. “We still have more to do for the people who live in really remote areas. But we have 90 per cent coverage currently – and we are going to bring fibre to another 45,000 people – we are trail blazing in terms of availability.

“This is an investment for the future – a sustainable and future proof technology.”

NI Chamber 59

[FEATURE]

BOOSTING BUSINESS BUSINESSES NEED TO GRASP THE BENEFITS OF SUPERFAST BROADBAND AND SPEARHEADING THE MESSAGE IS THE FIBRE FORUM, AS FRANK MCMANUS EXPLAINS.

Frank McManus, BT’s Head of Wholesale Services

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gainst the background of the rollout of fibre broadband across Northern Ireland, a new body was established last year representing a range of organisations, sectors and government bodies, for whom fibre broadband is central to driving forward the Northern Ireland economy.

The Fibre Forum, currently led by BT, includes amongst others representatives from NI Chamber, the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA), Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI), and Matrix.

Its next meeting will be held at NI Chamber’s offices in Belfast later this month (September).

The Forum was established after BT

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commissioned economics research firm Regeneris to conduct a study into the potential economic benefits of fibre broadband.

The BT Fibre Business Impact report studied specific sectors – creative and digital, advanced manufacturing, financial, retail and agri-food – and sought to identify what benefits fibre could bring to the Northern Ireland economy by 2018. Regeneris then compared these with a sample of similar sectors in the United States, using data from the Strategic Networks Group (SNG).

Among the findings were that fibre will contribute £750m to the Northern Ireland economy within the next five years, if just 40 per cent of businesses adopt the technology.

It also reported that businesses could save up

to £45m in operating costs.

Frank McManus, BT’s Head of Wholesale Services says: “We wanted to share the findings of the Regeneris report and share the opportunity we had with the rollout of fibre. The Fibre Forum was established in order to gather together organisations who believed there was a real interest in driving this forward for the benefit of the Northern Ireland economy.

“Fibre broadband offers our businesses significant competitive advantages but we need to make everyone aware of what they are.

“The research said there was a really good opportunity for Northern Ireland to capitalise on its groundbreaking fibre infrastructure.

We believe if we can get 40 per cent of firms to take up fibre, it could have a significant economic impact in Northern Ireland.

“I have seen many businesses enjoy significant growth and major cost reduction through fibre adoption. It doesn’t matter what your business is – there is unlimited potential to grow. From rural farmers transforming how they run their farms through access to high speed internet to small retail outlets competing globally as international online superstores and everything in between; online banking, to healthcare, education to security services and the list goes on.

“Fibre broadband has opened up new ways of working that allows businesses to grow without fear that speed or efficiency will be affected. Adopters can start working from the Cloud, removing the need to rely on costly and sizeable servers. It also means that people can work from home, reducing the need for expensive office space. It has also brought video conferencing to the next generation with many businesses benefiting from being able to share and edit documents in real time.

“However, we need to get superfast broadband to become a way of life for businesses. The Fibre Forum has drawn up a programme of activities regarding what we can do to drive fibre broadband forward and we are looking at some smart actions.”

[FEATURE] VIEWS OF A RANGE OF FIBRE FORUM MEMBERS

“The benefits of our exceptionally high quality digital connectivity need to be clearer to all businesses in Northern Ireland. There were obvious signs of envy when I described our provision in Northern Ireland to a group at the Royal Academy in London recently.

Here, too many still think of it

as ‘nice to have’.

“Our role in Matrix is to help champion science and technology as a key driver of economic growth here, but we simply cannot exploit what tech has to offer if we aren’t super connected.

“More and more we are facing increasing competition in high value global markets, and therefore, having the infrastructure and resource to connect on a wider, faster and more reliable network is vital in establishing Northern Ireland as a thriving entrepreneurial eco-system where innovation, vision and talent flourish.”

Professor Norman Apsley, Deputy Chair, Matrix.

“Fibre broadband has the potential to be a game changer for our businesses and our economy. Northern Ireland has some fantastic companies that are utilising superfast broadband to expand their markets both locally and internationally but we need more. If we can drive uptake, it could play a big part in tackling some of the issues currently facing the economy. Northern Ireland has only 1,500 companies exporting products, unemployment is still too high and action is needed to inspire and encourage business growth. We believe that fibre broadband could really help to drive business forward.”

Oonagh O’Reilly, NI Chamber Business Development Director.

“The Northern Ireland Tourist Board in conjunction with Superfast Broadband Northern Ireland have developed a simple guide to smart tourism, explaining how tourism businesses can get online and make the most of the internet.

“Our involvement in the guide was important to highlight

superfast broadband to our industry. Research has found that 16 per cent of accommodation businesses in Northern Ireland are online and bookable, meaning that many guests are missing out on excellent customer service, while the tourism sector is missing out on a huge opportunity.

“The guide highlights benefits of superfast broadband, explains about Wi-Fi and how it can be offered to guests and includes case studies from the tourism industry sharing their experience of superfast broadband and how it benefits the day-to-day running of their business and their guests.”

“The next generation of fibre broadband is important for independent retailers in particular because they need to embrace the online revolution and new ways of communicating with customers. Increasingly we will see smart city centres that are digitally connected ranging from free Wi-fi to promotional apps.

More and more decisions about what you buy will be made on mobile phones. If we are to build up our digital infrastructure, we have to be aware of the benefits superfast broadband will bring.”

Carolyn Boyd, Industry Development Manager, NITB.

Glyn Roberts, NIIRTA.

NI Chamber 61

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Red tape gets firms in a costly tangle Businesses are seeing red over regulation, a major survey by NI Chamber and BDO reveals.

“The cost of complying with business regulation is still increasing for businesses, in spite of efforts by Westminster to reduce them.” and safety (41%), employment (35%) and direct taxes (33%) were the areas most commonly cited.

Additional findings surrounding business regulation revealed that 1 in 4 businesses (27%) have used nibusinessinfo.co.uk in the last 12 months with 12 per cent of members using it specifically for advice on business regulation.

The findings, which relate to Quarter 2 of 2014, also illustrate how Northern Ireland’s economic recovery is continuing, albeit slowly, with Northern Ireland remaining a largely lagging region in the UK’s recovery.

A number of balances have weakened in the quarter with manufacturing export sales and orders weakening considerably while the domestic sales and orders balances for the services sector also decreased. Specific findings relating to Quarter 2 of 2014 include:

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ompanies continue to be concerned about the increasing cost of complying with business regulation.

That’s according to the Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) by NI Chamber, in partnership with business advisers BDO. The survey revealed that 73 per cent of businesses have experienced rising costs when complying with business regulation over the last 5 years.

The survey also revealed that a majority of firms (57%) believe the quality of guidance around regulation to be good but 52 per

62 NI Chamber

cent of firms expressed concerns on how regulations were developed, stating that the government does not engage well with them before any new regulation is introduced.

In contrast, 45 per cent of firms stated that it is not regulations that are the problem but the way they are enforced by regulators.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent of respondents expressed a concern that the requirements of local businesses are not adequately represented at EU level. Respondents were asked which areas of regulation their company finds the most burdensome. Health

Manufacturing The survey revealed that there has been an improvement in Northern Ireland’s relative position regarding domestic sales and orders for the manufacturing sector in Q2 2014, however all manufacturing balances for Northern Ireland are lower than the UK average. Business confidence levels remain largely unchanged from Q1 2014, with Northern Ireland ranking third from bottom of UK regions in this regard. The cashflow balance for the manufacturing sector has improved considerably (from zero last quarter to +13). Business costs are less of an issue this quarter (particularly raw material costs), which possibly reflects lower inflation and cheaper imports given sterling’s 6-year high against the dollar and 18-month high against the euro.

Services The services sector reported mixed messages, with Northern Ireland amongst

[feature] the bottom 4 of the 12 UK regions across the key balances. Domestic sales and orders balances have fallen this quarter. Fewer firms in the services sector also seem to be experiencing recruitment difficulties this quarter (51% experiencing recruitment difficulties this quarter versus 63% in Q1 of 2014). Business confidence around profitability has fallen by 16 points which is some cause for concern.

Recruitment intentions There are positive signs regarding recruitment intentions for both the manufacturing and services sectors.

Recruitment intentions within manufacturing particularly have strengthened this quarter (an increase from 57 points to 80 points) and that includes full-time and permanent staff. This places Northern Ireland ahead of the UK average and is consistent with official statistics which have shown an increase in employee jobs in recent months. However two-thirds of businesses are still experiencing difficulties finding suitable candidates for the job.

Exports The survey reports that manufacturing export balances this quarter have weakened considerably placing Northern Ireland second lowest of the UK regions. Businesses cited the strength of sterling as an increasing concern.

Wider business concerns Competition remains the most important concern to businesses by a considerable margin and the competitive environment appears to becoming even more challenging.

The issue of exchange rates is a threat to international competitiveness, especially to manufacturers, with 36 per cent of businesses within that sector citing this as a major concern. Interest rates are the third biggest concern for businesses, who claim that the uncertainty around the timing of any increase in the Bank of England’s base rate is not helpful.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “Northern Ireland still appears to be zigzagging towards a full recovery but there are some real positives this quarter.

Recruitment intentions in both manufacturing

and services have strengthened which shows business confidence is improving.

Cost pressures are easing further and the cash flow position of more businesses is improving.

“NI Chamber is extremely disappointed by the noticeable fall in the export balances.

The concern over currency volatility won’t come as much of a surprise with businesses fearing that sudden currency shifts could mean the difference between trading at a profit and a loss. Businesses are certainly right to be cautious but managers should not allow currency concerns to inhibit growth abroad.

Hedging against currency fluctuations is a fairly straightforward operation and should form part of any company’s export strategy.

“The cost of complying with business regulation is still increasing for businesses, in spite of efforts by Westminster to reduce them. NI Chamber is currently involved in the Northern Ireland Executive’s review of business red tape in Northern Ireland with the aim of looking for ways to reduce the regulatory burden on local businesses. We look forward to engaging with government and our members throughout this process.”

ANALYSIS Maybeth Shaw, Partner with business advisers BDO, looks at the findings of the survey.

T

he Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2014 brings with it some sharp news around the level of business growth, including figures pointing to a 17 per cent drop in those reporting increases in export sales, a 15 per cent drop in those reporting national sales increases and a 17 per cent decline in capital investment amongst those surveyed.

Yet, there was some good news as well.

Recruitment levels increased with more than one in four companies increasing numbers during the quarter. There was also a very slight increase in general business confidence (1%).

Overall, however, results were disappointing, sentiment is low and a number of key factors were pinpointed by respondents.

There is a continued belief amongst the Northern Ireland business community that an over restrictive system of red tape, bringing increased costs and increased time commitment, is a clear barrier to growth.

What is also clear from the survey is that worries around interest rate movements add to this concern.

The survey matches what BDO are hearing on the ground from our clients.

The cost of compliance and, in particular, the cost of time related to compliance is a continual issue for many of our clients.

Of more pressing urgency however, is the issue of the interest rate and its potential rise. This is an area of concern which many of our clients feel is a real barrier to their future growth plans.

Comments made in January by Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, which hinted that a rate rise was imminent brought sharp focus to the matter. The last few years have been difficult for Northern Ireland’s businesses; however the one core fundamental they could rely upon was a low and stable rate of interest.

Despite the fact that more recent comments from the Bank of England seem to suggest that a rate rise was still some way off, certainty in this area has now

gone. Indeed, Mark Carney’s comments in relation to the Bank’s quarterly inflation report for August would suggest the timing of a rate rise remains clouded.

This uncertainty may benefit some areas of the UK economy that are starting to overheat. It could, however, have a significant detrimental effect on the Northern Ireland economy which has been slower to progress post-recession.

It is clear that any decision in relation to interest rates will be taken with the UK economy as a whole in mind, and Northern Ireland will have to accept and react accordingly. There may, however, be actions that can be taken to mitigate any impact and these should be implemented.

Special measures need to be applied to Northern Ireland if we are to see a period of sustainable economic growth. BDO would urge those with fiscal powers to use the tools they do have, or those they may have in the future, including those in relation to a reduced rate of corporation tax for Northern Ireland, to help soften any negative impact that interest rate increases may have. Otherwise we may be faced with many further surveys making disappointing reading.

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[news]

business bites from brussels IN THE LATEST BULLETIN FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, MEASURES UNDER CONSIDERATION WILL HAVE REPERCUSSIONS FOR BUSINESSES, CONSUMERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN NORTHERN IRELAND. HERE WE DETAIL WHAT’S UNDER PROPOSAL IN BRUSSELS.

GETTING ON TARGET HAVE YOUR SAYON THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE TO SAVE ENERGY New opportunities for European businesses, affordable energy bills for consumers, increased energy security through a significant reduction of natural gas imports and a positive impact on the environment: these are some of the expected benefits of the energy efficiency target for 2030 put forward recently by the European Commission. The proposed target of 30 per cent builds on the achievements already reached: new buildings use half the energy they did in the 1980s and industry is about 19 per cent less energy intensive than in 2001.

The proposed target goes beyond the 25 per cent energy savings target which would be required to achieve a 40 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030. At the same time the framework on energy efficiency puts forward

aims to strike the right balance between benefits and costs.

The Communication on energy efficiency also reviews progress towards the European Union’s 20 per cent energy efficiency target for 2020. The EU is currently forecast to achieve energy savings of 18-19 per cent in 2020; however, the agreed target of 20 per cent can be reached if all EU countries fully implement the already agreed legislation.

FROM THE LAB TO THE MARKET The European Commission has announced the first results of its new €3 billion SME Instrument, launched under Horizon 2020 to help innovative small firms get ideas from the lab to the market. In total, 155 SMEs from 21 countries (EU Member States or countries associated to Horizon 2020) will each receive €50,000 to finance feasibility studies to develop their innovation strategy. In addition, SMEs can benefit from up to three days of business coaching. Spanish SMEs were particularly successful in the first round, with 39 proposals selected, followed closely by 26 SMEs from the UK and 20 SMEs from Italy. In total, there were 2,666 applications for the first grants. Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said: “The response to the new SME Instrument is encouraging. There is clearly demand out there for this kind of support. I hope many of the business plans being financed will mature to become real products and services, generating growth and jobs for our economies. We need our champions of innovation to grow!”

64 NI Chamber

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on ‘Science 2.0’, in order to gauge the trend towards a more open, data-driven and peoplefocused way of doing research and innovation. Researchers are using digital tools to get thousands of people participating in research, for example by asking them to report if they catch flu in order to monitor

outbreaks and predict possible epidemics.

Scientists are being more open too: sharing their findings online at an early stage, comparing and debating their work to make it better. By some estimates, 90 percent of all available data in the world has been generated in the past two years, and scientific data output is growing at a rate of 30 per cent per year. The deadline for responses is 30 September 2014. The consultation, as well as background information, can be found at the European Commission website www. ec.europa.eu/research/ science-2.0

SAFETY ON THE SEAS When choosing their summer holidays, many Europeans opt for a cruise, or use a ferry to get to a destination. A very important aspect of passenger shipping is safety. Thanks to EU-funded research, evacuating large passenger ships could be even smoother and safer in future. EU-funded researchers are also helping to design more stable cruise ships and ferries.

The three-year LYNCEUS project, which ends in early 2015, is demonstrating how low-power wireless technologies can help track people onboard ships, providing essential information in cases of evacuation, and improve overboard search and rescue. The aim is to revolutionise current emergency management and ship evacuation practice.

“We have developed innovative wireless tags, which can be embedded into life jackets, so the location of people within the ship can be easily pinpointed,” said Dr. Anastasis Kounoudes, technical leader and CEO of SignalGeneriX, one of the project partners.

“This will provide safety officers with the exact location of every passenger and crew member during an evacuation.”

[feature]

mums with power

KATHLEEN LAVERY-BOULOUHA IS GROUP OPERATIONS MANAGER AND GENERAL MANAGER AT THE RAMADA PLAZA HOTEL IN BELFAST. SHE IS MARRIED TO RACHID AND THE COUPLE HAVE 3 CHILDREN – CHERIF (14), AICHA (11) and LOUIZA (8).

What is your favourite part of the day?

It’s definitely the very first hour of the day when I arrive in the office, as the phones are quiet and it can be very productive answering emails, setting up internal and external meetings and generally putting together an action plan for the day ahead. I also enjoy the last hour before my kids go to sleep, the house is calm everything is ready for the following day and we just make time to catch up with each other.

What do you do to ensure a work/life balance?

Running a business as extensive as ours is extremely hard work and sometimes unpredictable. I try to work as smart as I can and, along with a strong management team, we are able to keep focused.

At home I retreat back into my role as wife and mother, my husband is very supportive of everything I do, we work hard at making it work. I always ensure that when I am at home we have precious, quality family time.

How has having children impacted your working and personal life?

I put a great emphasis on living a successful, happy life as well as achieving success at work.

Since having my children I place similar priority on family life. I believe that you can achieve a great balance between job and family when you have the support from your family.

Describe your job As Group Operations Manager and General Manager, the nature of my job is very operationally intensive; I have to handle many situations on an ad-hoc basis throughout the day, which can range from Sales and Marketing to HR issues.

A typical day for me is to expect the unexpected, dealing with staff management, guest queries, bookings, liaising with head office along with a full schedule which involves running a group of hotels in Belfast which include Days Hotel, Ibis Queen’s Quarter, Ibis City Centre, Cordia Serviced Apartments and the fantastic Ramada Plaza to a consistently high standard.

We have benchmarks and rigorous procedures in place, combined with standards of excellence to ensure that not just me, but the entire team at the hotels, from house-keeping to front of house, restaurant, conferencing to grounds men and senior management, all follow protocol to allow us to remain not only the biggest hotel chain in Belfast but amongst the very best in Northern Ireland. It is my job to continuously review these procedures against output to ensure we are consistently achieving and beating targets.

Are working mums in greater need of state support than stay at home mums?

Many mums have no option but to work, family

is very important and if you don’t have that support it can be a catch-22 situation.

It is worth pointing out however, that childcare costs are actually another parent’s wage. Stay at home mums have just as much trouble trying to make ends meet and should be allowed to choose to take care of looking after their children.

Do you think you will always remain in employment?

I have been very lucky in my career to have always worked with employers who put high value on family life and with an emphasis on a work life balance. I hope to work right through to my retirement.

“RUNNING A BUSINESS AS EXTENSIVE AS OURS IS EXTREMELY HARD WORK AND SOMETIMES UNPREDICTABLE. I TRY TO WORK AS SMART AS I CAN AND, ALONG WITH A STRONG MANAGEMENT TEAM, WE ARE ABLE TO KEEP FOCUSED.”

The Ramada Plaza Hotel in Belfast is one of the hotels which Kathleen manages.

NI Chamber 65

[columnist] neil Mulholland, Solicitor, Elliott Duffy Garrett

who can you Trust?

SUCCESSION PLANNING IS VITAL IF YOUR BUSINESS IS TO CONTINUE AFTER YOU ARE GONE AND SETTING UP A TRUST IS A GOOD WAY TO DO IT SAYS NEIL MULHOLLAND.

A

s a solicitor I appreciate the everincreasing complexities that face clients in their everyday lives, be it personal, professional or commercial. While certainty cannot be assured it is possible to anticipate and indeed mitigate problems should they arise through sound succession planning.

Timely and considered planning can undoubtedly protect your wealth, reduce disputes, particularly after you are gone, and facilitate the smooth transition of your assets to the next generation.

Put simply, a trust is a legal arrangement whereby you (“the Settlor”) can transfer assets (“the Trust Property”) to others (“the Trustees”) who will hold them for the benefit of someone else (“the Beneficiary”). Trusts are commonly used to manage a variety of circumstances including: •To look after the needs of a disabled person - a “Disabled Trust”.

•To provide for minor children.

•To benefit a certain individual or individuals for a specified period of time - “Interest in Possession Trusts”.

and when it might be taxed.

“Who can you trust?” A Trustee must be someone you can rely on, someone of reasonable competence and a willing participant. There are extensive obligations and indeed liabilities attached to the position of Trustee and a decision to become a Trustee should not be taken lightly. It is possible to appoint professional Trustees such as solicitors, accountants etc., who will charge for this service.

“Keeping it in the family” is a common concern for many business clients and an important consideration within their succession planning. While it is not always pleasant to accept our own mortality or indeed the prospect of future incapacity, clearly you should make plans if your business is to advance ahead into the hands of the next generation and the use of a Trust might be appropriate in such circumstances.

Common issues arise such as, who will be involved? What are the circumstances of your beneficiaries? Are they married, divorced, bankrupt and how do you manage

“A TRUSTEE MUST BE SOMEONE You, “the Settlor”, put YOU CAN RELY ON, SOMEONE OF the Trust Property into trust and this is REASONABLE COMPETENCE AND known as creating a A WILLING PARTICIPANT.” settlement. As Settlor you can lay down the rules as to how the Trust Property can be used, who receives the capital, who receives the income, indeed, who might receive both income and capital. Such rules are formalised in a Trust Deed. The Trust Deed itself requires careful consideration and its terms must be precise and specifically tailored to your objectives, needs and obligations.

The beneficiaries can be specifically nominated e.g. “my son John/daughter Mary”, or be referred to within a class of beneficiaries e.g. “my children living at the date of my death”. There must be at least one Trustee and often a minimum of two.

The Trustees, whose powers are endowed within the Trust Deed, manage the Trust Property on a day-to-day basis including the investment, disposal and accumulation of its capital and income, not forgetting the payment of any liabilities including tax. The Trustees are legally responsible for the tax affairs of the Trust and care must be taken when establishing a trust to understand how 66 NI Chamber

these complexities and plan for their legal and tax consequences? Such issues often provide emotionally charged and sensitive considerations.

Trusts, if appropriate, may be utilised to manage such circumstances. For example, in the use of a Discretionary Trust where a class of beneficiaries such as “my children, spouse, civil partner or grandchildren” can be named, the Trustees have discretion as to who is to benefit, how and when. A letter of wishes could be placed with the Trust instrument and while not legally binding, it can be used by the Settlor to communicate his thoughts and directions which may guide the Trustees’ discretionary decisions.

Trusts can be an important and relatively uncomplicated tool for good financial and succession planning. Before embarking upon any succession planning, whether through Trusts or other suitable structures, it is always important to take specialised professional advice to ensure that you fully understand both the benefits of your intended actions as well as the legal and tax consequences for you and your successors.

Direct banking on the rise

By Brian Allen, Head of Direct Banking, Ulster Bank.

A

silent revolution is taking place in banking. Almost overnight, digital technology has transformed how our customers interact with us. Banking is no longer focused on keeping cash and valuables safe in the big vault. It’s about giving people access to information concerning, and control of, their finances 24 hours a day. Ulster Bank customers continue to move toward direct channels with 86 per cent of all activity now happening outside of the traditional branch. We’re clear that digital is at the heart of our customer proposition and we’re constantly looking out for new technologies and solutions to make banking easier for customers.

Our numbers reveal that 21.4 million direct

banking transactions were made in Northern Ireland in the second quarter of 2014. That’s around 7 million direct banking transactions a month and represents a significant increase on the same period last year. The challenge is to keep pushing the boundaries for new ways to leverage new technology to support customers; creating opportunities to customise their experience with their bank. The best example of this revolution is the use of smartphones to do your banking. It’s reported that, at an industry level, transactions via mobile phone have doubled in a year.

It’s understandable, therefore, that Ulster Bank is investing heavily in its digital and mobile banking functionality. Last year, for example, we launched the unique “Get Cash” service

on our mobile app. This functionality allows customers to get cash from an ATM using a code generated by their mobile app without the need to use a debit card. In the first half of 2014 over 20,000 people in Northern Ireland have used this service, well ahead of our expectations.

Customer service is also being transformed by the use of webchat across our websites to support customer queries and journeys.

It’s almost impossible to predict what the next big change will be. Suffice to say that customers are becoming more comfortable with digital technology and they’re demanding more convenience from banks. In Ulster Bank we’ll continue to invest to ensure we stay at the forefront of technology and continue to meet our customers’ demands.

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[feature]

bright young business brains

Preparing for Create:2014 are the organisers Sarah McBride, Matthew Carson, Jordan Earle, Joshua Kempton, Gareth Reid and Kennedy Keeney-Robinson.

YOUNG AND CREATIVE A GROUP OF INNOVATIVE NORTHERN IRELAND TEENAGERS ‘KICK START’ A PIONEERING CREATIVE INDUSTRIES EVENT.

S

a crowdfunding ‘Kickstarter’ campaign with ix self-starting Northern Ireland the aim of raising financial backing to fund the teenagers have launched one of the biggest tech and creative economy exciting new event. events for young people this year, securing As well as globally renowned speakers including Michael Sayman, the seventeenkey speakers including BBC Click presenter year-old tech Kate Russell, and developer and Kyle Galway, founder of entrepreneur “THE TECH AND GetInvited. from the US, CREATIVE INDUSTRIES the conference Create:2014, will feature a unique one-day IN NORTHERN IRELAND hands-on conference, ARE INCREDIBLE AT THE activities, designed, curated MOMENT. THERE’S SO and produced hosting over 150 local solely by six teens MUCH GOING ON AND young people aged between 16 SO MANY WAYS TO GET who will learn and 18, is planned INVOLVED.” alongside for Londonderry on 17 September delegates from during across the technology and creative industries.

CultureTECH week.

The team, made up of Sarah McBride, The ambitious young people have now Matthew Carson, Jordan Earle, Joshua turned to their roots in the technology world Kempton, Gareth Reid and Kennedy Keeneyto make their vision a reality, by launching

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Robinson, hope the Kickstarter campaign will raise £2,500.

Seventeen-year-old Matthew said: “Kickstarter is one of the newest and coolest online funding platforms. With donations from as little as £5 up to £1,000, the money raised will go a long way in ensuring Create:2014 is the best conference for young people in Northern Ireland this year and if this is a success, we are confident we can make this an annual event.”

The event is in partnership with the CultureTECH Festival (Northern Ireland’s largest tech/media event) and Generation Innovation (a peer-driven movement of Northern Ireland’s most ambitious young people, hosted by NISP CONNECT at the Northern Ireland Science Park).

Eighteen-year-old Sarah McBride, CEO of Create:2014, says it’s a chance for young people to net a real opportunity: “The tech and creative industries in Northern Ireland are incredible at the moment. There’s so much going on and so many ways to get involved. The problem is they can appear daunting and some young people are put off, not aware of how truly accessible these industries are.

“Create:2014 will allow the wider public, and in particular young people, to see exactly how dynamic the tech and creative scene here is.

“To us, the future success of Northern Ireland depends on people realising the potential of this sector and we see this event as a way of raising the profile of the creative economy.”

Claire Burgoyne, NISP CONNECT Programme Manager said: “The young people we work with in Generation Innovation never cease to amaze us. This was entirely their own initiative and it makes perfect sense: the idea of peer-to-peer support, from young people for young people. By passing on the benefits of their own experiences, they can inspire the next generation following closely behind.”

Sarah McBride added: “Although we are being supported by the Northern Ireland Science Park and CultureTECH, this Kickstarter campaign will be vital in ensuring we can produce the amazing event we are planning. We really need the support of the Northern Ireland community to make this happen.” * For more details about Create: 2014’s Kickstarter Campaign, visit http://kck.st/1sBjqtL

Student placement success A

student who graduated from the University of Ulster’s Business School this summer with a 2:1 classification in his Marketing degree, has been named the overall winner of the 2014 Ulster Business School Placement Competition.

Michael Lewis, originally from Ballymena, received the prize for his contribution to driving innovation and excellence during his placement year with Warner Bros in London.

As part of his project he identified that the company was missing out on thousands of potential sales by not making the online games it released on Nintendo’s platforms, including one based on the Batman films, available in territories outside America and Japan.

By implementing the change he has helped to increase sales in 16 new territories and earned praise for his “great initiative” from his boss in increasing Warner Bros’ visibility in the market.

Michael said: “Working on this project was a fantastic learning experience for me. We were unsure of the processes the company had to go through to make its games available on Nintendo’s platforms at first, so I worked closely with Nintendo and also with Warner Bros’ finance department, creative teams and external creative agency in order to make it happen.

Michael Lewis, winner of the 2014 Ulster Business School Placement Competition.

“When the process was complete Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition was released as a Wii U launch title and was available for digital purchase at launch on Nintendo’s eShop. It was great to be a key part of making that happen.”

Michael’s placement tutor Dr Darryl Cummins, said: “We receive tremendous support from all of the organisations that we work with through the placement process. Michael and Warner Bros are outstanding examples of the value that placement can bring to both the student and the business.”

Taking a winning STEP

Nigel Race, STEP Director of Professional Development and Ruth Thompson, with her award.

B

DO Tax Manager, Ruth Thompson, was recently named the 2014 Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP), Taxation of Trust and Estates Student of the

Year for Northern Ireland.

This is the first year that STEP has presented the award to anyone from Northern Ireland. Held in London, Ruth

received the STEP Excellence award for achieving the highest marks in the STEP Taxation of Trust and Estates paper.

Accepting the award from Nigel Race, STEP’s Director of Professional Development, Ruth Thompson said: “I am delighted to have received this award as part of my STEP Diploma in Trust and Estates (Northern Ireland). Studying for this qualification has allowed me to compound and expand my knowledge of Trust and Estates, enabling me to add value to my private client projects.”

Peter Burnside, Managing Partner of BDO Northern Ireland said: “Over the last 6 years, Ruth has developed extensive experience working as part of a large and growing private client team within BDO working with a range of SMEs creating and established private client structures which involve both UK and non-UK corporate and trust entities.

We are delighted that Ruth’s hard work and commitment has been recognised and we continue to support her in fulfilling her career potential.”

Ruth continues to study towards her STEP diploma and has also achieved a distinction in her Trust and Estates Accounting module in 2013. She is currently studying for the Administration of Estates and Administration of Trust modules.

NI Chamber 69

[feature]

Hackers set to be “jailed” as they find new IT solutions for healthcare

H Jonathon Smyth and Sarah Dynan, software developers at Belfast-based tech firm TotalMobile, prepare for the upcoming 24 hour hackathon being held at Crumlin Road Gaol.

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ighly skilled young tech developers are being urged to endure a sleepless night in “jail” to come up with the best ideas to tackle the IT challenges facing the health service.

Participants will attend the 24-hour hackathon taking place at Belfast’s Crumlin Road Gaol on September 13 with a paranormal tour taking place half way through!

It’s being run as part of Belfast tech firm TotalMobile’s Code for Better campaign, which launched at the start of the summer to bring people with great ideas and those with a passion for coding together to collaborate on solutions to some of the problems facing the health sector.

A Vine competition, which involves a short-form video sharing service, has been running to source ideas to bring to the hack and there’s a £1,500 travel voucher prize for the winning idea. Anyone wishing to contribute should create a six second Vine video outlining their idea to tackle a specific healthcare challenge and post it to Twitter with the hashtag #codeforbetter.

However, developers are welcome to attend the event without submitting a video.

The top ideas will be built by teams at the event. Teams of five will work together on developing prototypes for the 24-hour period and will present to the Code For Better panel of judges on the morning of 14 September.

Gareth Tolerton, Chief Technology Officer, TotalMobile, who will be a judge at the event, said: “Our company has been making software for 30 years and we’re passionate about finding mobile solutions that work and make healthcare better as well as working to close the skills gap which exists in the IT industry in Northern Ireland.

“We want to encourage young developers to enhance their skills and broaden their experience as well as highlighting the opportunities available to them at TotalMobile.

“We want to hear from smart developers with the right attitude about what they would build to help revolutionise the use of software in healthcare and look forward to meeting them at Crumlin Road Gaol on September 13.

“The developers only need to bring their own device – we will provide the rest, including food, drink and of course some unusual entertainment half way through in the form of a paranormal tour! Hopefully that won’t put anyone off and by the end of the challenge we’ll have some great solutions which will have the potential to make a real difference” Judges will also include 3fivetwo Healthcare’s CEO Mark Regan, and representatives from Marie Curie and the Health and Social Care Board. Graphic designers are also welcome to attend and share their skills. A cash prize of £1,000 will be awarded to the winning team of developers.

Partners for the event include Culture Tech, Women Who Code, CoderDojo and Big Motive as well as Marie Curie and the 3fivetwo Group.

Those interested in posting a Vine and registering for the event can find out more at www.codeforbetter.co

STUDENTS BRIMMING WITH TALENT T WO talented students from the Lisburn Campus of South Eastern Regional College (SERC) have devised an innovative solution which has helped a local SME improve its manufacturing processes.

Ruairi Dillon and Rhys Highan worked on the project as part of their Extended Diploma course in manufacturing and engineering.

They were supported by SERC Industrial Development Engineer Brendan Merrigan.

Clarehill Plastics presented their challenge to the students and, following a number of meetings with senior management, together developed a suitable solution. The challenge was for the students to design and manufacture a bespoke oil tank overfill prevention device and an innovative infrared sensor.

The innovative system, designed as part of an efficiency initiative, allows operators to efficiently detect when an oil tank has reached capacity, dramatically reducing the risk of overflow and oil spillage.

Ruairi Dillon said: “I got the opportunity to work on a live industry project from concept through to completion. The whole project was a fantastic experience and will look great on my CV.” Initial feedback from clients has been very positive and with modifications the system may make it to market.

The students received specialist one-to-one

coaching from Clarehill Plastics Design Engineer Jonathan Campbell who said: “The need for efficient manufacturing techniques is vital to our company’s reputation and is a strong source of competitive advantage.

We are delighted to have an educational partnership with SERC. We recognise that these students are the industry’s future workforce and so we are committed to supporting their educational SERC’s award winning manufacturing and engineering students development.”

Ruairi Dillon and Rhys Highan, the developers of an innovative Kieran McKenna, Head solution, which has helped Clarehill Plastics improve its manufacturing processes. of Engineering at SERC said: “Industry projects at SERC are a great vehicle for us projects underway and have helped get results to support businesses with the challenges for past clients including Coca Cola, Takker, they face as well as developing our students Montupet, Diageo and Royal Mail. employability skills. These examples give Industry projects at SERC involve students students, who are studying the equivalent to solving real-life business scenarios provided A’ Level, the opportunity to showcase what by local companies. They are designed they are capable of.” to develop young people’s employability The innovative solution was so impressive skills including teamwork, problem solving, that it won an award at the annual College leadership, communication and commercial BEST (Business and Education through acumen, whilst providing them with valuable Training and Skills) Awards held in Ballymena. industry experience.

SERC currently has a wide range of industry

Great Application at Kainos CodeCamp

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n IT-based summer scheme, organised by Belfast Metropolitan College (Belfast Met) and Belfast-based digital solutions company Kainos, has been declared a success for the second year running. The popular event took place recently at Belfast Met’s state-of-the-art e3 building in Belfast and was attended by 76 students from all over Northern Ireland.

Open to years 11-14, Kainos CodeCamp is designed to introduce children to the world of computer programming. Over a two-week period, computer professionals and designers from Kainos and Belfast Met provide training to the children in a highly interactive and stimulating environment. Participants not only learn coding techniques, but also get to develop their own apps.

Dr Jonathan Heggarty, Head of School Electronic and Computing Technologies at Belfast Met said: “This camp is a fantastic way for many young people to gain an understanding of app development and what it feels like to work in a professional IT environment.”

The last day of the camp featured an awards ceremony attended

by Marie Hendron, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, to mark the participants’ contribution over the two weeks. Prizes included Kindle Tablets and Fitness Tracker bracelets and were awarded for Best Idea, Most Improved and Best Group.

The most sought-after prize of the two weeks – Best App – was

won by Adam Toner from Armagh, for his ‘TOOLBOX’ app.

Commenting on the event, Kainos Chief Technical Officer Tom Gray said: “I’m delighted that Kainos leads this initiative year after year and gets to play a part in nurturing the next generation of digital talent.”

Tom Gray, CTO, Kainos; Adam Toner, winner, Best App; Marie Hendron, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast; Dr Jonathan Heggarty, Head of School Electronic and Computing Technologies, Belfast Met.

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[Feature]

my ambition is to...

Anna Coleman (31), Sales & Marketing Executive for Delta Packaging.

I

’m a Sales & Marketing Executive for Delta Packaging, based in West Belfast. I joined the company on a graduate programme in May 2009.

I always wanted to work in a customer facing role that would offer variety, allow me to travel while engaging with stakeholders on various levels and this role does exactly that.

I completed a BA (Hons) in English Literature at Queen’s University, Belfast and a Masters in Communications, Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Ulster.

The Masters involved a comprehensive study of the theoretical principles of communication and how these translated within a commercial context. The course had a strong focus on research strategies, processes and planning and how this can inform strategic choices within the workplace.

Good communication skills are critical for my role at Delta as one of the main facets of my job is to manage key customer accounts. I am responsible for maintaining and growing their business with us and responding quickly to any issues that may arise throughout the production process. The research aspect of my studies has been beneficial within my current position as I am also responsible for Business Development. By thoroughly researching the industry I am able to identify companies that could benefit from the range of services Delta provides.

Throughout my studies I worked in Tesco and after completing my Masters I took a year out to work and travel around Australia

72 NI Chamber

and Asia, where I worked in a number of different jobs from prawn farming to broccoli picking! Upon my return I was keen to get my career started and worked in a variety of roles before securing my position at Delta.

One of my main stepping stones was as an Accounts Co-ordinator with FG Wilson.

Although this position was more finance based it required me to manage a large portfolio of international customers which was invaluable. My project management skills were also developed through this role as I participated in a number of 6 sigma projects which sought to address outstanding debtors, communication methods and processes associated with foreign clients and financial institutions.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed my time at FG Wilson, I was keen to secure a position within the Sales & Marketing sector. Lack of significant experience within the sector proved to be a barrier. I was fortunate enough to come across an advertisement for the Parity Graduate Management programme. This programme is designed to help graduates from any discipline find employment within their chosen sector.

Entry onto the programme is dependent on Parity’s ability to match the graduate with an employer and in my case the employer was Delta. Initially, I completed four weeks of classroom training along with a group of other graduates before joining Delta for an initial five-month period.

During the programme graduates

complete an Advanced Diploma in Management Strategies with the University of Ulster, a qualification I was delighted to pass with Distinction. My first role within Delta was to manage a project aimed at maximising output capabilities of a bespoke printing press. I was then asked to make recommendations for future sales strategy based on research findings. When the five-month period was over I was offered a permanent position within Delta’s sales team and five years on I’m enjoying the challenges that this job represents.

In addition to the Belfast operation, Delta has a number of other facilities across the globe and the company is constantly reinvesting in the business to meet growing customer demand and ensure the organisation remains at the forefront of the packaging industry Delta has been in the print and packaging business for 32 years, supplying the high-end market of the pharmaceutical, communications and food industry. The company is a major supplier to global brands such as Nokia, J Sainsbury, Tesco, Reckitt and Benchiser, Asda, Safeway, McDonalds, KFC and Samsung. As the company continues to grow locally and abroad, it is my ambition to help support Delta’s ongoing expansion through the acquisition of new business and the development of existing relationships within our current customer base.

[Thought Leadership]

Marketing – Where is your Audience?

By Paul Synnott, Country Manager Esri Ireland.

The phenomenon of geo-marketing helps you to reach your audience by understanding where they are located, as Paul Synnott of Esri Ireland writes.

In today’s fast-paced world, getting the right message to the right people is vitally important to marketers. Satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process has always been the remit of marketing within our respective businesses.

Historically, marketing has focused its messaging on the type of person that needed to be targeted by trying to answer the question: “who is it that we need to engage?”

Geo-marketing helps businesses to further refine this question by allowing marketers to also ask: “and where are these people?”

Nowadays, marketers recognise that “place” is an increasingly important variable in the provision of value for their customers. The fundamental premise behind geo-marketing is to deliver a marketing message that is localised to where the target user is located.

By knowing “where” customers are and, just as important, “where” they are not, allows businesses to build up a micro geographic view of their markets and their future potential.

Geo-marketing allows marketers to bring together disparate location-based information

that when visualised on a map will help increase efficiencies in managing marketing operations.

It helps you make more informed decisions around where you need to increase and/or decrease investment in marketing activities.

This is helping many businesses, both global and local, to manage their markets efficiently. It helps tap into new potential that otherwise isn’t apparent – and to ultimately increase turnover.

Technological advancements Geo-marketing is increasingly possible through technological advancements in three main areas: geographical information systems (GIS), smartphones (mobile marketing) and social media channels (mapping sentiment).

GIS-based analysis to create local brand awareness can not only be successful for a particular community, but can be applied to other localities that are similar. This is accomplished by matching behaviour profiles of the geography where they are located. A survey of advertising professionals carried out in the US last year revealed that 60 per cent of them said that geographical targeted adverts deliver a stronger return on investment than other buys. This is backed up by the fact that over 90 per cent of US marketing agencies had clients requesting geographically targeted online campaigns.

In the US, localised online advertising is expected to grow 255 per cent to $35 billion by the end of 2014.

Mobile marketing, through the increased use of smartphones, is the next most significant geo-marketing tool in which SMS texting, mobile mapping applications, a mobile version of your website and mobile advertising based on your location are your key components.

The starting point for this is knowing where the device is, and this has become increasingly easier now given that nearly all smartphones are location enabled.

In 2012, 65 per cent of US companies focused on geographical context for their mobile marketing tactics. Social media channels continue to provide marketers with useful insights into consumer sentiment by understanding who is saying what over the social media airwaves. These same channels also allow businesses to target their messages to a mass audience based on user behaviour.

Many sites now facilitate the use and application of location, and it is in this regard that marketers can now not only see who is saying what, but just as importantly where they are saying it from. MapMyTweet (www. mapmytweet.com) is a simple example of how social media can be used to better understand where consumer sentiment is being expressed.

Quite simply, geo-marketing is less about bringing the consumer to your business and more about bringing your business to the consumer – but you can only do this if you know where the consumer is. So whether you have a retail outlet or not, you need to pay attention to the location of your target audience and tailor your marketing message and value propositions accordingly.

[feature]

Banking on growth Where does Northern Ireland figure in the Bank of England’s decision making? Adrienne McGill gets the answer from the Governor Mark Carney.

D

oes the Bank of England really care about Northern Ireland and why should it?

After all, as a region it’s not on the mainland, it is the only area of the UK to share a border with a euro zone country, only 2 per cent of the UK’s residents live there and it’s on the periphery of Europe.

Despite the fact that the Bank of England regularly sends senior officials to the regions to hear directly from those at the coal face of industry and to talk to chief executives and business leaders about the economy, people living in regional economies could be forgiven for thinking that the Bank of England is more focused on what is happening in London and the South East of England than what’s stirring in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

However, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney insists that all regional economies play an important part when it comes to the Bank forming policy – and Northern Ireland is no less important than anywhere else.

Speaking to Ambition while on a recent visit to Belfast for meetings with business leaders, he said: “We absolutely care about Northern Ireland – it’s why I’m here, it’s why we have an agency in Northern Ireland, it’s why every month we get data on Northern Ireland for the members of the committees that make decisions for the Bank of England. We are regularly briefed on developments and I have met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers and with the First Minister Peter Robinson.

“We do care about all the regions within the UK because we have to manage policy for the UK as a whole. It’s great that we are coming out of this terrible recession but we want to see growth across the UK including Northern Ireland.

“We recognise that London and the South East of England accounts for 25 per cent of the UK economy but I can assure you, we look across the UK in thinking about where the issues are, how we can address them and how we can make policies that are consistent with strong, sustainable and balanced growth.”

A major stimulus to growth in Northern Ireland, it is claimed, would be a reduction in corporation tax – but Mr Carney refused to be drawn on the issue.

Supporters of the devolution of

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corporation tax to Northern Ireland have expressed growing optimism that the power will be in place by 2017 thereby putting the Province in a strong position to attract more inward investors and match the 12.5 per cent tax rate in the Republic of Ireland.

“We have many responsibilities at the Bank of England – monetary policy, financial stability, overseeing banks, building societies, insurance companies, credit unions – we have more than enough to do than wade into Northern Ireland’s tax policy – it is outside of our responsibilities,” said the Governor.

He does, nevertheless, recognise that Northern Ireland is in a unique position by sharing a land border with the Republic of

Ireland which is in the euro zone.

“Businesses across the UK have a challenge if they are exporting to Europe, the US or emerging markets. There are challenges with currency fluctuations but those businesses are very good at managing them. We get a lot of benefit in the UK from having a flexible currency. The relationship with the Republic creates some challenges in part because demand is still weaker there than in the past. But as a whole there are advantages – it reinforces the advisability of diversifying export markets beyond Europe as well.

“Fundamentally the challenge for businesses whether they are export focused or domestically focused is to continue

[feature]

to improve their competitiveness and productivity – that requires investment, innovation and building the skills of their employees. These are competitive markets and the best businesses recognise that and act on what they can control.”

Turning to interest rates, the Governor said the Bank of England would be risking a dangerous housing bubble and a return to recession if it left interest rates at an all time low for too long.

He said that rising house prices could result in households taking on more mortgage debt to afford a new home, limiting their ability to spend money on other things and dragging the economy back into contraction.

intervened in June to limit the volume of high loan-to-income mortgages that lenders would be permitted to approve. It has also introduced tougher mortgage rules to ensure that borrowers could withstand a rise in interest rates.

The Bank has said that from October, it will allow only 15 per cent of new mortgages to be at multiples higher than 4.5 times a borrower’s income.

The Governor said that although GDP was back at pre-crisis levels, the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee would not raise rates until real wages were rising consistently. The Bank rate has been held at 0.5 per cent since March 2009.

“In the housing sector, we recognise risks are more acute in certain regions of the country including London and the South East so because we have certain tools we can use, that frees monetary policy to focus on its core responsibility which is making sure inflation is low, stable and predictable in a way that is consistent with a durable expansion.”

But how does this help Northern Ireland?

“The monetary policy very much helps Northern Ireland – we have monetary policy which is exceptionally stimulative and we have interest rates as low as they can go – that provides confidence for businesses,” said the Governor.

“The policy on housing helps to reduce the risk to the economy of the UK as a whole – risks that could build up in certain regions and with certain types of riskier borrowers – so again that helps the economy of Northern Ireland because it makes it more likely that this expansion lasts, that it doesn’t get side swiped by pockets of excessive borrowing or reckless lending as we have seen in the past.”

So with the correct mechanisms in place to take the heat out of the property sector, interest rates remaining “It’s great that low for the time being, the economy bouncing we are coming out back to health – is there of this terrible anything to worry about? recession but we “We can’t be complacent,” said Mark want to see growth Carney. across the UK “We are moving into including Northern an expansion – that is good news. But the Ireland.”

Bank’s contribution to making sure that expansion persists, However, this is the area in which that it is durable and that it is balanced – is national interests could diverge from local. relevant for all the regions of the UK including For example, with lower house prices in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland, loans are consequently “Our contribution is to manage monetary lower in value and thus interest rate rises may policy and make sure it’s on target so that be more manageable for recent purchasers (if people don’t have to worry about inflation, not those on legacy variable rate mortgages). to address specific risks that could develop In a bid to stop the UK’s housing market such as in the housing market and to ensure from overheating, especially in London the whole of the financial system has enough where prices have jumped almost 19 per liquidity so it can do its job which is to lend to cent in the past year, the Bank of England vibrant private businesses.”

NI Chamber 75

[appointments]

The University of Ulster’s Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of the Ulster Business School (centre) welcomes new Directors, Kirsty McManus who has been appointed as Director of the Centre for SME Development and Michael McQuillan who has been appointed as Director of the School’s Business Institute.

new appointments

Julie Tierney has been appointed as Solicitor, Head of Family Law Department at Edwards & Co Solicitors.

76 NI Chamber

Neil Smyth has been appointed as Partner in the Litigation Department of Tughans.

Rosemary Gormley has been appointed as Business Operations Director at Capita Managed IT Solutions.

Tony Rice has been appointed as Sales Director for Ireland at Capita Managed IT Solutions.

10,000 HOURS….

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT AS SINEAD WALLACE, GRAFTON COMMERCIAL DIRECTOr FOR IRELAND, EXPLAINS.

The same applies to successful people in all sorts of sectors. Bill Gates developed Talent his talent for computers by using the is not computer laboratory in Lakeside School in enough, it Seattle where he was a student; the people takes investment in at HP gave Steve Jobs free access to their learning, practice and growing experience computers when he was cheeky enough tho make a difference. to ask; The Beatles played for eight hours a night for weeks on end in Hamburg. They Who says? were all accumulating their ten thousand Well listen to Rory McIlroy’s interviews hours of practice. before and after his terrific result in winning The Open Championship. He But we can’t all be at that level. It is easy mentions the time he spent practising at to pick out the famous and the game Royal County Down and Royal Aberdeen changers, although you do wonder who to hone his links game; the experience he would have employed the jeans-wearing had gained from failing at Augusta and St hippy that was Steve Jobs. Picking out Andrews; the trouble he’d been having the right person for your team is more scoring on Fridays this year; and the effort difficult. For a start how much time have he had put into his game all his life. you spent in analysing the personality

Gerry Coghlan has been appointed as Chairman of the Northern Ireland branch of the Association for Project Management.

Deborah McAleese has been appointed as Financial Planning Consultant with Ashtree Insurance, sister company of Autoline.

make-up of your business to make sure the new people fit in and don’t disrupt the work flow? What experience do you have in high level selection? Have you a clear idea of who can really make a difference to your company performance?

At Grafton we have put the hours into developing a team of professionals who will be able to make sure that you select the right person for your business. We know what good looks like across multiple sectors, including ICT, Finance, Sales and Marketing and many more.

We don’t rely on talent alone. We recruit for our team based on our own tried and tested methods, so that when we become part of your team, you have confidence that we will deliver results.

Paul Johnston has been appointed as Consultant in Litigation and Dispute Resolution with A&L Goodbody.

Sam Mulholland has been appointed as Mortgage & Protection Advisor with Michael Chandler Mortgages, part of Michael Chandler Estate Agents.

NI Chamber 77

[feature]

DEVICES IN DEMAND ALMOST HALF OF HOUSEHOLDS IN NORTHERN IRELAND HAVE A TABLET COMPUTER, ACCORDING TO A REPORT

BY OFCOM, THE COMMUNICATIONS REGULATOR. ADRIENNE MCGILL DETAILS THE FINDINGS.

Jonathan Rose, Director of Ofcom Northern Ireland.

N

orthern Ireland is becoming a nation of gadget lovers with the number of people owning smartphones reaching 55 per cent while tablet ownership has leapt to 45 per cent.

At 45 per cent, Northern Ireland, along with Wales, has the highest rate of tablet ownership in the UK – up from 29 per cent a year ago and 9 per cent in 2012.

The figures are revealed in Ofcom’s Communications Report for Northern Ireland which also shows that smartphone ownership has risen from 45 per cent to 55 per cent in the past year, with the biggest increase among people in rural areas. Smartphones are most popular among young people (aged 16-34) while tablet computers are more popular with older users (35-54).

78 NI Chamber

“THE RAPID RISE IN

Linked to the takeSMARTPHONE OWNERSHIP up of these mobile MEANS THAT MORE THAN devices is the number HALF OF US NOW ACCESS THE of people accessing the internet on the move, INTERNET ON THE MOVE.” rising 6 percentage points in the past year to 51 per cent and it was the norm to sit at a desk to go online helped by significant but the rapid rise in smartphone ownership improvements in 3G mobile coverage. means that more than half of us now access The proportion of premises in areas with the internet on the move. outdoor coverage from all four national 3G “Elsewhere, Northern Ireland still ranks best networks has increased by 20.2 percentage in the UK for superfast broadband availability points to 82.1 per cent from a year ago, while there have been noticeable and driven by significant investment by network welcome improvements in both 2G and 3G providers. coverage over the last year.”

Jonathan Rose, Director of Ofcom The report gives an insight into how people Northern Ireland, said: “Just a few years ago use communications devices.

[FEATURE] Social media continues to be popular, with more than half of internet users in Northern Ireland (58%) accessing Facebook, Twitter and similar services online, either at home or on the move. Sixty-eight per cent say they use the web for purchasing goods or services, up from 60 per cent last year.

Northern Ireland has a higher level of pay-TV take-up. Two-thirds (67%) of homes have Sky, Virgin Media, BT Vision or paid-for top-up services, compared with 62 per cent for the UK as a whole.

The research also highlights the popularity of Republic of Ireland (RoI) TV channels in Northern Ireland. Around one in four people watch RTÉ One every week, with smaller numbers watching RTÉ Two, TG4 and TV3.

Ownership of a DAB radio set has risen to almost a third (30%) of households. This is a year-on-year increase of six percentage points but take-up remains lowest in Northern Ireland within the UK. Welcoming Ofcom’s Report, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said it clearly demonstrated that Northern Ireland has embraced new technology.

“More and more of us use and own a

variety of gadgets such as smart phones and tablets. Northern Ireland, along with Wales, has the highest rate of tablet ownership in the UK and smart phone ownership has risen to 55 per cent. While many of these gadgets are for personal use and staying in touch with friends and family they are also vital in today’s world for conducting business both local and globally,” she added.

OTHER KEY FINDINGS FOR NORTHERN IRELAND Availability of superfast broadband highest in the UK

By June 2014, 95 per cent of premises in Northern Ireland were served by the NGA (Next Generation Access) networks that are used to provide superfast broadband services. This was above the UK average of 78 per cent and was the highest proportion among the UK nations.

Improving 2G coverage The proportion of homes in Northern Ireland with outdoor 2G mobile coverage from all three national 2G networks increased by 10.7 percentage points to 91.7 per cent in the year to June 2014.

Increased satisfaction with broadband services The proportion of users who said that they were ‘very’ satisfied with their fixed broadband speeds increased from 35 per cent to 40 per cent during the year. This improvement was even more marked in rural areas, where 43 per cent of broadband consumers were reported as being very satisfied with their speeds in Q1 2014, compared to 34 per cent in 2013.

High satisfaction with postal services Nine out of ten people in Northern Ireland (89%) are satisfied with Royal Mail compared to 86 per cent across the UK overall.

But not with cross-border prices When asked to consider the cost of posting a standard letter to the Republic of Ireland (87p at the time of the survey), almost half (47%) of all adults in Northern Ireland perceived this to offer poor value for money (‘very’ or ‘fairly’) compared to around a third (34%) who saw it as good value for money (‘very’ or ‘fairly’).

E-reader take-up One in five adults (20%) in Northern Ireland use an e-reader to read books, magazines, and other text downloaded from the internet, up from 12 per cent last year.

HOW TECH SAVVY ARE YOU? Ofcom’s Communications Report for Northern Ireland also provides an insight into the media we consume. The Digital Day research shows consumers in Northern Ireland spend almost as much time consuming media every day (8 hours and 29 minutes) as they do sleeping.

Four and a half hours of this is spent watching television.

However, consumers also spent the equivalent of 2 hours and 14 minutes communicating – by email, text, social networks, instant messaging and voice calls.

A further two hours a day were spent ‘listening’ to radio or other audio. Significantly, consumers in Northern Ireland claim to spend more media time on their mobile phone (16%) compared to the UK as a whole (12%).

Other research carried out by Ofcom shows a ‘millennium generation’ of 14 and 15 year olds are the most technologically advanced people in the UK. Teens born at the turn of the century are unlikely to have known ‘dial up’ internet and are the first generation to benefit fully from broadband and digital communications.

It shows that we hit our peak communications technological confidence while we are still in our mid-teens - but this drops gradually up to our sixties and beyond.

Among 16-24s, around nine in ten use a smartphone on a weekly basis and they spend more time on their handsets than anyone else. These younger people are glued to their smartphones for 3 hours 36 minutes each day, nearly three times the 1 hour 22 minutes across all adults.

NI Chamber 79

[NEWS]

Brian O’Driscoll signs with BT Sport Irish Rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll is joining BT Sport as a rugby presenter and ambassador.

The former Ireland and Leinster captain who retired in June is one of rugby’s all-time greats.

With one hundred and thirtythree Irish Caps, he is the highest try scorer of all time in Irish Rugby. He has two Six Nations titles and is the record try scorer in the tournament. His career also saw him go on four Lions tours and winning three Heineken Cups.

O’Driscoll’s main role for BT Sport will be as a rugby expert on coverage of the newly formed European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, he will also appear on BT Sport’s weekly Rugby Show – Rugby Tonight.

the challenge and being involved at the inception of the brand new European tournament at a brand new channel like BT Sport. I’m joining BT Sport because I’ve been impressed by their new and fresh approach to rugby coverage and I’m looking forward to being a part of their team.”

Grant Best, senior channel executive producer for BT Sport said: “In the world of rugby, Brian is a legend. We’re delighted that he has decided to join BT Sport as part of the next stage of his career and that he has chosen to join our Rugby presenting team, he brings a huge amount of knowledge and experience which will be invaluable in our coverage of the new European tournaments.”

Commenting on his new role Brian O’Driscoll said: “I’m excited to be embarking on one of the next steps in my career with BT Sport, it’s a big change for me, but I’m looking forward to

Phone box transformed into life saver A BT phone kiosk in Craigavon is now a life saver - thanks to a unique partnership by Craigavon Borough Council, BT and the British Red Cross.

Craigavon Borough Council installed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which can diagnose and treat interruptions of the heart’s electrical impulses which may follow a cardiac arrest, in the disused BT phone box situated at Kinnego Marina, Oxford Island near Craigavon.

The kiosk is available to everyone at the marina, the caravan park, the craft centre and people in the locality 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The defibrillator is housed in the kiosk in a high visibility, green, vandal-resistant heated cabinet and can be opened under instruction from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service by calling 999.

The kiosk was bought by Craigavon Borough Council for £1 as part of BT’s Adopt a Kiosk

80 NI Chamber

scheme, as it was no longer needed as a working payphone in the area.

Up to 200,000 people a year in the UK suffer from a sudden heart attack, making it one of the UK’s largest killers. The faster a victim gets medical help, the better the chances of survival. The availability of a defibrillator machine greatly increases the chances of surviving an attack.

BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme has captured the imagination of many people since it was introduced in 2008. Apart from the defibrillator kiosks, boxes have been turned into art galleries, public libraries, exhibitions and information centres.

Gareth McWilliams, BT’s General Manager for Business Operations, said: “The most fantastic thing about setting up the Adopt a Kiosk scheme in Northern Ireland is how easy it is for communities to get involved and it’s gratifying to see rarely used boxes given a new lease of life.”

Mayor of Craigavon Colin McCusker with Red Cross representative Paula Powell, Jimmy Robinson from BT and Assistant Harbour Master at Kinnego Marina Paul Magee at the life saving kiosk.

[sponsored feature]

in profile: Laura Graham-Brown from Arcadia Delicatessen.

What is your job title?

Myself and my husband Mark own Arcadia Delicatessen on Belfast’s Lisburn road. The shop is a third generation family business trading from the same location for over 80 years.

What does a typical day involve?

Mark and I have very different roles in the business. He is very much the public face as he manages the shop counter and the complexity of maintaining such an Aladdin’s cave of cheese, charcuterie, olives and fish! He is kept extremely busy as you might imagine.

Maintaining our hamper website, updating our social media presence, planning tastings, seasonal opportunities, merchandising, sourcing new products and identifying new sales opportunities are my diverse responsibilities.

What are the most enjoyable and most challenging aspects of your job?

I get great pleasure from helping sustain a business which has such heritage. Mark’s grandmother started the business in 1933, followed by his father, William and we have built on their hard work to make it a business fit for the 21st century. External factors such as high rent and rates make it difficult for

small independent businesses to survive in the current retail environment. We have had to work extremely hard to attract new customers and encourage loyalty from existing ones whilst identifying new revenue streams to sustain turnover.

What can customers expect when they visit Arcadia Delicatessen?

We have an old fashioned approach to customer service. Our counter service harks back to another era and we try hard to maintain a personal service, mostly absent from the retail experience nowadays. The shop is a cornucopia of delights and the selection of fine foods we cram into our small shop would be hard to find anywhere else.

What differentiates Arcadia Delicatessen from other food stores?

There many qualities: our heritage, our huge selection of cheese, charcuterie, olives, fish and other fine foods, our attention to customer service and our unique online gift hamper selection which is available for delivery throughout the UK and Ireland.

www.arcadiadeli.co.uk

Save your business AND your employees money! aSave money on employer’s National Insurance Contributions a Provide each of your employees with

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www.childcarevouchersni.com NI Chamber 81

[feature]

Take off for BA flights move The sky’s the limit at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 when it comes to comfort and luxury, Keith Chuter, BA’s Sales Manager for Ireland and UK Regions tells Adrienne McGill.

“Terminal 5 really does enhance the experience of customers in the airport as well as in the air.”

BA’s Keith Chuter.

B

ritish Airways (BA) passengers travelling on flights between Belfast and London will soon be jetting into the airline’s flagship Heathrow home, Terminal 5 (T5).

From 26 October, flights from Belfast City Airport and Dublin will move to T5 changing from Terminal 1 where the route has been operating since it started in June 2012.

With up to six flights a day from Belfast, passengers will be able to connect to over

82 NI Chamber

130 longhaul and European destinations without having to transfer between terminals.

T5 is exclusively used by BA and Iberia, which are owned by International Airlines Group.

Keith Chuter, BA’s Sales Manager for Ireland and UK Regions, says delivering a top class and unparalleled travelling experience for customers is of paramount importance.

“The move of flights to Terminal 5 will

certainly help us to maintain our positioning of providing both business and leisure passengers with an unrivalled offering.

“The move is expected to cut minimum connection times for Northern Ireland passengers to onward British Airways flights from Terminal 5 by 30 minutes, to just one hour – significantly reducing journey times.

Also, our customers alighting in London will easily be able to access the city via rail using the Heathrow Express as well as road links.”

T5, which has been voted Terminal of the Year for the last three years in the World Airport awards, boasts a vast array of facilities and services for point to point and long haul passengers.

Travellers have the chance to indulge in the largest retail offering of any UK airport with 112 stores including luxury brands such as Cartier, Gucci, Prada and Burberry. There is also an array of world class restaurants to choose from including Gordon Ramsey and

[feature]

One of the luxurious ‘Galleries’ lounges at T5.

T5 FACTS AND FIGURES • T5 opened in 2008 and the main building in the complex is the largest freestanding structure in the United Kingdom.

• It took 6 years to build.

• The overall cost of T5 topped £4.3bn and British Airways invested £330m in designing and equipping its parts of the terminal.

• It covers the area of 50 football pitches.

• Including its satellites, taxiways and aircraft stands, the terminal is equivalent in size to Hyde Park, London.

• The terminal building is almost a quarter of a mile long.

• T5 has 175 lifts and 131 escalators.

• The amount of earth shifted during construction of T5 would have filled Wembley stadium one and a half times.

• T5 is designed to handle 35 million people a year at capacity.

• 60,000 people were involved in the building of the terminal.

• T5 has 11 miles of baggage conveyor belt. The baggage system can deal with 12,000 bags an hour.

• During construction, two rivers were diverted around the T5 site. Fish and other water creatures were moved before the diversion, and the new channels were made habitable for wildlife.

Caviar House & Prunier.

In addition, BA has invested £60m in creating a choice of six lounges, known as ‘Galleries’ for eligible customers to relax in, capable of hosting up to 2,500 people.

The ‘Galleries’ are elegant, luxurious and rather decadent with eye-catching crystal chandeliers, art installations and mood lighting to reflect the time of day as well as providing complimentary refreshments.

Furthermore, the exclusive Elemis spa at Terminal 5 provides treatments for First and Club World passengers as well as Gold Executive Club members flying longhaul.

“Terminal 5 really does enhance the experience of customers in the airport as well as in the air,” adds Keith.

He points to the fact that the route from Belfast City to London Heathrow is an essential airlink for business travellers and key to the continued development of business, commerce and tourism as travellers connect to BA’s extensive global network from Heathrow. The route is also a crucial outlet for the leisure market delivering seamless connections onto longhaul and European destinations without having to transfer between terminals.

“At present some 19 per cent of our Belfast originating passengers make onward connections at Heathrow, travelling through Terminal 5,” explains Keith.

“Whilst our connecting passengers will now benefit from a single terminal proposition our point to point customers will also benefit from the terminal’s facilities as they travel through the airport.”

Transferring to one of the other terminals to connect to a different airline can be done by using the Flight Connections Centre in T5. Customers will be able to transfer to all of Heathrow’s terminals using the Heathrow Express to transfer to terminals 1,2 and 3 as well as a bus service to transfer passengers to Terminal 4. Each of these services is free of charge and minimum connecting times are published on the Heathrow website (www.heathrowairport.com).

However, with more passengers using T5 – is there not a likelihood of longer queues?

“No, not at all,’ says Keith. “Terminal 5 will be able to accommodate these customers with ease. More than half of customers check in before arriving at the airport and those who have not can make use of one of our 96 check-in kiosks in the departures hall. We also have over 100 desks available for customers to drop off their bags before they move straight through security. The vast size of the terminal and our baggage system ensures that customers encounter minimal queues at check-in.”

Belfast City Airport is currently the only airport in Northern Ireland to operate a London Heathrow service and the route is one of the most popular amongst passengers.

NI Chamber 83

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Northern Ireland Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan gives Green Biz 2014 the thumbs up.

dedicated development Springvale Employment and Learning Solutions have been in operation for over 21 years. Established in 1992 the Springvale Group is one of Northern Ireland’s leading providers of quality employment and learning solutions. They are the largest social enterprise employment and learning provider, delivering training and employment workforce development solutions across Northern Ireland.

With their continued growth across Northern Ireland and a high demand for more skills training in priority skilled area’s this has been an excellent opportunity for the group to open up new sites in a number of locations including Lisburn and East Belfast.

Springvale have a dedicated employer engagement team to carry out skills analysis with businesses across Northern Ireland and build a workforce development plan with you to bring out the best potential in your employees. From courses in customer service, management and leadership to priority skills training in engineering and telecoms the engagement team can design a plan to suit your needs. Most recently Springvale have been listed in the inaugural publication of the London Stock Exchange’s groups list of most inspiring SME companies in the UK. If you would like further information contact the engagement team on 02890 242362 or employerengagement@springvalelearning.com 84 NI Chamber

Aidan Sloane (Chief Executive of Springvale), Celine Maxwell (Springvale Learner), Sarah Travers and Minister Stephen Farry (Department of Employment and Learning).

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[feature]

what’s in it for me?

HOW NI CHAMBER HAS HELPED MY BUSINESS…..WITH DECLAN O’MAHONEY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HEARTSINE TECHNOLOGIES.

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS HeartSine Technologies is a world leader in the development and export of personal and public access defibrillators.

Based in Belfast and with an office in Newtown, Pennsylvania, we are the sole manufacturer of defibrillators anywhere in the UK and Ireland and export our lifesaving products to over 40 countries across the globe.

We recently announced the creation of 40 new jobs in Belfast and expanded our research and development centre here on Heron Road.

Our objective is to strengthen our workforce in Belfast so that we can double sales of our existing product portfolio in our target markets over the next three years.

Northern Ireland is the birthplace of the defibrillator. The process used by emergency departments to treat cardiac arrest is known as ‘The Belfast Protocol’ as the world’s first out-of-hospital defibrillator was developed in Belfast in the 1960s.

We’ve carried on that torch in terms of research and development over the years and you’ll find Belfast-made HeartSine defibrillators everywhere from the White House to Stormont, from your local sports ground to town centres and in churches around the world.

WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT? We save lives on a daily basis across the world. There aren’t many R&D and manufacturing businesses in Northern Ireland that can say that.

When a HeartSine defibrillator is used, we are notified and can identify the HeartSine employees that were involved in the manufacturing of that unit. These lifesaving stories are a source of immense pride for our workforce.

There have been a number of high profile ‘saves’ that have shone light on the use of public access defibrillators, most notably Bolton footballer Fabrice Muamba and more recently former Ryder Cup golf captain Bernard Gallacher.

With CPR alone survival rates after a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) are less than 5 per cent. However, when CPR is combined with the use of a defibrillator, survival rates increase to over 70 per cent, but decrease by 10 per cent for every minute a defibrillation

86 NI Chamber

‘shock’ is delayed.

Around 100,000 people die of SCA every year in the UK and Ireland, yet the figures related to fire fatalities number well under 400.

Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are mandatory in every public building – why not defibrillators? I want to see them deployed in

Middle East; however, we’ve made significant inroads recently in the Far East.

The Chamber has played and will continue to play a significant role in assisting us with legal paper work and with contacts as we look to expand.

Our flagship device, the HeartSine samaritan PAD (Public Access Defibrillator), is manufactured in over 30 languages, each of which takes the user through each crucial step of the lifesaving process. The units are so advanced they tell the user when and if a shock needs to be administered.

All of our distributors must be aware of the area’s legislation and registration pertaining to medical devices. Because this can differ from state to state or country to country, it can affect our sales and marketing strategies.

The Chamber’s advice in this respect has been valuable.

WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO OTHER CHAMBER MEMBERS TO HELP THEM GET THE MOST FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIP? Having the Chamber arrange our export documentation is easily worth our annual subscription alone. But I’m a believer in getting involved. There is little point in paying a membership and not utilising its full worth. Myself and many members of the HeartSine team avail of the excellent events and networking opportunities the Chamber provides.

every public building, school, sports centre and workplace.

Given its history as the birthplace of the defibrillator, Northern Ireland should be the most ‘heart-safe’ country in the world, a place where no one dies of SCA outside of the hospital. We’re ready to play our part with Government to make that a reality.

HOW HAS NI CHAMBER HELPED HEARTSINE ACHIEVE ITS GOALS? While we are active in about 70 countries, we have a global distributor network and export our defibrillators to over 40 countries.

We export around 98 per cent of our products and want to double our sales over the next three years. Currently our sales are split between the Americas and Europe/

HAS BEING A MEMBER OF NI CHAMBER HELPED THE COMPANY IN EXPORT MARKETS? We have a global distributor network and some countries require very specific export documentation. A Certificate of Origin and/or International Commodity Traffic Certificates may or may not be required.

That’s when the Chamber really comes into its own. The assistance of Dawn Robertson, the Chamber’s Export Documentation Officer, has been invaluable in guiding HeartSine through the exporting myriad. Her friendly and patient approach ensures the process is painless and efficient.

Be it Tunisia, Chile, Israel, Argentina or Egypt, the advice from the Chamber has been crucial in realising our export ambitions.

PAGE87_Layout 1 29/08/2014 12:05 Page 1

by James Stinson

Supported by

www.agnewcorporate.com

[columnist] james stinson, business class motoring writer

FLEXIBLE ON THE ROAD BMW GOES ALL SENSIBLE ON US…. WRITES JAMES STINSON.

W

ho’d have thought it... a front wheel-drive 3-cylinder BMW. Not only that, but one that looks a bit like an MPV! This new Active Tourer 2 Series is similar in shape and dimensions to the Mercedes B-Class and aims to win over well-heeled family-orientated buyers who like the badge but who think other BMWs just aren’t flexible enough.

What you get with the Active Tourer over say a 1-Series or 3-Series is a higher seating position, and more interior head, leg and shoulder room but in a relatively compact little box, which means it is easier to manoeuvre around our increasingly congested towns and cities.

It’s not a proper MPV as it still only seats five (a seven-seater is expected to join the range next year) but there is a lot more flexibility here than in your average Beemer and most of it is in the rear.

The boot can be enlarged from 468 to 1,510 litres with the aid of split folding rear seats. The rear seat bench also slides, allowing either knee room or luggage space to be increased while the boot is easy to access thanks to the large, broad, wideopening tailgate.

At launch there’s only a pair of engines to choose from, but they’re both entirely new.

The petrol is a 1.5-litre three cylinder that produces 134bhp and 220Nm of torque.

That’s good enough to dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 9.3 seconds and is badged 218i.

More traditional is the 218d diesel, with its 148bhp and 330Nm of torque, which manages the same benchmark sprint in 8.9 seconds.

At launch both variants will emit less than 120g/km of CO2, ensuring cheap annual road tax costs, and even the triple-cylinder petrol can return over 57mpg – the diesel bettering this by over 10mpg on the combined cycle.

That’s all down to the firm’s EfficientDynamics kit, which on the 2 Series

Active Tourer includes lightweight steel for the structure, Auto Start/Stop, brake energy recuperation and an Aero Curtain which improves aerodynamics to lower fuel consumption.

A host of other engines are due to arrive later in the year, including 216d and 220d diesels as well as 220i and 225i petrol engines. There’s a choice of automatic and manual gearboxes across most of the engines.

Prices start at £22,150 for the entry-level 218i Active Tourer SE and £24,205 for the 148bhp 218d four-cylinder diesel.

Standard equipment includes an automatic tailgate, dual-zone automatic air-conditioning, DAB radio, keyless engine start, three driving modes (called ECO PRO, Comfort and Sport), rear parking sensors, BMW Emergency Call, two 12v sockets, a multifunction leather steering wheel and automatic headlights and wipers.

Sport models, priced at £23,400 and £25,455 with petrol and diesel engines respectively, get more supportive front seats, some exterior styling upgrades, 17” alloy wheels, LED ambient interior lighting and some black high-gloss trim.

The Luxury specification (£24,150 and £26,205) includes a different design of 17” wheel, leather upholstery, wood interior trim and some more exterior changes.

The complete fleet solution 18 Boucher Way, Belfast BT12 6RE 028 9038 6600 www.agnewcorporate.com 88 NI Chamber

2014 Hot 0ffers Contact us on 028 9038 6600

Volkswagen Polo range from £129 + VAT per month • Was £149 +VAT per month • Based on VW Polo 1.0 S 3dr Manual • CO2 from 88g/km • Other Models available • Fully Maintained Contracts also available

Volkswagen Golf GTD range from £269 + VAT per month • Was £289 +VAT per month • Based on VW Golf 2.0TDI GTD 5dr Manual • CO2 from 109g/km • Other Models available – 3dr and DSG • Fully Maintained Contracts also available

Mercedes-Benz C-class range from £329 + VAT per month • Was £359 +VAT per month • Based on Mercedes-Benz C220 BlueTec Sport 4dr Auto • CO2 from 110g/km • Other Models available – AMG Line • Fully Maintained Contracts also available

Volkswagen Transporter T28 SWB Panel Van from £229 + VAT per month • Was £279 +VAT per month • Based on VW Transporter T28 SWB 2.0TDI 102ps Startline Panel Van • Spec includes: Bluetooth, Cab Comfort Pack • Limited numbers so hurry!

• Fully Maintained Contracts also available Quotations available on specific requirements to suit your needs – for Personal Contract Hire just add VAT.

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18 Boucher Way, Belfast BT12 6RE 028 9038 6600 www.agnewcorporate.com

114295_Agnews_press_A4_v1.indd 1

29/08/2014 10:40

[columnist] james stinson, business class motoring writer

A VW that goes like the wind VW’s pint-sized and very capable Scirocco has been refreshed with a raft of styling and mechanical improvements.

On the outside, there’s a new front bumper and redesigned lights at both ends.

There are some interior changes too, with new dials and - as in the original 1974 car - a set of auxiliary instruments mounted above the centre console.

The engine line-up has been tweaked to produce more power and better mpg. The 1.4 TSI petrol engine which formerly produced a maximum of 120bhp can now muster 123, the 158bhp 1.4 has been replaced by a 178bhp two-litre, and the 2.0 TSI’s output has been boosted from 207bhp to 217.

A 2.0 TDI diesel is also available with either 148bhp or 181bhp, and in less powerful form it has the best fuel economy and CO2 emissions in the range at 67.2mpg and 109g/km respectively.

That’s assuming six-speed manual transmission, which is standard across the range. All versions except those with the 1.4 TSI engine also have the £1500 option of the DSG semi-automatic gearbox.

In its most basic form, the Scirocco has 17” alloy wheels, airconditioning, DAB digital radio, a 6-CD changer, automatic headlights and wipers, an auto-dimming interior mirror, height-adjustable front seats, a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, an SD card reader and iPod and USB connections.

Prices start at £20,455 for the 1.4 TSI, rising to £33,795 for the R version powered by a 280 bhp 2.0 litre petrol motor and DSG.

THIS MINI AIN’T SO MINI ANYMORE

It’s not just bigger, but is the first MINI hatchback with five doors. It is also 161mm, or slightly more than six inches, longer than the three-door, giving an increase in luggage capacity of 67 litres to 278 litres.

The rear seats with a 60:40 split can be folded, enabling the load volume to be increased in stages as required to as much as 941 litres.

It’s a little taller, so there’s more headroom, and although MINI says there is no difference in overall width, it nevertheless claims a slight improvement in elbow room.

With this new model, the MINI Cooper SD 5-door Hatch is offered for the first time with a new 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel power unit that has an output of 170 hp.

This highly capable motor delivers a 0-62 time of 7.4 seconds, and frugal economy of 68.9 mpg.

Four models will be available from launch this autumn. There’s a £600 premium over the threedoor, so the Cooper will cost £15,900, the Cooper D £17,050, the Cooper S £19,255 and the Cooper SD £20,050.

SKODA’S TASTE FOR ADVENTURE If it’s rugged you’re after then look no further than the latest version of the Skoda Octavia Scout. As with previous Scouts, this new model is based on the standard estate but has four-wheel drive, increased ride height (33mm in this case) and extra body protection.

Despite a significant increase in size and specification, the new Octavia is 20 per cent cleaner and more fuel-efficient than the previous model, delivering significant runningcost savings for owners.

It’s being made available in two forms, one with a 148bhp 2.0 TDI diesel engine and sixspeed manual transmission, the other with a 181bhp version of the same engine and six-speed DSG semi-automatic. CO2 emissions are officially 129g/ km and 134g/km respectively.

Crew Protection Assist and a driver fatigue sensor are both offered as standard.

Optional extras include Intelligent Light Assist, Park Assist and a rear-view camera.

Prices start from £25,315.

The complete fleet solution 18 Boucher Way, Belfast BT12 6RE 028 9038 6600 www.agnewcorporate.com 90 NI Chamber

With low rates and a great range of Volkswagens, it’s all about driving your business.

Golf SE from £199 a month.

Plus VAT and initial rental.

Contract Hire rate per month

ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), 16-inch ‘Toronto’ alloys, Composition Media System, Bluetooth telephone connection,

Company car tax per month

£199.00

£52.84

Start/Stop technology.

Benefits-in-Kind

Contract Hire 3-year, 10,000 miles* per annum example for Golf SE 1.6 TDI 105 PS BlueMotion Technologies 5-door.

35 monthly payments of (plus VAT)

£199.00

Initial rental (plus VAT)

£597.00

Excess mileage charge (plus VAT)

6.0p

15%

74.3 mpg CO2 99 grams

New Scirocco from £249 a month.

Plus VAT and initial rental.

Contract Hire rate per month

18-inch ‘Interlagos’ alloy wheels, Climate control - 2Zone, DAB digital radio receiver, Parking sensors, front and rear,

Company car tax per month

£249.00

£61.88

Rear tinted windows from B-pillar back, RNS 315 touch-screen navigation/radio system.

Benefits-in-Kind

18%

Contract Hire 3-year, 10,000 miles* per annum example for Scirocco 2.0 TDI GT BlueMotion Technology 3-door.

67.3 mpg

35 monthly payments of (plus VAT)

£249.00

Initial rental (plus VAT)

£747.00

Excess mileage charge (plus VAT)

6.0p

CO2 119 grams

Tiguan Match from £259 a month.

Plus VAT and initial rental.

Contract Hire rate per month

17-inch ‘New Orleans’ alloy wheels, Bluetooth telephone connection with multi-function leather trimmed steering

Company car tax per month

£259.00

£94.70

wheel, Climate control, Park assist with front and rear parking sensors, RNS 315 touch-screen navigation/DAB radio system.

Benefits-in-Kind

Contract Hire 3-year, 10,000 miles* per annum example for Tiguan Match 2.0 TDI 2WD 140 PS BlueMotion Technologies.

23%

53.3 mpg

35 monthly payments of (plus VAT)

£259.00

Initial rental (plus VAT)

£777.00

Excess mileage charge (plus VAT)

6.0p

CO2 138 grams

Donnelly

Donnelly

Campsie Industrial Estate, Eglinton Co. L/Derry, BT47 3DN. Telephone: 028 7181 1469.

101 Irvinestown Road, Enniskillen Co Fermanagh, BT74 6DN. Telephone: 028 6632 2974.

www.donnelly.volkswagen.co.uk

www.donnelly.volkswagen.co.uk

Edwin May Volkswagen

Edwin May Volkswagen

Isaac Agnew

Larne Road, Pennybridge Industrial Estate, Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT42 3HB. Telephone: (028) 2565 5209.

128 Bridge Street, Portadown, BT63 5AP. Telephone: (028) 3833 2238.

1 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6HR. Telephone: (028) 9023 4477.

www.edwinmay.volkswagen.co.uk

www.isaacagnew.volkswagen.co.uk

Isaac Agnew Mallusk

Phillips ( Lisburn ) Ltd

T.J. Hamilton & Co

2 Mallusk Way, Newtownabbey, BT36 4AA. Telephone: ( 028 ) 9034 2111.

100 Ballynahinch Road, Lisburn, Co Antrim.

BT27 5EZ. Telephone: (028) 9266 4354.

Brookmount, 18 Dungannon Road, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8TL. Telephone: (028) 8676 2488.

www.isaacagnew.volkswagen.co.uk

www.phillips.volkswagen.co.uk

www.tjhamilton.volkswagen.co.uk

Edwin May Volkswagen 3 Riverside Retail Park, Coleraine, BT51 3RT. Telephone: (028) 7034 4837. www.edwinmay.volkswagen.co.uk

www.edwinmay.volkswagen.co.uk

Business users only. Further charges may be payable on vehicle’s return. Indemnities may be required. Subject to status. Offer available on orders before September 30th, 2014. Subject to availability.

Certain vehicles excluded. Ask for details. Volkswagen Finance, Freepost VWFS. Images used for illustration purposes only. Finance providers may pay us for introducing you to them. We can introduce you to a limited number of lenders to assist with your purchase, who may pay us for introducing you to them. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

Official fuel consumption figures for the Volkswagen model range in mpg (litres/100km): urban 23.7 (11.9) – 74.3 (3.8); extra urban 35.8 (7.9) – 94.2 (3.0); combined 31.0 (9.1) – 88.3 (3.2). Combined CO2 emissions 239 – 85g/km. Official fuel consumption figures for the e-up! in mpg: n/a.

[lifetsyle] James Stinson, Travel writer

Terminal in a class of its own Aer Lingus’ new Heathrow home is a welcome boost for Northern Ireland travellers… writes James Stinson.

L

ove it or loathe it, sometimes you just can’t avoid using Heathrow. The good news is that the experience for Northern Ireland passengers is about to get a whole lot better.

BA is moving its Belfast City flights to T5 later this year but just as significant is Aer Lingus’ recent move to the newly opened Terminal 2.

It means the long and unloved walk to Aer Lingus’ old departure gates at the very edge of Terminal 1 is no more. Instead, passengers flying from Belfast City will use the swish and much more customer-friendly facilities in Terminal 2.

The gate to kerb time has been halved, while transfers to other flights will be “seamless”, says the airline. Aer Lingus is moving to Terminal 2 along with 20 Star Alliance airlines and others including Virgin Atlantic.

Transport links will be easier too. The Heathrow Express is accessible from beside the arrivals hall, with Paddington Station a 15-minute ride away.

Best of all, is the new Aer Lingus lounge for business class and Gold Circle customers, which is 50 per cent larger than the old one and features showers, meeting rooms, and a quiet area.

92 NI Chamber

A special feature of the new lounge is the 5 metre high external glass wall, offering terrific views of the airfield.

Meanwhile, out in the terminal you can kill time in some of the 52 shops and 17 bars and restaurants.

“The new terminal will ensure the best possible experience when travelling with us in and out of Heathrow,” said Aer Lingus Chief Revenue Officer Mike Rutter.

The next step is for Aer Lingus to look at increasing its three times a day service between Belfast City and Heathrow. The shortage of take-off and landing slots at Heathrow is, as ever, the issue but if profitable to do so, Aer Lingus could switch a pair of take-off and landing slots from one of its other services out of Ireland to make this happen.

As we approach the end of 2014, there’s a really positive atmosphere around both Belfast airports. The developments at Heathrow are a significant boost for passengers travelling from Belfast City, as is the start of flights to London City (October, 2014).

Meanwhile, up at Belfast International Airport (BIA) there has been a flurry of new route announcements over the summer. easyJet is adding Rekjavik this winter while Virgin Atlantic is starting a new summer service to Florida in 2015.

Jet2.com is also expanding in Belfast, basing a third aircraft at BIA and adding four new routes next year – Prague, Rome, Zante, and Gran Canaria.

The arrival of a premium brand carrier like Virgin Atlantic is big with the airport hopeful it may lead to further flights and more destinations in the years to come. The Jet2. com move is significant too. While running a smaller operation than easyJet, it has shown itself willing to try routes not offered by its orange rival, as can be seen from these new destinations.

The latest expansion also comes with nearly 90 new jobs, part-financed by Invest NI, which indicates a strong long-term commitment to Belfast International and Northern Ireland.

After six tough years, these are signs that the sector is looking to grow again. Travellers rejoice!

[feature] CHRIS REES, HEAD CHEF, GALGORM RESORT AND SPAS’S RIVER ROOM RESTAURANT

CULINARYDELIGHTS

From sun-soaked days to constant drizzle, the great Northern Ireland weather is as ever unpredictable. However, with the onset of Autumn, one thing we can be sure of – tasty local produce that’s right on our doorstep.

There are some home-grown seasonal gems which are perfect to rustle up for easy entertaining and Chris Rees focuses on a few fresh ingredients that will set your taste buds alight and wow the family for a perfect Sunday lunch.

Glenarm Lamb, Crisp Polenta, Red Peppers, Seasonal Greens, Provençal Sauce Serves 2 Ingredients Polenta: 100g polenta 1 shallot 2 cloves of garlic 300ml chicken stock 1 tsp saffron Olive oil 50g parmesan

5g capers 1 x clove of garlic 80ml lamb jus or stock

Method For the Polenta: Sweat off one shallot & 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil with 2 sprigs of thyme and season.

Add the chicken stock, saffron and polenta, stir continuously over medium heat until Lamb: smooth and soft, finish with parmesan and 2x 400g lamb loin or rump check seasoning. Pour into a greased tray and leave to cool. Once set, cut a slice of the Accompanying Vegetables: polenta and lightly flour, place in a hot pan Dash of sherry vinegar and cook until golden on both sides.

2 red peppers Courgettes/ green & broad beans For the Accompanying Vegetables: Basil & Parsley Peppers: Slice the shallots and peppers and pan fry with a little garlic and olive oil until Provençal Sauce: soft, finish with sherry vinegar and some Olive oil chopped basil and parsley.

10g anchovies 5 black olives 10g sundried tomatoes

Seasonal Greens: To prepare the green vegetables, slice and cook in a mixture of butter and water until soft.

For the Lamb: Seal off the lamb in a pan with butter until brown on all sides. Place the pan in the oven at 180ºC for 8 minutes (for medium, pink), allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. For well done allow to cook in the oven for a further 8 minutes before carving.

For the Provençal Sauce: Roughly chop anchovies, olives, tomatoes and capers. Pour the lamb jus or stock into the pan used to cook the lamb then add the chopped ingredients with olive oil and remaining herbs, place over a medium heat and reduce to a sauce consistency.

To assemble Heat up the peppers and greens, carve the lamb and dress the plate with the components of the dish.

NI Chamber 93

[columnist] rebecca mckinney, personal stylist, victoria square, belfast

SHARP, COOL AND TIMELESS MEN’S FASHION WILL BE TURNING HEADS THIS AUTUMN WITH STYLES FROM REMUS UOMO CUTTING A DASH AS REBECCA MCKINNEY DISCOVERS.

B

eing fashion obsessed professionally and personally, I always love to look ahead to the new season.

It isn’t about wishing the summer away, but simply having a head start on what will be in store for September time. With women’s wear, it is simple – pick a statement coat and a key pair of boots and you’re off the blocks, but what about the guys?

Whether you have a gentleman in your life who needs a fashion fix up, or you are a stylish guy reading this article yourself, there is a one-stop shop for stylish pre-autumnal dressing.

Remus Uomo is a Northern Irish-based fashion entity, which specialises in the urban man ensuring that he looks exceptionally sophisticated from the formal occasion to the weekend at leisure and back again. Nestled within the stylish walls of Victoria Square, their flagship store offers everything from footwear to denim and an amazing range of suiting that the brand has become famous for.

Trust me, if you are heading to a wedding, job interview or family event and want to look dapper – Remus Uomo has everything you could possibly desire in the suiting department. And everyone loves a man in a good suit; so gentleman, take note!

Autumnal Hues Men very rarely think about colour palettes, but this autumn it is so accessible. Think of burgundy, olive, grey and navy updating your existing looks to create a very easy to wear wardrobe.

This month, I have been having a sneaky peek at the pre-fall collection hitting Victoria Square in the not so distant future and am keen to share it. This season sees Remus Uomo continue to inject your wardrobe with sharp styling, fine detailing and exceptional quality.

When styling up my clients, I always have been so impressed by the brand’s attention to detail. This season is no exception, with a plethora of new fabrics, textures and colours with blues especially featuring in casual and formal wear.

The tailored suits for which Remus Uomo remains so respected, can now be effortlessly

94 NI Chamber

transformed into an everyday, smart, casual outfit, making them not only a really transferable piece in your wardrobe, but great value for money too.

Don’t panic about colour and expect to be subjected to the pastel shades of summer. Signature blues, olive, taupe, mulberry and charcoal hues infuse this

collection along with a host of chunky and fine knits to layer up with when the weather gets colder.

Trim detailing also features strongly, which combined with additional textures, adds a pleasing contrast to the more traditional formal tailoring. Sharp, cool and timeless, this season simplifies the making of a man.

Don’t forget your feet You can tell a lot about a man by his choice of footwear. So this season invest in a brown brogue.

Wear with suits, denim and casual options. These look better when they are worn in, so don’t be afraid to allow them to become loved.

So Not Over coats When the weather gets dull, Remus Uomo have smart coats all wrapped up. I love their tweed version with a teal lined collar – perfect with denim to style up casual wear.

Jackets and Jeans A smart blazer isn’t just for the boardroom. Why not team a great jacket with jeans for the weekend or a night out? Styled right, this can look effortlessly cool.

Suited and booted A beautiful suit will take you a long way.

Make the time to invest in a well-fitting option and dress to impress from now on. Charcoal grey is the colour of the season; the perfect accompaniment to a white shirt and subtly patterned tie.

All about layering Knitwear plays a massive role this season, so don’t be afraid to layer up chunky knits over shirts, ties and blazers.

Menswear has never looked better.

Why not call into Remus Uomo in Victoria Square to check it out for yourself?

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[Columnist] jim fitzpatrick, INDEPENDENT BROADCASTER

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A SPORTING CHANCE This summer, tears of sorrow from Brazil following its defeat in the Football World Cup flowed in contrast to the tears of joy from Northern Ireland as Rory McIlroy scooped the Open Golf Championship.

There’s much to play for in economic terms observes Jim Fitzpatrick.

“Many financial analysts had been hoping for Brazil to lose the competition in order to help swing sentiment in favour of a change of government that would deliver the economic reforms they wanted.”

W

e invest so much in sport. Not just the money – but time, passion, hope and energy. So, do we get a decent return?

In the run-up to the World Cup in Brazil, the country was convulsed by protests as thousands took to the streets demanding better pay and conditions and angry at what they believed to be wasted millions on football infrastructure.

But when the competition began, Brazilians got behind their national team and the competition. Because this is a country - more than any other - shaped and united by football.

They set aside the worries and fears over cost and let their dream of success take hold.

How could you put a price tag on winning the World Cup on home turf?

What a cruel blow it was to lose in such spectacular fashion to Germany in the semifinals. The 7-1 defeat was hard to watch and even harder to comprehend. As I watched, through my fingers, I found myself hearing a local football chant in a new context: “We’re not Brazil, we’re Northern Ireland.”

Apologies to local fans but, being honest, the team playing Germany certainly looked more like Northern Ireland – who haven’t qualified for a

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World Cup tournament in over three decades – on a very bad night, than five-times winners Brazil.

So, with the many millions spent and the competition delivering nothing but national humiliation, what’s the return for Brazil from its grand investment?

A number of studies have been done at different times which find a correlation between national football results and stock market performance. However, many financial analysts had been hoping for Brazil to lose the competition in order to help swing sentiment in favour of a change of government that would deliver the economic reforms they wanted. They had argued, therefore, that losing would be good for the economy.

But they hadn’t reckoned on such a result.

The head of emerging market strategy at UBS, Geoffrey Dennis, revised his analysis in the wake of the annihilation.

“It is such a humiliating defeat that you wonder whether it will have a negative impact on Brazilians’ psyche,” he told Bloomberg.

“It’s going to confirm to the people that ‘Look, our economy is struggling, we cannot get any growth, now we don’t even have a decent football team either.’

Sentiment matters. It has real economic

effect. That’s what the experts say.

So, what lessons can we learn here in Northern Ireland? Well, football may not make us famous any time soon, but we’ve got at least one sport that’s giving us incredible headlines and could deliver real economic benefit.

Step forward Rory McIlroy, Open Champion!

A three-time major winner by the age of 25, in the same class as only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. And part of another remarkable triumvirate including Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell that really puts Northern Ireland on the map for golf.

His victory comes in the same year that we learn that the Open itself will be played at Royal Portrush in the near future. Like the World Cup, the decision to put public money into the hosting of Golf’s key tournament is based both on sentiment and economic logic.

But recent tourism figures suggest Northern Ireland isn’t receiving the tourism uplift it should from investment in major events. And that’s because for all the positive signals we send out, there are also many negatives.

In order to maximise the benefit from McIlroy’s success to Northern Ireland our politicians need to get themselves out of the bunkers. As the Open champ’s sponsors Nike would say: Just Do It.