Ambition Issue 16 (Jun/Jul 2016)

MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Connected Workplace of the Future May/June 2016 ISSUE 16

may/june 2016

This is Jack, he’s using video to host a meeting with his colleagues and a supplier across different office locations

3 Years

According to Neil Rickard, research vice president at Gartner, there is a shift from wireless-by-exception to wireless-by-default in many enterprises. Where previously only 10% of devices would be connected to the enterprise LAN via Wi-Fi, he predicts that modern enterprises will be connecting 90% of devices via wireless, with only 10% relying on wired connectivity

According to Cisco, global WiFi traffic will overtake wired traffic in just three year’s time. This steady and inevitable move towards wireless is changing the face of the ‘office’ forever

Attracting top talent means creating a Millennial-friendly workplace, where flexibility is encouraged and supported in an environment that protects both the worker and the enterprise

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2018

Gartner predicts that by 2018, 25% of large organisations will have an explicit strategy to make their corporate computing environments similar to a consumer computing experience

Wi-fi, webex, UC and videoconferencing are all available now for you to shape your workplace for the future

Find out what we can do for you. Call us on 0800 239 2000.

Business rises on E00059659 eir/cus_Network Pressures Infographic Connected Workplace A4.indd 1

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Angela McGowan the Brexit debate Magazine of northern ireland chamber of commerce and industry

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contents

NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

May/June 2016 Issue 16

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

66

special focus:

Powering ahead with energy

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

NEWS 08 GRANT THORNTON TO GREATE 33 NEW JOBS 10 NEW LOOK FOR THE RAMADA PLAZA 12 BOTTLETOP MEDIA IN A CLASS OF IT’S OWN 14 INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN POLAND Columnists 16 TREVOR ANNON 25 Clair Gheel 46 natalie gray 66 ian rainey 71 ORLA MCKIBBIN 76 MAUREEN O’REILLY 96 Jim Fitzpatrick FEATURES 20 Highwire press reaching new heights

26 ni chamber supports young business gurus

LIFESTYLE 88 VW tiguan - luxury style & comfort 92 sun, sand... and stress free travel

Cover story - Page 38

Front cover image: Taken by Brian Thompson

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editorial

W

driving ambition FULL OF ENERGY

ith a flurry of activity on the political front around Northern Ireland’s Assembly Elections and Brexit, there’s no shortage of opinions or passions on issues the business community feel strongly about.

One of these is energy and from a local perspective the new Minister with responsibility for the sector will have a big part to play in reshaping energy policies while, with regard to Europe, the Northern Ireland energy market is radically changing to meet the European Union’s target model, which aims to converge pricing across Europe so that all customers are able to access power at a similar price.

The recently published report by the Energy & Manufacturing Advisory Group, chaired by Dale Farm Chief David Dobbin, laid out 24 wide-ranging recommendations on the delivery of competitive energy policies and on aspects of the implementation of current policies.

Energy costs for businesses in Northern Ireland, which are higher than in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, have been a longstanding concern with fears being voiced that some major manufacturing firms may not survive unless energy costs are lowered.

Against this background our special focus in this issue is on the major players in the energy industry in Northern Ireland who are ‘powering

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04 NI Chamber

e: think@1080.co.uk

ahead’ in their respective businesses with developments to improve the efficiency of the transmission grid, lower costs, harness the benefit of renewable technologies and increase the security of energy supplies.

Meanwhile as the UK’s historic referendum on European Union membership draws nearer, we talk to Danske Bank Chief Economist Angela McGowan who explains the essentials of the arguments of both the ‘in’ and ‘out’ camps while NI Chamber’s Economist Maureen O’Reilly analyses the EU reform proposals detailed by Prime Minister David Cameron earlier this year.

Staying with economic matters Jim Fitzpatrick looks at some quirky indicators which point to how the economy is performing…including the number of people seeking dates on match.com.

In lifestyle, columnist Doreen McKenzie gives sound advice on having a stress-free holiday this summer while James Stinson roars off in the new VW Tiguan and chef Niall McKenna tickles our taste buds with a couple of perfect potato dishes.

As always, it is a packed read so please enjoy the pages of Ambition and let us know about your company’s successes so that we can highlight the best of Northern Ireland to the rest of Northern Ireland.

Adrienne McGill Editor, Ambition

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editorial

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

AN ELECTION WITH A DIFFERENCE

T

he Northern Ireland Assembly election has just taken place and there is a difference this time round.

In the past when the votes have been cast and counted, the Executive has been established based on each party’s electoral numbers. This year, there is a twist and in our view it is a welcome one.

The two weeks following the 5th May election date have been earmarked for a dedicated period of negotiation on a Programme for Government (PfG). Those discussions will involve all parties who have

06 NI Chamber

earned a seat at the Executive table and are designed to produce a set of priorities, policies and programmes which all parties sign up to before the first Executive meeting.

In some ways it is a hybrid of our own unique system of non-voluntary coalition and a more traditional democracy whereby a Government is formed, based on strength of numbers, and they face an opposition which will hold them to account for the parliamentary term. On the other side of our election and the PfG negotiations, parties will decide whether to take up their seat at the Executive. For the first time there is a role for an opposition, and we wait to see if any of the parties take it up.

That does have the potential to lead into a messy post-election period, but, if the end result is an agreed set of policies then it opens the door to a more settled Assembly term and the potential for a genuine crossDepartmental strategic approach to building our economy, addressing serious problems in our health and education systems and ultimately reducing the stand-off politics which can dominate when Ministers work in silos and take account only of their own Departmental issues and priorities.

From a business point of view let’s hope we do see that cross-Departmental approach. We do acknowledge that the last PfG was said to have the economy at its core, and certainly there was progress in attracting investment to Northern Ireland even amidst the severe economic downturn.

We also know that a reduced corporation tax is only one part of an economic recovery plan and only works in the context of increased student places (rather than a reduction), an enhanced communications infrastructure and a more supportive structure for existing indigenous businesses.

So…the votes have been cast and counted and we look forward to seeing the agreed lines Ministers have signed off on as they take up their roles in the weeks ahead.

Stephen McCully, President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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news

A Smart move Holywood-based global PR and content agency Smarts Communicate is expanding its international communications business with the opening of a new office in London – its first outside Northern Ireland.

The agency, which currently works with clients across more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, has a client portfolio that includes British Airways, BT, Lidl, Johnnie Walker and Guinness, and has been rapidly growing its international work.

Smarts Communicate currently employs 45 people in Northern Ireland and has seen revenues rise by almost 50 per cent in the past two years as it has grown its global consumer PR division. The agency

expects to add another 10 employees this year – seven in Holywood and three in London.

The London office will be based on the Tottenham Court Road and will be headed up by Managing Partner Helen Rainford, previously Consumer Managing Partner Helen Rainford, who will head up Smarts’ new London office, pictured alongside Smarts Communicate Joint Creative Director at Good Managing Directors Pippa Arlow and Leontia Fetherston.

Relations and formerly Associate Board Director at decade of global PR experience behind us, Cake. our business has been transformed into a Speaking about the opening of the new highly competitive international player and offices, Pippa Arlow, Joint Managing Director we believe the time is right to extend our of Smarts Communicate, said: “With operational footprint into London.”

20 years of in-market experience and a

BRS GOLF ‘TEES UP’ at City Quays 1 BRS Golf, the Belfast–based provider of cloud-based online tee-time booking systems for golf clubs, has become the latest tenant to ‘tee up’ at Belfast Harbour’s City Quays 1 office.

The letting means that the 83,000 sq ft Grade A office, which was completed in June 2015, is now fully let. The other tenants are legal firm Baker & McKenzie and technology firms Cayan and MACOM. BRS Golf, founded by Northern Ireland brothers, Rory and Brian Smith in 2003, is now a division of NBC Sports, GolfNow and the Golf Channel. The company, which supplies 2,100 golf clubs across Europe and North America, and handles more than 30 million bookings annually, will occupy the ground floor of City Quays 1. Its customers include Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Druid’s Glen, K Club and many more.

Brian Smith, BRS Golf’s Vice President of Sales and Operations, said: “In the last two years we’ve grown from 20 to 72 team members and we expect to be at 100 by the end of 2016. As a result we have outgrown our current office in Ormeau Avenue. City Quays is a fantastic location and will create a great environment for our team.”

Brian Smith, BRS Golf’s Vice President of Sales and Operations, Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour’s Property Director and Richard Barker, BRS Golf’s Director of International Sales.

08 NI Chamber

Richard Gillan, Managing Partner at Grant Thornton (NI).

GRANT THORNTON TO CREATE 33 JOBS Leading business advisory firm Grant Thornton (NI) is creating 33 jobs at its Belfast office.

The firm is seeking not only to fill positions within its existing Tax, Audit, Restructuring and Corporate Finance teams, but is also setting up a Business Risk Services department and a multi-disciplinary Audit and Advisory team focusing on international assignments.

Richard Gillan, Managing Partner at Grant Thornton (NI), said: “We are experiencing significant growth across all existing service lines, and the introduction of a Business

Risk Services department and a Global Mobility team are exciting developments.

“Our focus is on bringing in the right people. The only ‘product’ we have to sell are the skills and expertise of our team. We want people who can add to, and thrive within, the entrepreneurial environment that we have here.

“This current recruitment process presents opportunities for both experienced professionals as well as graduates and school leavers.

Those joining Grant Thornton do so at an exciting time for the firm.”

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news Rajesh Rana, Director, Andras Hotels with mentalist, David Meade and Hugh Black, President of Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

New look for The Ramada Plaza Belfast’s largest hotel group, Andras Hotels, has unveiled a £500K upgrade in the conferencing and banqueting suites of its flagship property, The Ramada Plaza, Belfast.

Over 150 guests were treated to a sumptuous five-course meal recently with entertainment from world-renowned mentalist David Meade in the newly refurbished Malone Suite.

The finished project, which was supported by Danske Bank and designed by multi-award winning interior designer Philip Rodgers boasts a major upgrade of the hotel bar and conference centre.

The work completes stage four of the five-stage plan for the leading hotel, which recently benefitted from a £1million refurbishment, which included a complete transformation of its Grand Ballroom, lobby and Laganview Suite.

Rajesh Rana, Director of Andras Hotels, said: “We anticipate that the upgraded conference centre and new-look Malone Suite with new pre-function area, will secure further business and gala events to the hotel and we look forward to strengthening our burgeoning conferencing and wedding markets.”

Located at Shaw’s Bridge, the Ramada Plaza is one of the leading events and banqueting venues in Northern Ireland.

The hotel offers facilities for events hosting up to 900 guests and provides clients with the use of the latest technology, luxury meeting rooms, private dining areas and executive lounges.

Andras Hotels now boasts five internationally branded hotels in the city with the new Hampton by Hilton Hotel on the way in 2017.

The five non-executive directors (l-r) are Alan Dixon, Simon Goldrick, Ellvena Graham (Chair), Robert Holt and Patrick McClughan.

Waterfront Hall board appointments As Belfast’s Waterfront Hall opens its doors this month following a major extension, five non-executive board directors have been appointed

by Belfast City Council to oversee its operation and also that of the Ulster Hall.

The five appointees drawn from business, finance and commercial backgrounds, will be responsible, along with a Managing Director, for the daily running of both venues, after the council previously approved the creation of a councilowned company following the £29.5 million transformation of Belfast Waterfront.

Chaired by Ellvena Graham, a former head of Ulster Bank with an impressive track record in the financial sector, the board of the new Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall Ltd will focus on meeting commercial and non-commercial targets set by the council for the remodelled building.

These include generating £100

million for Belfast and creating over 1,500 new hospitality and retail jobs by attracting 50,000 conference delegate days each year by 2020.

The other appointees to the board are Alan Dixon, an independent business advisor to a range of public and private sector institutions; Robert Holt, who has a successful track record in managing and delivering complex construction and property programmes; Simon Goldrick, with over 20 years’ experience of marketing and communications management; and Patrick McClughan, currently Head of Corporate Affairs with global renewable energy firm Gaelectric.

The Managing Director will be appointed by the summer.

Belfast City Council will still continue to own both Belfast Waterfront and the Ulster Hall, with councillors overseeing their future growth through a new committee set up to ensure they achieve the best economic return for ratepayers.

CHANGE for UTV UTV’s new brand identity has been unveiled and will be on air in the coming months following its takeover

by ITV. Spearheaded in-house by ITV Creative in conjunction with the UTV Creative team, the new identity positions UTV as part of the ITV family, giving the brand a fresh look and feel that sits alongside ITV’s channels.

The UTV Live News identity will also be updated in keeping with the ITV News 10 NI Chamber

network – both the UTV channel logo and news will have new colour schemes.

Rufus Radcliffe, Group Director of Marketing and Research at ITV, said: “UTV’s brand heritage is exceptionally strong in Northern Ireland which is reflected by its market leading position. This is something we wanted to build upon when the channel joined ITV, keeping the strong connection with the UTV audience, but clearly positioning it as part of ITV, the UK’s largest and most

successful commercial broadcaster.”

The £100m sale of UTV’s television assets to ITV was completed at the end of February and UTV and UTV Ireland’s 250 staff became part of ITV’s global television business.

Michael Wilson remains as Managing Director of UTV and UTV Ireland.

Image © TODD Architects

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news

Bottletop Media in A ‘class’ of its own Bottletop Media CEO, Frank O’Grady.

Content marketing solutions company, Bottletop Media, is hoping to capitalise on its success to date in the mobile device sector which has become a niche area for the company.

The firm provides fully managed content solutions to clients which consists of a fully customisable content management system for their websites.

The company, which has offices in Belfast and Dublin, also offers copywriting and magazine design services and produces content for a wide range of clients from Microsoft to Power NI and Harvey Norman.

Last year, it launched a content hub, ‘The Lowdown’, for the UK’s biggest mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse. The Lowdown is a comprehensive publishing

New Top 100 List Reveals NI’s Most Profitable Businesses Northern Ireland’s Top 100 family and locally owned businesses are revealed for the first time in a survey carried out by Ulster University Business School on behalf of Harbinson Mulholland Chartered Accountants Together the firms employ more than 52,000 people across Northern Ireland.

Topping the list is international grain importer W&R Barnett in Belfast, a fourth generation family business employing 286 people and paying out £17.6 million in wages.

During the last year it increased its pre-tax profits by 21 per cent to £26.9 million.

Biggest employer overall was Almac Pharmaceuticals (ninth in the list with a pretax profit of £12.6 million) which employs 3,927 people and has the highest pay bill of £130 million.

Others to feature highly include Norbrook, John Henderson, Lissan Coal, First Derivatives, SHS Group, TG Eakin and Representatives from some of the Top 100 companies include: Jack Dobson (Dunbia); Michael Guerin (Medicare Pharmacy Group); Bridgene McKeever (McKeever Hotels); Keith Scott ( Acheson and Glover) and front, Julie McKeown (Henry Brothers); Michael McQuillan (Ulster University Business School); Darren McDowell (Harbinson Mulholland) and Kate Richardson (CDE Global).

12 NI Chamber

Randox Holdings.

In all, 14 of the companies listed showed an increase in pre-tax profits of more than 100 per cent over the previous year, with the biggest leap recorded by men’s fashionwear supplier Douglas & Grahame, where figures rose from £212,000 to £1.78 million.

Darren McDowell, Partner in the Harbinson Mulholland Accounts and Audit Team, said: “This Top 100 list underlines that family-run and locally owned firms account for a huge proportion of Northern Ireland’s business community and are the backbone of our economy, with 72 of them being familycontrolled.”

Michael McQuillan of Ulster University Business School said: “We help many family and owner-managed SMEs to move forward more quickly than they would otherwise be able to through access to expertise that would not normally be available to them.”

solution built on Bottletop Media’s Plus1 content management platform. Features include dedicated channels for all of the latest devices and technology, user guides, news, reviews, Twitter feeds and more.

Bottletop Media CEO Frank O’Grady said: “We are delighted with the finished product and we look forward to future developments in the mobile device sector which is now becoming an area of specialty for us.”

The company’s content management platform is also being redeveloped and made available to schools in Northern Ireland under the name ‘iClass’. It offers schools an online publishing platform for teachers, parents and school children to connect across websites, blogs and apps.

New All-Ireland Business Leaders’ Forum

Chief Executive of Moy Park, Janet McCollum with President of CIMA Worldwide, Myriam Madden and Head of CIMA Ireland, Roger Acton.

A new all-Ireland Business Leaders Forum has been set up by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Ireland (CIMA), the professional body representing over 8,000 members across the island of Ireland.

Addressing the regional launch of the Forum in Belfast, which was attended by more than 60 finance professionals and business leaders, Janet McCollum, Chief Executive of Moy Park, one of the UK’s largest food companies, said: “The CIMA Business Leaders’ Forum creates a space for senior business professionals and CIMA members to come together to discuss and share views on current issues impacting the corporate environment. I am delighted to launch the Forum in Northern Ireland and I would encourage fellow members of CIMA as well as non-members to take part in future opportunities the Forum presents.”

Also speaking was CIMA’s Global President, Myriam Madden, on the relevance of CIMA’s Global Chartered designation and its proposed joint venture with the American Institute of Professional Accountants which would create a combined organisation of 600,000 members.

columnist

Travel the road to digitalisation

F

or many, the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) can seem like an abstract concept. Like the popular phrase ‘information superhighway’ – used to refer to advancing digital communication systems and the internet telecommunications network in the 1990s – it wasn’t until technology such as internet enabled computers and mobile phones became commonplace, that people fully grasped what the term meant and the benefits of being digitally connected.

Similarly, the full benefits of IoT – the network of physical objects embedded with software, sensors and network connectivity, enabling them to collect and exchange data – will be recognised when we are interacting with it on a more regular and intuitive basis. Industries such as the utilities sector are beginning to realise the economic, social, and communicative advantages of the IoT by adopting the technology and helping to make the concept a reality.

We are beginning to see how ‘smart’ technology such as connected meters, boilers and mobile phone applications are transforming how businesses and individuals think of and consume energy. As well as helping consumers better understand energy usage, new intelligent technology can also learn individuals energy habits, turn off and on appliances, as well as digitally send meter readings to energy suppliers - resulting in more accurate and often cheaper energy bills.

On the supply chain and service delivery side, technological advancements can also help utility operators radically improve efficiencies. Earlier this year, Fujitsu launched our connected van concept which has the potential to change the way field service personnel such as engineers and utility providers interact with clients and customers.

A connected van essentially provides an office on wheels where field personnel access services such as WiFi connectivity, business applications and all their tools and parts are tracked

by RFID tags seamlessly linked to back-end inventory and logistics systems. The van can also act as a

An innovative connected van concept is just one example of how the ‘Internet of Things’ is moving ahead, says Sinead Dillon, Principal Consultant, Fujitsu.

mobile hub for work sites, helping to ensure operations are coordinated and reducing set-up time. By using a connected van as a digital hub, a site can be online within hours, rather than weeks.

It is estimated that around 30 per cent of engineers currently turn up to a job without the tools or parts required. When a fleet of vans are connected to the internet, a business can quickly identify vans with required equipment and their locations – potentially allowing ‘peer-to-peer’ supply, rather than costly returns to central depots. As well as greater efficiency for the business, it creates a more positive customer experience by reducing second visits. Many organisations spend tens of millions of pounds per year on diesel alone – so reducing second visits by 50 per cent could massively benefit the bottom line. And that’s not even considering the savings in vehicle maintenance and servicing costs – or the environmental benefits.

There are an estimated 3.2 million vans on the road in the UK – a huge volume of workplaces that are largely disconnected from digital services.

By connecting field personnel, organisations can improve staff satisfaction by giving them the digital tools to do their jobs better, faster, and more efficiently. The greatest impact on an organisation comes from delivering their promises to customers

– so for organisations with a large proportion of the workforce out in the field, you have to enable them with the tools to do the job.

The real-life application of the technology such as smart meters and the “connected van” show the positive impact of IoT to business, people and society. IoT massively expands the quantity and quality of real-time information available from a diverse range of devices in the public and private realm. Those devices will be talking to each other as well as central systems, triggering a dramatic change for management of assets, networks and customer experience. Of course, with more data in the air, security becomes an even greater issue.

The challenge for industry, including energy and utility companies, is to create robust systems and processes that also put security at the heart of technology improvement. In order to reap the rewards brought about

by IoT, industry can take a holistic view of the technology landscape, introducing the new capabilities of smart devices in alignment with business change and legacy modernisation programmes to include network infrastructure, security design and data processing. These changes will enable organisations to travel the road to digitalisation without risking its customers’ trust – much like what businesses did previously when surfing the information superhighway.

NI Chamber 13

news The Polish Ambassador to the UK Witold Sobków with the Honorary Consul of Poland in Northern Ireland Jerome Mullen.

Investment opportunities in Poland

LAVA GROUP PARTNERSHIP SET TO INCREASE PATIENT SAFETY

The Lava Group CEO Gareth Morrison.

A partnership between Belfast based biometric technology company The Lava Group and RightPatient in Georgia, USA, is set to bring a new product to Northern Ireland which will increase patient safety and reduce cases of misidentification in hospitals.

The Lava Group will be a distributor in Ireland of RightPatient, a versatile and scalable platform that can accurately recognise patients from any encounter end point by simply taking their picture.

Patients registering at hospitals will take their picture with the RightPatient biometric camera and the system will link the photo and unique iris pattern to their medical

record. When patients take their picture upon subsequent visits, RightPatient quickly and accurately identifies them, retrieves the correct record and displays the patient photo for two-factor authentication.

As one of its benefits this system will enable the accurate identification of unconscious and disorientated patients.

Gareth Morrison, CEO of The Lava Group said: “Our partnership with RightPatient in Georgia is a major step forward in our plan to introduce biometrics into the health service in Northern Ireland. We know that this product could have a positive impact on patient care, most notably by enhancing safety on several levels.”

A major conference is set to take place next month to highlight business opportunities for local companies in Poland.

Entitled ‘Discover powerful connections’, the event will take place on 2 June at Titanic Belfast and will bring together experts in the fields of politics, economics and business to engage in a debate on investment opportunities in Poland and the benefits of the country’s Special Economic Zones policy.

The Polish Ambassador to the UK, Witold Sobków will be among those to address the conference which has been organised by the Trade & Investment Section of the Polish Embassy in London and Jerome Mullen, the Honorary Consul of Poland in Northern Ireland in partnership with the Consulate General of Poland in Edinburgh and the Polish National Tourist Office in London.

Also addressing guests will be Terry Cross, the Founder and Chairman of Delta Print and Packaging based in Belfast who established a new 100,000 sq ft plant in Gliwice in Poland last year.

Insights into international activities will be shared by Belfast based software company, Kainos Group which also does business in Poland.

Speaking ahead of the event Mr Mullen said: “The networking conference will provide businesses with a chance to hear about commercial opportunities and developing new relationships with Poland now the sixth largest member of the EU.” The event is free of charge. To register log on to www.polishconsulateni.org or email the event coordinator Alina Holyst at hello@alinaholyst.com

Ofcom reforms to IMPROVE TELECOMS Ofcom has set out ambitious plans to improve telecoms quality and coverage.

Among the changes the communications regulator is proposing is that rival operators will have access to BT’s network of telegraph poles and underground tunnels.

Ofcom says this will allow rivals to build their own, advanced fibre networks, connected to homes and offices.

Ofcom is also planning to reform Openreach, the division of BT that runs and manages its infrastructure and which wholesales services to BT’s retail arm, Talk Talk, Sky and others. It will still remain within the BT Group but will be more independent and more answerable to those other non

14 NI Chamber

BT users of its network.

Ofcom is also proposing some potentially fundamental changes to the way BT operates in Northern Ireland. Openreach doesn’t exist in Northern Ireland but the regulator says it is considering whether this too should change.

Ofcom Northern Ireland Director Jonathan Rose says: “Back in 2005, when we last carried out a review of this scale it was considered disproportionate to split BT’s small and geographically separate engineering workforce in Northern Ireland to form Openreach in Northern Ireland.

“We will consider whether the existing arrangements in Northern Ireland remain appropriate as part of the next phase of our

Ofcom Northern Ireland Director Jonathan Rose.

work but our starting position is that any new model should apply right across the UK.”

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columnist

Time for a business spring clean?

The importance of business evaluation, with a view to highlighting opportunities for growth and diversification, should not be under-estimated, as Trevor Annon, Chairman of The Mount Charles Group, explains.

16 NI Chamber

E

very season has its highlights, but there’s something about spring that is especially refreshing. Winter clothes go back in the wardrobe, birds are singing and flowers are blooming; there is a wonderful sense of optimism, getting rid of the old to bring in the new.

Of course with the sun finally shining, any cobwebs that have built up during the winter are all too evident, hence the frantic ‘spring cleaning’ that goes on in many households at this time of year.

But how much time do we spend spring cleaning our business, preparing for the rest of the year in the same way we do in our personal lives?

The good news is that it requires less elbow grease and more evaluation.

Many businesses get so caught up in the day-to-day minutiae that it’s easy not to take time for a step back to look at areas in which they could improve. Now is a great time to dust off your accounts, examine your costs and look at ways in which you could reduce them. From administration time to office space to your utilities – there are bound to be ways to improve efficiencies and make real savings.

There are lots of small things you can do, like taking stock of your online presence. Could your website better reflect what you do and who your

target market is? Simple copy changes can have a big impact, making sure your offering is positioned more accurately, and that your brand is represented as effectively as possible.

Also consider your staffing levels and existing skills set, taking care to notice any obvious gaps. Think about which roles are being filled well, what could be done better and could any responsibilities be better distributed to meet changes in how your business operates, thus equipping your business to grow.

When was the last time you updated your business plan? When you started out you hopefully had a plan visualising how your business would develop over time. Spring is a good time to review that plan and update as necessary, it might just highlight room for improvement.

Take a good look too at your customer list, looking for opportunities to upsell; that strategy has been employed to great effect at Mount Charles. Starting out as a contract catering company, over time we realised that there was a massive opportunity to diversify our services.

Building on our existing customer relationships we’ve added several new services over the past few years; security, retail catering, vending and perhaps most notably, cleaning.

Catering customers, who trusted us

and liked our work, began to ask if we couldn’t look after a spot of cleaning too.

From humble beginnings a few years ago, the cleaning division of the business is now at a point where the turnover is rivaling that of the catering, bringing in circa £7 million in revenue on an annual basis.

We’re now recognised for the award winning quality of our commercial, industrial and specialist cleaning services, supplying both private and public sector clients across Ireland and the UK, including international airports, government buildings, care homes, schools and private businesses.

We made it our business to upskill so that we could upsell, and we constantly work to improve our knowledge. It’s the only way to remain one step ahead of the competition.

Ultimately that’s what business evaluation, or a ‘spring clean’, is about - ensuring competitive edge.

We all know that it costs at least five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an old one.

That theory can be applied here and the success of our cleaning division is just one example of the volume of ‘new’ business that can be derived by reconsidering your skills set and the needs of your existing customers.

FREAKISHLY GOOD EVENTS MANAGEMENT. ND Events is a fresh and innovative Events Management Company in Northern Ireland. We thrive on producing incredible events for a wide range of clients. A young company, full of creativity and passion to deliver unforgettable experiences for our clients. We are deeply passionate about what we do, focusing on delivering and exceeding client objectives every time.

We have experi ence in organising a va st array of events includin g the follow

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Visit our website for more information – www.ndevents.co.uk or for an informal chat to discuss how we can help you with your future events, please call Neil Dalzell on 028 9263 3232.

ND Events, 15 Market Place, Lisburn, BT28 1AN Tel: +44 (0)28 9263 3232 Email: neil@ndevents.co.uk Web: www.ndevents.co.uk

feature

Richard Donnan, Ulster Bank Head of Northern Ireland, Alison Rose, CEO of Commercial and Private Banking at RBS and Jim Duffy, Chief Executive Optimist of Entrepreneurial Spark with Liam Brogan of Ireland Craft Beers, one of the ‘Chiclets’ based in the Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery.

18 NI Chamber

Hatching new ventures A group of young entrepreneurs have got their businesses off to a ‘cracking’ start with the opening of Ulster Bank’s new ‘Hatchery’ in Belfast writes Adrienne McGill.

B

udding entrepreneurs are getting down to the early stages of their businesses in an innovative new hub which opened its doors recently.

The new hub, or ‘Hatchery’, on Lombard Street in Belfast, can play host to 80 businesses and early stage entrepreneurs and also provides networking and workshop opportunities, access to a team of business enablers, free office space, IT and Wi-Fi, for up to 18 months.

It’s all part of the Entrepreneurial Spark initiative powered by Ulster Bank launched in partnership with KPMG – a major international movement to encourage and support start-up and scaleup businesses. Entrepreneurial Spark is the world’s largest free business accelerator for early stage and growing ventures. Ulster Bank, along with its parent RBS and sister company NatWest, has partnered with Entrepreneurial Spark to bring its first hatchery to Northern Ireland.

Speaking to more than 200 guests and the young entrepreneurs (known as chiclets) who attended the opening of the hub, Alison Rose, CEO of Commercial and Private Banking at RBS, said: “Our stats show one in five people in Northern Ireland would like to start their own business. Across the UK, just over 10 per cent of people are held back because there isn’t enough local support available, but that rate doubles in Northern Ireland. With Entrepreneurial Spark, we want to even the playing field, not just by providing the basics you need to run a business, such as office space, Wi-Fi and phones, but by giving access to our people and networks. This will let entrepreneurs concentrate on establishing and growing, while giving them the guidance to do so.”

Alison acknowledged that it can be

daunting to set up a new company and having to get to grips with finance and employment law but said the hub provides the support needed to meet the challenges many young entrepreneurs may face.

“The energy of the entrepreneurs who have come into the hub is excellent and the quality of the businesses is fantastic. I am really impressed by what I have seen in the Belfast hub.”

Five of the entrepreneurs currently based at the hub took part in a pitching competition during the official launch, which was judged by a panel of business experts chaired by RBS Chairman Howard Davis. The winner Becca Hume, was presented with a cheque for £1,000 to go towards her E+press app which connects people who are deaf or are hard of hearing to emergency services.

Also speaking at the launch, Richard Donnan, Ulster Bank’s Head of Northern Ireland, said that the new venture represented “an important step” in encouraging a local culture of entrepreneurial spirit.

“The new Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery will provide practical and meaningful help for some of the most innovative entrepreneurs and businesses in our society – help for what matters to them while they build resilient, investable businesses for the future.

“At Ulster Bank we are proud to support them and play our part in developing the local private sector. Getting entrepreneurs up and running is vital for the local economy.

It’s an exciting opportunity – in a globalised economy, there are significant opportunities for people from Northern Ireland to carve out a niche for their businesses that enables them to compete and succeed internationally.”

Each intake of up to 80 start-ups will be based at the Hatchery for six months,

with the most promising given the option to continue for another 12. Businesses are provided with an Enabler who encourages their acceleration, and also benefit from free office facilities, access to Ulster Bank’s networks and contacts, a start-up Bootcamp, dedicated mentoring from KPMG, regular events, workshops and training.

The Belfast Hatchery is part of a network of hubs being created across the UK – 13 in total by 2017 – which will support around 7,000 entrepreneurs over the next five years.

Jim Duffy, CEO, Entrepreneurial Spark said: “We are delighted to be bringing our tried and tested business acceleration formula for start-ups and scaleups to Belfast and can’t wait to become part of the entrepreneurial community in such a vibrant city. Having recently released our latest Impact Report showing that to the end of 2015 our Chiclets from across the UK created nearly 2,000 jobs and brought over £85 million of turnover into the economy, we can see yet again the impact entrepreneurs are having on the UK economy.”

John Poole, Partner, KPMG Belfast said the hatchery was a vital addition to Northern Ireland’s growing entrepreneurial scene and KPMG was delighted to support the initiative.

“Over the years we have worked with some truly inspiring entrepreneurs – supporting them from the early days right through the business lifecycle, to success both in Northern Ireland and internationally. Our team is excited about mentoring a new generation of entrepreneurs and playing a part in helping today’s small businesses grow into the big businesses of tomorrow”.

• Applications are now open for the Belfast Hatchery’s second intake of entrepreneurs, who will start the programme in August 2016. To apply for Entrepreneurial Spark visit: http://www. entrepreneurial-spark.com/

NI Chamber 19

feature HighWire Press CEO Dan Filby.

Reaching new heights HighWire Press is on top of the digital publishing industry, its CEO Dan Filby tells Adrienne McGill.

A

US-based digital publishing company which began life as a university spin out has opened a new chapter in its history with the opening of a new base in Northern Ireland.

HighWire Press Inc’s new European office for development and technical support in Belfast is the company’s first operation outside Silicon Valley in California, where it is headquartered.

The company was founded 21 years ago at Stanford University in California and provides digital content development and online hosting services and solutions to influential societies, university presses and independent publishers that produce journals, books, and other scholarly publications mainly in the scientific, technical and medical arena.

In 1995, the Journal of Biological Chemistry published by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology was the first to launch online on the HighWire platform. Since then the company’s client list has grown extensively and now includes leading names such as the British Medical Journal, the New England Journal of Medicine, the National Academy of Science, the World Society of London, Duke University, Cambridge University Press and Californian University Press.

HighWire, which employs 200 people in the US, Canada and now in Northern Ireland, was spun out of Stanford University in 2014. The University still retains a stake in the company while a majority is held by Accel-KKR, one of the largest equity firms in the world.

Dan Filby, CEO of HighWire Press, says Stanford University was initially keen to provide its own publications in digital format and so it established HighWire Press as a business.

20 NI Chamber

“Stanford and other universities are doing research all the time and part of what they do is publish that. Publishing in a digital format is an extension of the research.

“Over the past 21 years we have earned a lot of business from customers typically in the academic or scholarly publishing world and in the broader scientific and technical and medical publishing space.

“We have a platform that ingests the contents of a publication to ensure it is incredibly discoverable and publish it in a digital format. While there are many publishers who have publications in print and digital format, many are using digital only because of the cost and speed perspective.

“It is humbling to think of the people who are our customers and the research they are doing. For example, when research about the human genome and a new species of human ancestor, Homo Naledi, was first published you would have read about it on our platform.

Those are the types of world changing research that our customers are engaged in – it is amazing.”

HighWire’s Belfast office, which will employ 75 people, includes technology and customer support teams whose aim is to rapidly expand the company’s platform development capabilities and work more directly with European publishers.

The firm has also launched the HighWire Academy which will provide the company with a skilled and job-ready pool of highly talented local graduates to staff its centre in Belfast.

An initial 14 graduates have already undertaken an intensive five-week software engineering training programme delivered by South Eastern Regional College. The training has a strong focus on Drupal, an open source content management system. HighWire’s Open Platform technology runs on Drupal

which meets growing publisher and industry demand for faster integrations.

“The training is bespoke to our needs but also covers technology areas which are more general. We have people who will be software developers, professional services people and technical customer support people,” says Dan. “We have found Northern Ireland to have a very unique intersection of academia, private industry and government. The Academy is a fantastic programme for us to help us get great talent into the organisation.

“There is a strong work ethic here and there is a commitment to join a company and grow with it and serve customers to a high level.

“We are a 21 year old company which acts in many respects like a start-up. We are very entrepreneurial and innovative but we have stability and a long standing customer base.”

Digital publishers can capture a massive audience and with an untold number of electronic publications, the impact of this industry is strong.

Over the next 15 years the amount of content which is going to be published digitally is forecast to grow at 20 times its current level. Currently the scientific, technical and medical publishing space is valued at around $30 billion.

“We are clearly growing and are investing to facilitate that growth,” says Dan. “We will certainly have more growth in Europe which is why we are setting up in Northern Ireland. We are also going to be increasingly focused on innovation and introduce more products into the market.

The scientific, technical and medical publishing space is a big market place and we are in the centre of it.”

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W

hen it comes to doing things a little differently Scottish Provident Building mixes business and art beautifully. Within the walls of this grand business centre there’s been a lot of creativity in it’s design which has made for a truly unique office building.

The iconic Belfast building – which sits adjacent to Belfast City Hall – was designed by renowned architects Young and Mackenzie in 1901 and has since undergone extensive renovations over the last 5 years. It now offers luxury serviced offices to over 75 businesses and over 450 people. As part of the renovation scheme Design Director Colin Charles has included some interesting and creative collaborations to give the unique business centre an equally unique personality.

“I’ve always believed that the key to an effective workplace is that it should be inspiring for everyone; staff, owners and visitors alike.

So it has been fantastic to work on the interior design of Scottish Provident Building which has given us the opportunity to do something a bit different with certain spaces within the building.”

During a recent refurb of one of the building’s meeting rooms, Colin contacted local artist Peter Strain to help with the décor. “We did this room 5 years ago and we had a blue wall with a huge wipe board in the shape of thought bubbles so people could literally put their thoughts onto the wall. We called it the ‘blue sky thinking room’ – we always like to inject a bit of fun into our designs. It was in need of a redo and so to continue the ‘cliché’ idea I wanted to create a wall poking fun at all the clichés you hear in meetings nowadays. Then I remembered seeing Peter’s work and realised it would be perfect to get the man himself in to put the ideas directly on to the wall.”

Peter is a fantastically creative illustrator whose work – mixtures of beautiful typography and detailed portraiture - has featured in magazines like The New Yorker, The Guardian and Time Magazine. Of working on the Scottish Provident Building project, Peter Said “I normally work on a much smaller canvas size so it was really exciting to work on such a large scale. Doing a typographic mural was something I’d been really interested in doing so it was a bit of a dream job to get the call from Colin & Donna. The brief was to make something out of the kind of clichéd jargon that can come up when brainstorming. I was

Ambtn-SPB_PS-story.indd 1

Peter Strain and his ‘wall of clichés’

The fabulous Scottish Provident Building

fortunate to be given a lot of trust and freedom to just run with that idea and I think we’ve ended up with something that’s both very striking and quite fun.”

It’s not the first time bespoke creative artistry has featured in the refurbishment of the building. Whilst creating the 24 hour access space on Wellington street, Colin commissioned L.A. based artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga to produce two spectacular chandeliers made from discarded bicycle parts. “The space was neglected and people used to just throw their bikes in there but as the building filled we needed more access points. The chandeliers that Carolina created for us are stunning and I love the fact that there is a reference to what the space was previously used for. Now artwork graces the walls and specialist restorers have brought the building’s original mosaic tiling back to its former glory.

It now looks more like a boutique hotel than offices” Said Colin. “We do all this as there are a lot of people in residence here and a lot of their visitors come through the building

We like our clients to feel inspired and proud to show their guests around. We have also nearly finished our boardroom which is very dark and sumptuous, has bowler hats for pendant lighting and features artwork by local artist Terry Bradley. I feel there’s definitely a place for art in offices – it’s not just for the private sector, I’m not talking about £millions in investments, but just offering something a little different, something that brings a smile to peoples faces during their working day.”

Amazing chandelier sculptures

by Carolina Fontoura (inset)

You can see more of Peter’s work at his website peterstrain.co.uk and Carolina’s sculptures at facaro.com For more information regarding offices at Scottish Provident Building visit scottishprovidentbuilding.co.uk

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Monday, 25 April 2016 10:47

BT lays the foundations for better connected homes Alex Crossan, Managing Director Networks BT Northern Ireland with Caroline McGovern, Hilmark Homes, Sales & Marketing Manager.

BT is working with local property developers, HBH Developments, a joint venture between Hilmark Homes and Blue Horizon Developments, to install Fibre to the Premise technology in a major new 140 unit property development currently under construction at Harberton BT9 on the Malone Road, Belfast.

It is the first time BT has worked with developers in Northern Ireland to ensure property buyers have access to one of the fastest fibre broadband connections as standard in a new residential development.

Fibre to the Premise Technology creates a direct line between the network and the home or business, resulting in faster download speeds of up to 330 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 40 Mbps, which is the equivalent of downloading a feature length movie of 850MB in size in approximately 20 seconds.

Alex Crossan, Managing Director Networks BT Northern Ireland said: “This is a significant milestone in the roll out of fibre in Northern Ireland. At BT, we understand how crucial connectivity is for people and the vital role it plays in all of our daily lives whether at home or work. It’s the first build programme of its kind that BT has delivered in Northern Ireland and opens the door for other developers to get in touch and work with us to ensure new home-owners have access to the superfast broadband technology.”

Caroline McGovern, Hilmark Homes, Sales & Marketing Manager, said customers consider having access to fibre broadband in a new home to be as important to them as having the core utilities such as gas, electricity and water.

“We need to meet this demand head on so being able to provide access to fibre broadband to prospective buyers from the outset is crucial so that we remain competitive in the marketplace,” she added.

New technologies and demands impacting role of IT professionals – BT survey reveals

Peter Russell, General Manager BT Business.

The pace of technological change and the increasing demands on IT from elsewhere in the business is causing significant disruption to IT professionals across Northern Ireland, a new survey for BT Business in Northern Ireland has revealed.

Key findings include: •49% now have to manage internal demands of other departments in their business due to emerging technologies

24 NI Chamber

•65% IT professionals interviewed reported a growing expectation from colleagues to demonstrate greater business benefits and impact from IT •61% expect some changes to their role over the next two years as a result of emerging technologies such as cloud computing and cloud services •43% agreed that the role of the IT department and its staff will see rapid change in the near future.

Peter Russell, General Manager BT Business NI said: “This survey shows that the role of IT professionals is changing and that the demands on IT within businesses are growing. It’s a challenging scenario but which also presents IT professionals with an

opportunity to play an increasingly strategic role in shaping the future direction and success of the business – and that’s where BT can help.

“Our expertise lies in working with mid to large organisations as a trusted partner to integrate new technology into their business operations. We support IT leaders in navigating the journey into new technologies where they can deliver the most value to the business and ultimately evolve in their own role.

“It is not just about equipment and networks it’s about understanding where a business wants to go and ensuring IT gives them the capability to get there.”

columnist

Finding the best of the best

I

T businesses are great at developing technical skills within their workforce. Mobile architecture, data science, business process expertise, agile development – the list of hard skills being nurtured in the IT sector in Northern Ireland is a long one, and getting longer. Indeed, the rapid change in the industry requires IT firms to be major investors in skills.

But there is an argument that this intense focus on developing and enhancing technical skills comes at a cost, with softer skills – things like communication, business acumen, critical thinking and people management – arguably getting overlooked in the rush to be at the cutting edge of technology. There is an argument to be made that a deficit in leadership skills in the IT sector could emerge.

Helping tech professionals see the value in leadership development can be a difficult task. IT professionals and tech-oriented people tend to get more satisfaction from designing and building things than from managing people. They tend to be better at the hard skills.

And yes, we absolutely need to

ensure that those working in the IT sector here are the best at coding; the best at developing mobile applications; the best at database administration; the best at software testing; the best network engineers.

But if we are to have a truly world-class IT sector into the future – if we are to build on the great industry we currently have – we need a new wave of IT leaders coming through. We need worldclass people managers; worldclass communicators; word-class motivators. My question is, where are they going to come from and what are we doing to develop them?

Businesses must start by recognising the issue, identifying the gaps and proactively implementing suitable programmes to bridge them with coaching, mentoring and training. Of course, there are some businesses that are ahead of the game, but others must follow suit.

To do this, leaders and managers must be given the necessary time to focus on self-development, and resources must be made available to facilitate this. It’s about savvy working practices and sound financial

investment as much as it is about allocating time in the calendar.

Ultimately, business leaders themselves have to start valuing this part of business. Leadership skills and good people management have to be seen as business critical, and we need those businesses at the fore to take the lead. Investing in full, comprehensive training and development is the first step.

The reality is that it is hard to develop leaders in any industry. But people in the technology sector seem to find it particularly difficult in their business. And that is understandable.

The speed of the industry’s growth, along with the type of workers the tech sector attracts – often younger people and with backgrounds in engineering and science – does, indeed, lead to some particular challenges.

But it is essential that this challenge is overcome. Creating a corporate culture in which leadership is rewarded and respected as much as technical expertise is a key part of the solution.

Leadership skills should head IT agenda, says Clair Gheel, Director, IT3Sixty.

NI Chamber 25

feature

bright young business brains Members of winning company Emerge from Omagh Academy.

NI Chamber supports young business gurus

S

tudents from Omagh Academy have been crowned winners at a prestigious European business competition in Austria while pupils from New-Bridge Integrated College in Banbridge have shown they have the entrepreneurial skills to crack export markets at a similar event in Latvia.

The group of Omagh Academy pupils, who formed a company called ‘Emerge’ after working with charity Young Enterprise, triumphed over 30 other companies formed by school children from around Europe who came together to trade and develop their skills in the global marketplace.

With the support of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber), the Omagh Academy team attended a European trade fair staged in Vienna by global charity Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise, where they won the Best Overall Company category.

‘Emerge’ developed a medical kit to educate children aged 5 to 11 on how to deal with

26 NI Chamber

minor medical emergencies. The kit includes basic equipment, a booklet of instructions and a Medi Teddy to provide comfort to children when they are hurt.

Meanwhile, pupils from New-Bridge Integrated College took part in the Student Company Festival in Riga where they showcased their business ‘nuPower’ which was also developed through the Young Enterprise NI Company Programme and supported by NI Chamber. ‘nuPower’ has developed portable electronic device chargers that are available in a range of colours.

The Festival is part of the Junior Achievement ‘Enterprise without Borders’ programme and is one of the biggest student company events in Europe, gathering together more than 100 companies from 17 different countries.

Each year the participants get to take part in a Trade Fair which is organised in Dominia, one of Riga’s largest shopping centres, where they display student ingenuity, creativity,

entrepreneurship and business skills.

Students took just a few hours to turn the mall into an international marketplace.

Products ranged from services such as web design and personalised i-Phone covers to products such as ergonomic furniture and an array of food and drinks.

During the fair, a judging panel consisting of different field specialists evaluate the companies, which provides great experience and growth opportunities. ‘nuPower’, was the only student company from Northern Ireland and indeed the UK attending this European event.

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “NI Chamber is delighted to support these young students as they take part in education programmes which focus on entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy. The initiatives will help them develop the skills they need in order to operate within the global economy.”

YOUNG CHEFS TURN UP THE HEAT AT STUDENT CHEF CHALLENGE

Y

oung Chefs from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) have been celebrating after securing three bronze medals and three certificates of merit at the Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2016 competition.

Only ten teams in the UK were invited to the final in London which took place recently at ‘Hotelympia’. The teams had to present to a panel of senior judges.

The successful students from Lisburn who study professional cookery were Stephen Mullan from Belfast and Ian Hilland and Sean Comiskey from Lisburn, with mentor and tutor Ruth Doherty. Team Lisburn secured three certificates of merit. Meanwhile, students who represented the Downpatrick campus under the tutelage of Michael Gillies were David Magee, Marcin Kryston and Cormac Evans who took home three bronze medals.

SERC Head of School for Business, Hospitality and Tourism James Currie said: “This is a fantastic achievement for both mentors and also for the six students involved. SERC had two of the UK’s top ten teams in the final and for both take home prizes is excellent. Congratulations must go to both teams.

“It is important that students are given the opportunity to showcase their skills within the industry. The Student Chef competition not only does this but, throughout the course of the competition, provides further support and development of their talent.”

For the challenge competing teams had to go ‘Freestyle’ by presenting a menu that embraces the modern trend for clean, well-portioned and precisely executed cooking.

Menus had to be produced using a maximum of £8 worth of ingredients per cover and balanced with the three courses working well together.

The competition, now in its 22nd year, targets teams of three full-time student chefs studying hospitality or catering courses and requires the preparation, cooking and presentation of a threecourse, two-cover menu.

SERC Young Chef Sean Comiskey from Lisburn secured a certificate of merit at the competition.

NI Chamber 27

feature

Taking sides With the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU drawing ever closer, Danske Bank’s Chief Economist Angela McGowan tells Adrienne McGill about the pros and cons surrounding the issue.

P

rime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Government has committed to an ‘in-out’ referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union (EU). The consequences of a vote on June 23 to leave the EU have major implications for the UK economy.

Those who want to remain ‘in’ point to the benefits EU membership has brought to UK businesses and believe that remaining a member is in the best interest of the economy.

The main argument of the ‘out’ camp is that the EU costs too much, has grown too large and has pushed too far into domestic policies therefore eroding national sovereignty and stifles business through over-regulation.

Danske Bank’s Chief Economist Angela McGowan says the arguments on both sides need to be carefully considered.

“Those who believe staying ‘in’ is important will argue that EU membership has given the UK free trade with 500 million customers in an area of the world where there are high levels of corporate governance, respect for democracy and human rights. Free trade brings down the prices of imports for households which means lower inflation, it raises levels of Foreign Direct Investment and overall economic growth.

“The staying ‘in’ camp also say that regulation is there for a reason, for example so that fishermen do not over fish the local waters bringing stocks down to unsustainable levels. EU regulations ensure that the goods we buy are of a sufficient standard and are acceptable to consumers in all the 28 member states. If we were to leave Europe

28 NI Chamber

we would still have to meet these standards to sell our products into that economic area.

“For those in the ‘out’ camp, Brexit means being less bound to all the regulations that come with EU membership. It also means trade deals can be negotiated with other parts of the world.

They believe it will give the UK much greater control over things like employment law and health and safety issues particularly when the economy has lots of small businesses who find adhering to such regulations much more difficult than larger firms.”

One of the major concerns of Brexit supporters is the cost of EU membership.

Leaving the EU would result in an immediate cost saving as the UK would no longer contribute to the EU budget. Last year Britain paid in £13 billion but it also received £4.5 billion worth of spending so the UK’s net contribution was £8.5 billion.

“The ‘in’ camp say that the average person in Northern Ireland contributes around £87 per year after rebates. However, the benefit of membership equates to around £1,225 per person in Northern Ireland,” says Ms McGowan.

“They also cite foreign direct investment, job creation, lower inflation, CAP payments and Horizon 2020 funding. Furthermore, Northern Ireland gets EU Peace Money as well as Structural Funds money for infrastructure. Structural Funds and CAP alone equate to £374 million a year.

“Meanwhile the ‘outs’ focus on the fact that Britain contributes many billions of pounds per annum and say that money would be better invested in projects and services in the UK.” Then there’s the issue of the UK’s influence on the world stage.

“The ‘ins’ believe that if you are a member

of the EU you have a stronger Britain and a stronger EU – Britain is better being part of a bigger block against powerful nations such as China and Russia. Meanwhile the ‘outs’ say Britain has little influence within Europe. By being outside, they think Britain would be a force on the international stage by itself. It would be a stronger influence for free trade and would set up its own agreements around that,” says Ms McGowan.

Immigration has become increasingly important in the debate. Under EU law Britain cannot prevent anyone from another EU member state from coming to live in the country. This has resulted in an increase in immigration particularly from eastern and southern Europe.

“The ‘ins’ say that it is really important for economic growth for our businesses to access skilled labour. In addition a number of sectors rely heavily on migrant workers. Furthermore, leaving the EU does not necessarily mean reduced immigration. On the other hand the ‘outs’ say the current system allows for an ‘open door’ into the UK and blocks non-EU immigrants who could economically contribute to the UK,” says Ms McGowan.

“Finally, it is worth noting that this referendum has the potential to trigger not only a break-up of the UK if Scotland holds another independence vote – but also could lead to the break-up of Europe. If the UK decides to leave, other countries may say the EU is not as strong and decide to have a referendum themselves. If there was a break-up of the EU it would be a huge shock to the financial world and would undoubtedly have widespread economic consequences.”

feature

SUPER SIX

The things I’ve learned in business Nick Coburn is the Managing Director of Ulster Carpets Ltd and Vice President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ulster Carpets is the leading supplier of bespoke woven axminster to the hospitality market around the world, boasting a prestigious client list such as The Savoy London, the Burj al Arab, Dubai and Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, to name but a few. Nick has been with the company for over 38 years and has held the position of MD for the past 12 years. In this time, thanks to Ulster’s revolutionary weaving technology, the company has gone from strength to strength and now exports over 70 per cent of its products outside of the UK. 1. Be driven by the Market Like all businesses our market is fast moving and changing.

It drives everything we do and has been the bedrock for our success.

2. Set and demand high standards This is tough for our organisation and people. We operate in a global market, competing against low cost production in Eastern Europe and Asia. They are fast learners but we must always keep one step ahead in terms of innovation and quality. Every day we do not move forward equals regression.

3. Hold near to your vision and stay completely focused Very simply, we set out to be the best in the world in our chosen market. Easy to say but very hard to do. However, remaining constantly focused on your business makes the vision more achievable. This takes incredible discipline and concentration.

4. Celebrate success What is wrong with being the best in the world? We should always celebrate and enjoy success. Everything positive in a company stems from success.

5. Export, Export, Export Northern Ireland has so much to achieve in the big global market place which is now more accessible than ever. Our Company is an indigenous operation which built an export market by getting out there and selling our products, but most of all ourselves.

Exporting is the biggest opportunity this country has to try to rebalance our economy.

6. Make mistakes and learn from them This follows on from the last point but applies to every aspect of what we do. We never get it right first time but continually learn by doing things better.

NI Chamber 29

Chamber chief’s

From networking events to meetings with government ministers and in-camera dinners with leaders in business, the hectic round of activity spearheaded by NI Chamber for the benefit of members never stops. NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor gives a taste of what’s taken place recently with a picture gallery over the following pages.

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illsborough Castle is one of the most impressive venues anywhere in Northern Ireland to host an event – and NI Chamber was delighted to do just that at the end of February when our members, representatives of the wider business community and the political arena gathered for a VIP reception with the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Boris Johnson.

The event, in partnership with Wrightbus, followed the earlier announcement that an additional order for 195 Routemaster busses for London worth £62 million had been confirmed at the County Antrim firm.

The Mayor had a busy round of engagements on the day with visits to another two NI Chamber members – Magherafelt-based Windell Group (part of Henry Bros) and Boomer Industries in Lisburn where he saw Northern Ireland manufacturing at its best.

There’s no doubting the energy of the London Mayor and at the reception he delivered a passionate speech on the unbelievable ingenuity of Northern Ireland manufacturers who are, he said, “bucking the trend, defying sceptics and seizing markets around the world”. Of course, Brexit did feature but he didn’t dwell on it other than to say it would be wonderful to have “a new free trade deal with our friends on the European continent”.

30 NI Chamber

He also engaged in a round of lively discussions with NI Chamber members and listened intently to their opinions and concerns.

Our next event also took place in historic surroundings, this time at the Old Bushmills Distillery. Part of the NI Chamber Danske Bank Export First programme with partnership airline Etihad Airways, the initiative brings together new and aspiring exporters and offers them access to local businesses who are experienced exporters.

Who better to do this than Bushmills Whiskey? It is a household name, not only in Northern Ireland, but across the world.

Guests heard the inspiring story of how this 400 year old company continues to be a global leader in its field of hand crafted, small batch Irish whiskey, from Chairman David Gosnell and Master Distiller Colum Egan.

Outgoing Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell also addressed guests and praised the company’s excellence as a leading exporter.

market.

Key actions of the plan include: · The establishment of an Exports Forum – comprising Government, export support providers, local Government and businesses. · The development of a composite Trade Development and Overseas Event Programme across all export support providers, and · The development and utilisation of the new Broad Economy Sales and Exports Sales Measure to provide a timely and reliable indicator of all manufacturing and services sales outside Northern Ireland.

Let’s hope that the plan will go a long way towards helping those already exporting and provide inspiration to others who are exploring overseas markets for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Connecting for Growth Cross Border Networking Event in partnership with Bank of Ireland UK, at the Europa Hotel, Belfast in March provided attendees with the opportunity to learn from keynote speaker Andrew Nethercott, Director of Brand Marketing at Moy Park, on selling into big corporations. Around

David Gosnell and Colum Egan (The Old Bushmills Distillery) with outgoing Enterprise Minister Bell.

Staying with exports and NI Chamber attended the first meeting and launch by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment of the Export Matters Action Plan.

The Action Plan, developed in conjunction with Invest Northern Ireland, IntertradeIreland and NI Chamber aims to encourage companies in Northern Ireland to be active and successful in selling in a global

Andrew Nethercott.

180 delegates from a wide range of sectors networked and heard and obtained advice from a panel of experts on how to develop their businesses further.

Looking ahead and businesses from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have snapped up the chance to attend the

chamber chief’s update

NEW MEMBERS Business Services Kith & Kin Financial Solutions C.I.C

next Connecting for Growth event and ‘meet the buyer’ at The Canal Court Hotel in Newry on 25 May 2016.

There are currently a number of highprofile buyers wishing to meet with local businesses on the day including Avondale Foods, Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, Glen Dimplex, Kingspan, McAleer & Rushe and Tesco.

The event will allow businesses to make a pitch to these buyers whilst networking and developing links with each other through a number of activities including speed networking.

The second In Camera dinner of 2016 which took place in April at Titanic Belfast provided NI Chamber members with the opportunity to network and engage with Malcolm McKibbin, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy

Malcolm McKibbon.

First Minister.

He was joined by David Sterling, Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance and Personnel, Leo O’Reilly, Permanent Secretary, Department of the Environment and Derek Baker, Permanent Secretary, Department for Employment and Learning.

As with all the In Camera dinners, this was an enjoyable, stimulating and intimate occasion for all involved.

Finally, NI Chamber kicked off the latest in its Growing Something Brilliant leadership

series, supported by Electric Ireland, by having breakfast with Northern Ireland Manager Michael O’Neill. He was joined by over 250 members of the local business community at the new-look home of Northern Ireland football –The National

Charity British Heart Foundation NI Creative Industry Triovia Limited Hospitality and Tourism Lagan Valley Island Conference Centre Turkish Airline Inc ICT HighWire Mallon Technology North Time & Data Product Earth Solutions Ltd

Michael O’Neill.

Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast.

Speaking at the event, Michael, who spent several years working in the financial services industry between finishing his playing career and entering football management, told the audience about his management style, the tips he had picked up from the various football managers he had worked under, and revealed he liked to keep meetings short, punchy and packed with visual effects.

The event also featured a panel discussion on leadership in sport and the business of sport compered by broadcaster Mark Simpson. Joining Michael O’Neill on the panel were Peter Cowgill, Executive Chairman of sports fashion retailer JD, along with Andrew Curley, Head of Sponsorship and Events at Vauxhall Motors.

Also speaking was Paul Stapleton, General Manager at Electric Ireland.

It was an inspirational event amid the transformed Windsor Park and with Euro 2016 on the horizon, Northern Ireland’s football fortunes will be very much in people’s minds in the weeks ahead.

Manufacturing interface OVIK Rossi Gearmotors Ltd Schlumberger BPC Completions Ltd. Professional Services BC Asset Finance Neil Mathews Architects Pearse Trust Thomas International Retailing Musgrave Partners Training Dorothy McKee Consulting Transport Expeditors Int’d UK Ltd * To become a member of NI Chamber join online at www. northernirelandchamber.com or phone the membership team on 02890 244113

NI Chamber 31

RECEPTION AT HILLSBOROUGH CASTLE FOR MAYOR OF LONDON BORIS JOHNSON

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1. Stephen McCully (NI Chamber) with Boris Johnson and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber). 2. Boris Johnson shares a joke with Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Secretary of State Theresa Villiers as he perfects his speech. 3. Boris Johnson addresses guests. 4. Michael McKeown (Crash Services) and Dr Conor Patterson (Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency) chat to Boris Johnson. 5. Vicky Boden (SSE Airtricity) and Kirsty McManus (NI Chamber) take a selfie with the Mayor of London. 6. Andrew Robinson (Boomer Industries) and Theresa Donaldson (Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council) with Boris Johnson.

32 NI Chamber

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EXPORT FIRST AT THE OLD BUSHMILLS DISTILLERY 1.

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1. Colum Egan (Old Bushmills Distillery); Aaron Ennis (Danske Bank); Ann McGregor (NI Chamber); Minister Jonathan Bell; Liza Hammond (Etihad) and David Gosnell (Old Bushmills Distillery). 2. Minister Bell addresses guests. 3. David Gosnell, Chairman of The Old Bushmills Distillery. 4. Mukesh Sharma and Susie Osborough (Selective Travel Management) with Aaron 4.

Ennis (Danske Bank). 5. Brian Telford (Danske Bank) and Nigel Ivy (Leopard Business Solutions).

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Leadership breakfast at The National Football Stadium Windsor Park with Michael O’Neill

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1. Andrew Curley (Vauxhall Motors) and Patrick Nelson (IFA Chief Executive). 2. Michael O’Neill in conversation with event compere Mark Simpson. 3. Karen Blair (Cleaver Fulton Rankin) with Tennent Hunter (Capita) and Claire McKee (Clarendon Executive).

4. Andrew Curley (Vauxhall Motors), Peter Cowgill (JD Sports) and Michael O’Neill chat with Mark Simpson. 5. Paul Stapleton (Electric Ireland) with Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Michael O’Neill (Manager of Northern Ireland Football Team). 6. Jeff Tosh (Tennent’s) with Oonagh O’Reilly (IFA) and William McCausland (fonaCAB).

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34 NI Chamber

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NI Chamber’s Christopher Morrow, Sandra Scannell, Chief Executive Ann McGregor and Kirsty McManus.

Top team

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I Chamber is delighted to announce a new internal management structure to reflect the growth of the organisation and to meet the increasing needs of members.

Reporting directly to NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor will be the Heads of Business Services, Business Development and Communications and Policy. These areas are central to the work of NI Chamber and are instrumental in helping members grow their businesses.

Sandra Scannell as Head of Business Services continues to have responsibility for NI Chamber’s range of support services including the extensive calendar of events, growth and export support programmes, connections to the global Chamber network, export documentation certification services, export training and business support and information.

She is one of the longest serving members of the team at NI Chamber having joined in 2007 and has worked across a number of key areas in the organisation.

Sandra holds a BA (Hons) in Psychology from Queen’s University, Belfast and an MSc

with distinction in International Business from Ulster University Business School.

Kirsty McManus, who recently joined NI Chamber, has been appointed as Head of Business Development. She is responsible for growing membership, account management, liaising with corporate members and overseeing NI Chamber’s ambitious growth agenda.

Kirsty is the former Director of the Centre for SME Development at Ulster University Business School which is aimed at helping SMEs achieve their business goals. Her responsibilities covered helping SMEs to move projects forward quickly by accessing expertise at the university that may not otherwise have been available. Previous to this, she was Assistant Director at CBI (NI) responsible for a diverse portfolio of members and with lobbying responsibility for employment law, skills, education and energy policy in Northern Ireland.

She is an Information Management graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast and holds an MBA from Ulster University Business School. Kirsty has over 12 years of industry experience and has worked in both the US

and UK in IT Project Management.

Meanwhile, Christopher Morrow has become Head of Communications and Policy. He joined NI Chamber on a 6-month graduate placement in 2009 and now heads all communications and policy activity for the organisation. He works closely with the Chief Executive, President and Chamber Council to ensure that the interests and needs of members are fully understood and appreciated at Stormont and beyond.

He is also responsible for all aspects of NI Chambers’ communications including marketing and public relations.

Christopher holds a BSc in Politics and PR and an MSc in Communications, Advertising and PR both from Ulster University.

Speaking about the new structure, NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor said: “As NI Chamber continues to grow both in terms of membership and support services, we want to ensure we have the people, expertise and structures in place to deliver what is needed. NI Chamber is a memberdriven, policy focused Northern Ireland wide business advocacy organisation whose aim is to help grow the local economy.”

NI Chamber 35

til un ry 16 nt 20 re e fo J u n n pe th O 24

NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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The key to unlocking new office space Public sector dominance of office accommodation is stifling development, Osborne King’s Managing Director Martin McDowell tells Adrienne McGill.

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t has been in the headlines for some time now that Grade A office accommodation is in short supply in Belfast. This means that inward investors who may have the city in their sights as an investment location are going to encounter a major problem finding a base which is new or redeveloped, is in a prime site, has been furnished to a high-spec, has state-of-the-art facilities and has excellent accessibility.

And there’s a further issue to consider. In Belfast, around 50 per cent of office space is rented by government, a percentage which far outweighs that of any other UK city. It stands to reason this higher demand should drive prices upwards, encourage development and increase supply of office space, but it’s not just as simple as that.

That is because of the Modern Government Lease (MGL), an agreement owners who let their buildings to government bodies have been forced to sign up to and which is unique to Northern Ireland. It was designed during the days when some of Northern Ireland’s commercial property was built to less stringent standards and public sector renters were caught with vast repair bills.

Sitting in the board room of Osborne King’s plush Grade A office in Belfast’s Donegall Square South, the commercial property consultants’ Managing Director Martin McDowell explains why the MGL gives a cost advantage to the government.

“A number of years ago the public sector sought to limit its repairing liability so it

introduced an internal repairing lease which means it is not responsible for external repairs in buildings occupied by government agencies, instead the liability is retained by the landlord.

“On top of that the government occupiers don’t carry responsibility for plant/machinery, renewal and maintenance or the repair/ replacement of any glass in the building.

Hence, the government has obtained a cost advantage to their occupation. It is the landlord who has to pick up the bill if any work needs to be done. As a landlord, if you have a Modern Government Lease and you go to sell your building, institutions in the UK will not buy it or at best they will pay a very much reduced price because they can go to Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester – in fact to any other city in the UK and buy a building occupied by a government agency which has a full repairing and insuring lease which is not deemed by investors as defective, unlike the MGL in Northern Ireland.”

While the MGL was an effective means of protecting the public purse in its day, according to Mr McDowell this public sector approach has had a detrimental effect on the investment in new-build offices due to their insistence on trying to keep rents below a viable development level.

“I think we should be in line with other regions of the UK. I don’t think we should have this unique scenario where government occupiers are allowed to impose a lease that is not institutionally acceptable. It potentially limits your market place when you come to sell and that is anti-competitive.

“Landlords need to be fully aware that they don’t have to accept this. You also need banks to look at their funding and say if this is a Modern Government Lease, whilst we might fund it, we actually need to be aware of the implications of this lease because there are implications for the funder as well as for the investor.

“Grade A office space in Belfast currently stands at £15 to £16 per square foot whereas it needs to be £20 and above to make economic sense to a developer.

“To compare, in Glasgow, a city with a similar economic makeup to Belfast, rental for Grade A office space stands at £30+ per square foot and unlike ourselves there is no major shortfall.”

Northern Ireland is the only region of the UK where the MGL operates but in recent years there has been some movement away from it due to the shortfall of office accommodation in Belfast and the price point required to make development viable.

Government has purchased a number of buildings such as Causeway Exchange, Clare House, Bruce Street Link and Invest NI’s headquarters in Belfast, in order to protect its cost base and to avoid the rental rises which are on the horizon.

“The Northern Ireland market has been so heavily dependent on public sector occupancy and civil service jobs that the pricing and the way the market has evolved has, in my opinion, been manipulated by the public sector,” says Mr McDowell.

“That has to change.”

NI Chamber 37

cover story

38 NI Chamber

cover story

“Customers do not just want to call you – they want to interact through email, white mail, SMS, social media and web chats.”

cover story

Millions of customers every day make contact with leading global brands and expertly helping them do that is TELEPERFORMANCE, as its Operations Director in Northern Ireland Stephen Morrow tells Adrienne McGill.

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eleperformance is a giant in the world of customer experience management and contact centre operations.

The company is a leader in the provision of outsourced customer service for wellknown national and international brands and government organisations.

It makes contact with 35 per cent of the world’s population every year through 235 million interactions by web mail, 78 million in business processing, 10 million via social media and 5 million face-to-face connections.

The company connects the biggest and most respected brands on the planet with their customers by providing customer care, technical support, customer acquisition, digital solutions, analytics, back-office and other specialised services to ensure positive customer interactions.

Teleperformance helps its clients strengthen their relationship with their customers by supporting them and making sure they have an excellent experience with the brand across all channels.

Stephen Morrow, Operations Director of Teleperformance in Northern Ireland who has been with the company for the past 12 years, oversees its three contact centres in Bangor, Newry and Enniskillen which together employ over 2,000 people.

“As a company, we look after 50 per cent of the top brands in the world,” he says.

“Customers do not just want to call you – they want to interact through email, white mail, SMS, social media and web chats. We cover the whole gamut of communication.

We are a business that can provide all of those touch points for customers who want to engage with a certain brand and we support them through a wide range of services.”

Teleperformance has clients across the private and public sector including big names like Sainsbury’s, E.ON and the NHS Blood and Transplant Service for which the Northern Ireland operation is responsible.

“Teleperformance established in Northern

40 NI Chamber

Ireland in 1998 in Bangor and initially employed 400 people but we have grown to five times that number within the last decade.

“The company has expanded considerably here because of the calibre of our employees and our high standards of customer service.

Our business is all about communication and that is a skill which comes quite naturally to people in Northern Ireland. We as a local business attract good people and we keep good people.

“It is our objective to provide world class customer service through our top quality, well trained staff. Our philosophy is to transform passion into excellence and Northern Ireland has proven to be a great place for us to do this.

“We see the commitment of our staff and the superior service they are able to provide as an important part of our competitive advantage.”

Last November, in a major investment in Northern Ireland, Teleperformance announced the takeover of the Liberty Insurance contact centre in Enniskillen.

The new centre will deliver a number of benefits including jobs and salaries to the local economy.

“The contact centre in Enniskillen is fabulous and has given us additional capacity which means we have the scope to attract new clients and expand Teleperformance’s footprint in Northern Ireland,” says Stephen.

Teleperformance, which is originally French owned and was founded in 1978 in Paris, now has its power base in the US. The company has grown through acquisition over the years and now operates 311 contact centres spanning 65 countries across the world with employees totalling 190,000.

It supports 163 different markets and sectors and can relay its services in 75 different languages and dialects to clients across the globe.

In the UK, in addition to Northern Ireland, the business has operations in Scotland and

England where it employs 10,000 people.

“Our daily business is fast and furious – you have to be passionate about it. You have to be engaged and demonstrate that you are up for the challenge and committed to getting things right for customers and clients alike. Each client has their own requirements, demands and contracts and we have to keep them delighted with the service we are providing,” says Stephen.

With a career in telecoms, finance and contact services spanning almost 30 years, Stephen Morrow has acquired a wealth of experience in the industry.

However, there have been times when even he has been taken by surprise.

On one occasion when he headed the directory enquiries division of a major telecoms business, he had to deal with a call which had finally escalated to him after an adviser encountered difficulties dealing with it.

“It was late on Friday evening and the caller, who was a significant London-based customer but who was slightly the worse for wear, wanted the phone number of a restaurant in the city,” explains Stephen.

“The only information he could give was that it had a red door – he had no idea of the name or the address. He had become irate because the adviser had been unable, understandably, to give him the number but because we were dedicated to a high level of customer assistance – the call had moved up the chain to me. I kept explaining that I could not search the database for restaurants in London with a red door but engaged him in conversation about the limitations of technology with minimal customer information. After an hour of cajoling, the caller who by now had calmed down, slurringly announced he was standing at the window of his office and could see the red door of the very restaurant he wanted to go to which was right across the street.”

It was a lesson in perfect customer management.

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CBCF-NI chambers ABL A4 5-16.indd 1

27/04/2016 11:57

news

business bites from brussels Support for European farmers in crisis The European Commission recently announced an additional package of exceptional measures to support EU farmers, which complements the â‚Ź500 million support package from September 2015.

Speaking at the Council of Agriculture Ministers in March, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan said: “I believe that this is a package of measures which, when taken with the full implementation of the September solidarity package, can have a material and positive impact on European agricultural markets and it should now be given the chance to succeed.� The measures include voluntary agreements for the dairy sector, a temporary increase in state aid and support for the pigmeat sector. They are highly adjustable so that Member States can use them depending on their specific national situation. Dairy, pigmeat and fruit and vegetable sectors are the main focus of the support package.

Lobby register The European Commission has launched a 12-week public consultation on the Transparency Register, which is a tool put in place by the European Parliament and the European Commission to cast light on lobbying activities seeking to influence European policymaking. The consultation aims to gather views on the current system for registration of interest representatives who seek to influence the work of the EU institutions and on its development into a mandatory lobby register covering the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the Commission. The Commission has designed a twopart consultation which will allow for input from a broad range of stakeholders, civil society and citizens. The consultation will close on Tuesday 31 May and will feed into a proposal that the Commission will make later this year. To take part in the consultation, go to the Your Voice in Europe website: www.ec.europa.eu/yourvoice.

Solving disputes online

New Europe-wide mortgage rules

The European Commission has launched a new platform to help consumers and traders solve disputes over a purchase made online.

The Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform offers a single point of entry that allows EU consumers and traders to settle their disputes for both domestic and cross-border online purchases. This is done by channelling the disputes to national Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) bodies that are connected to the platform and have been selected by EU Member States and notified to the Commission. ADR offers a quick and inexpensive way to solve disputes and, on average, it takes a maximum of 90 days for cases to be solved.

It is an additional way for consumers to solve disputes and does not replace the possibility of going to court.

It will also benefit traders as Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures will help avoid costly litigation fees and maintain good customer relations. For more information, go to the Online Dispute Resolution platform: https://webgate. ec.europa.eu/odr

The Mortgage Credit Directive (MCD), which aims to improve consumer protection measures across the EU by introducing EU-wide responsible lending practices, recently entered into force.

Consumers will benefit from clearer and more understandable information with the introduction of the European Standardised Information Sheet, which will allow borrowers to understand better the risks associated with their mortgage agreement, as well as letting them compare offers and shop around for the best product to suit their needs at the best price.

The Directive also establishes principles for the authorisation and registration of credit intermediaries. Credit intermediaries that comply with the new business conduct rules will gain access to many more potential consumers in the single market via the passport regime. This will, in the long run, provide lenders with new business opportunities and will be a step towards the creation of a Single European Mortgage Market, which is expected to increase competition and to drive down prices.

42 NI Chamber

sponsored feature

Recruitment Outlook for Northern Ireland Despite the uncertainty in press reports, online, and seemingly everywhere we look about the potential impact of the National Living Wage, the local assembly elections and of course we can’t forget the Brexit, we are finding more clients are ready to recruit. Manufacturers, the long standing stalwart of the Northern Ireland economy and tourism, are focused on the future and strengthening their senior management teams.

With a constantly growing database of over 50,000 candidates, our talent team are sourcing more high calibre professionals looking for a new challenge.

Skill shortages and the number of graduates NI export every year always make good headlines, but we’re now starting to see an increasing number of registrations from experienced professionals wanting to return home to enjoy the NI lifestyle and use their experience to contribute to the growth of the economy.

The Riada team is growing in line with this demand, with new additions in our permanent recruitment team. We currently have live vacancies for director and senior management level and Riada continue to provide a trusted service to companies throughout Northern Ireland, UK and Europe across all industries.

So why is demand growing for recruitment agencies?

The most common reason given to us by employers is the lack of available experienced applicants coming forward, they report often having to go to the market multiple times, costing them valuable time and money.

Writer Jason Collings in his article ‘The True Cost of Hire’ explains how having a good agency can decrease the time it takes to hire by up to two weeks. Our clients are reaping the benefits of our expertise and ability to source the best talent.

As one of the largest independently owned recruitment agencies in Northern Ireland, we are not only profit and target driven, we care and work hard to deliver more that just people. Sourcing high calibre professionals with a no placement, no fee policy - we keep searching the talent pool until we find the best fit for the individual and the business.

We listen to you so we understand your business, your business needs, the role and the attributes you require. We search for the best candidate to fit into the job role and your company culture. We deliver and become your recruitment partner.

Riada is firmly focused on the future and committed to drive Northern Irish companies to fulfil their strategic objectives.

columnist

The Benefits of Early Advice Engaging the right lawyer to represent you makes financial sense, says Clare Templeton, Head of Commercial Dispute Resolution at WALKER Legal.

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any people are hesitant to hire a lawyer because they are fearful of what it might cost. However, having a skilled professional on your side almost always means a better outcome, regardless of the subject matter.

Whenever you are involved in a legal matter of any significance, you should evaluate both the anticipated cost of hiring a lawyer and the potential benefit of that representation.

If possible, the decision to engage a lawyer should not solely be based on cost. You should consider assessing the cost of hiring a law firm in relation to the potential benefit of the representation, and make your decision within the framework of a cost-benefit analysis.

In determining cost, you should speak to more than one lawyer, since fees can vary from firm to firm (and there may be room for negotiation). Remember that the most expensive lawyer may not necessarily be the best fit for you and your case. Remember also at the outset to ask for an initial quote or estimate, and confirmation of hourly rates if applicable. This will help avoid any unexpected surprises at the conclusion of the matter. Consider, too, asking the lawyer for monthly interim bills, to enable you to monitor costs incurred.

The role of a lawyer has changed

44 NI Chamber

greatly over the last twenty years to more of an ongoing advisory function. It is vital for your lawyer to take the time to know the client and their business, including any plans for development and growth. Clients should have confidence that their lawyer is there to guide and advise at every stage, providing a bespoke service tailored to that client’s requirements, without the permanent expense that having an in-house lawyer would incur.

However, a good lawyer will not waste their client’s money by embarking on unmeritorious litigation or propounding a groundless argument. Clients sometimes insist that they don’t care about the cost – it is the principle that counts.

Conversely, the principle will seem much less important when the client gets the bill without achieving the result they desired.

Failing to engage the services of the right lawyer when starting a business, reviewing a contract or embarking on other business activities with potential legal ramifications can result in otherwise avoidable pitfalls. If clients are entering into contracts, which usually involve longterm commitments or large sums of money, it is advisable to involve legal representation in the drafting and approving of those contract terms. This enables the client to be

protected and affords the lawyer the opportunity to argue their standpoint as much as possible, reducing the chances of a dispute later. If a dispute does arise, clients can be confident that the terms of their agreement protect them as much as possible and give them the best chance of defending any claim.

Another issue is estate planning.

Very few wills or estate plans are simple enough to do over the Internet. We have unfortunately had to deal with remedying and resolving what people thought were simple estate plans that they prepared themselves using a form or the Internet. The financial wellbeing of your beneficiaries, especially minor children, is too important to risk simply to save money. Similarly, when someone dies, there are websites that profess to be able to guide you through the process of administering the estate. However, if you don’t deal with the inheritance tax implications properly, you could be opening yourself up to personal liability.

Lawyers cost money – it’s a fact.

However, you may have heard the saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. The earlier legal advice is sought, the better – for you and your business.

feature

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gained an interest in IT at school, doing well in both my GCSE IT and my A-Level IT, which led me to consider IT as a career. I was clear I wasn’t someone who wanted to sit and programme all day though – I was interested in why you’d develop an IT solution, not just the how. I think that comes from working for my dad’s company. He runs a construction company and I remember thinking how good IT solutions could help him manage his business. I’m really interested in how we can best use IT to make a company operate more efficiently, reduce costs and increase profits.

After school I went to study Business and IT at Queen’s University in Belfast. I studied a mixture of modules across both disciplines including software development, databases, marketing and business management.

Whilst studying, I also worked part time in a corporate IT department, building on the skills I was developing as part of my degree and giving me a closer look at how companies actually work.

My third year at Queen’s was a placement in industry, and I was lucky enough to get a place at Capita Managed IT Solutions as an undergraduate IT Analyst. I actually ended up staying for over a year – 15 months – and I gained a fantastic insight into corporate culture and the operation of complex IT systems. I worked on a system that operates across one of Ireland’s utilities markets, and that gave me a huge amount of practical experience. The role was varied – at times very customer facing, but also requiring a lot of technical skills.

When I went back to university for my final year I had a much stronger sense of purpose.

I knew what I wanted to do which was an IT role developing IT solutions to solve business problems. During final year I wrote a business plan and developed a mobile application which allowed me to further enhance my business and IT skills.

Once I had successfully completed final year I reapplied to work for Capita Managed

My Ambition is to...

Enda Maguire, Graduate Technical Specialist, Capita Managed IT Solutions.

IT Solutions and, due to the knowledge and skills developed during my degree and my placement role, I received an offer to work there full time as a Graduate IT Analyst. I started in July last year and it felt like I’d never left! However I quickly realised I would be given a lot more responsibility as a full-time team member.

My placement year was tough, but this was a whole new challenge. When I re-joined, we were involved in setting up a whole new system replacing the one I’d previously worked on. Due to my previous experience I have been tasked with managing and delegating work to my colleagues as well as helping them troubleshoot and fix technical issues. It has been a fantastic experience, and I’ve always believed that the more knowledge comes with more responsibility.

My daily tasks also include complex database work, testing and networking. Every day is different and I’m continually learning.

In the short term, I’m hoping that my knowledge of our IT system will continue to improve along with my technical and leadership skills. At the moment I’m only focused on one part of our IT system and I’d like to learn and understand the many other applications involved, what they do and how they interact with one another. In the coming months I’d like to gain more knowledge of the current code during knowledge transfer sessions while also gaining more hands-on development experience.

Eventually, when I have acquired the level of knowledge and experience required I’d like to become a team leader or a project manager. To do that I’ll have to have a really comprehensive understanding of our IT system and how it helps our clients deliver what they need to. The long-term plan – my ultimate ambition, in 10 or 15 years’ time – is that I’d like to start and run my own technology business.

That’s a little way off though!

NI Chamber 45

columnist

Tech Scene Round up It’s gadget time so get playing, says Natalie Gray, Marketing Executive at SyncNI.

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hen it comes to learning about and exploring technology, there are a wide range of tools and material available – and more importantly for people of all ages. Getting people to engage and try out new technologies has seen a huge push, particularly here in Northern Ireland, and we are seeing the growth of new initiatives and tools being introduced on a local basis. Gadgets galore: let’s take a look at some products circulating that you (or your kids) can get your hands on.

Artificial Intelligence

Virtual Reality With their new initiative, Visit Belfast wants people to explore Northern Ireland through technology. Visit Belfast’s new innovative marketing campaign implements the use of 360 degree virtual reality that aims to showcase Belfast’s top locations and popular landmarks.

From Titanic Belfast to Botanic Gardens, viewers will gain a unique tour through the free mobile app ‘Belfast Go Explore’. Think of it as Google’s street view: The app combines the city’s most notable landmarks and popular sites, into one app.

Visit Belfast is leading the way in the tourism sector by being one of the first to adapt this innovative technology that incorporates liveaction footage, computer-generate graphics and the city’s hot-spots. The campaign is targeted at youths from all over the world, highlighting Belfast as being culturally diverse and an exciting place to visit and study.

With such campaigns, it’s easy to see why Belfast is becoming more attractive for businesses to invest in and for tourists to visit.

The app can be viewed with and without a virtual reality viewer or Google cardboard, however to get the best out of your virtual reality experience, we would recommend one.

Microsoft, the owner of the popular video game Minecraft, has started running various artificial intelligence experiments using a new platform called AIX. With this platform, researchers at Microsoft are trying to train an artificial intelligence agent to do certain things.

Firstly the agent will know nothing about its environment, but will learn to understand its surroundings. This would mean that the main character of Minecraft will learn to respond like a human when faced with a new task, such as climbing uphill.

It has been developed by Katja Hofmann and her colleagues in Microsoft in Cambridge.

She says: “Minecraft is the perfect platform for this kind of research because it’s this very open world.”

Currently, AIX is being used by Microsoft researchers for their own research, with availability limited to a small group of academic researchers under a private beta. However, keep your eyes peeled as this summer will see AIX being made available via an open-source license.

Coding Just as the most popular British computer – Raspberry PI – celebrated its fourth birthday, we’ve since been introduced to a similar product, BBC’s micro:bit.

Launched as part of the BBC Make it Digital initiative, mirco:bit is a mini codeable computer designed for young people aged 11years and up, with any level of programming experience. Don’t let the targeted age put you off – we’ve been playing with the micro:bit in the Sync NI office! The aim of the computer is to inspire users to get creative with technology, whilst stimulating a new generation of digital pioneers.

Initially BBC are rolling these devices out into schools across the UK, but following the nationwide rollout, the micro:bit will be available to buy from a range of retailers.

Money generated from these commercial sales will be refocused back into encouraging the nation to join the coding revolution.

Want to be the first to find out what’s happening in Northern Ireland’s tech scene?

Stay up to date with www.syncni.com or follow us on Twitter @syncni or Email: natalie@syncni.com

46 NI Chamber

sponsored feature

ReGen Waste – Recycling into a cleaner future Environmental responsibility is a hot topic on everyone’s lips at the moment, as companies both at home and abroad are striving to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute towards a sustainable future for the planet.

Newry-based ReGen Waste, who are transforming the waste management industry with their best practice recycling techniques founded one of the most innovative processing plants across the UK and Ireland in order to generate a cleaner future and reduce the amount of landfill required each year.

From its origins 12 years ago, ReGen has grown into a multi-million pound business employing over 160 people and exporting to 27 countries. This has been achieved through four main business functions; mixed dry recycling (MDR), waste to energy (WTE), municipal solid waste (MSW) processing and an on-demand collection service for Local Authorities provided by ReGen’s in-house transport division.

ReGen now benefit from having one of the most advanced materials recycling facilities in the UK and through years of operations and constant refinements

have now attained the critical balance between automated, mechanical and manual sorting processes. Depending on the particular waste stream, ReGen can recover 98% of the materials being processed with all residual material processed as Refuse Derived Fuels which means that very little, if any, of the waste processed through the plant is diverted to landfill.

Aidan Doherty, Re-Gen Director.

The family-run business prides itself on its approachable and friendly attitude, with its core values firmly rooted in corporate social responsibility and building mutually respectful partnerships with councils and private companies. Not one for resting on its laurels either, ReGen is constantly looking for new ways to grow

and recognised very quickly that there was a need for a dedicated R&D and Engineering team to promote continuous improvement within the company’s facilities.

Re-Gen HQ Re-Gen currently employ a team of engineers across several disciplines in order to achieve 3 key goals; ensure maximum recovery of recyclable materials, ensure that recovered materials are the highest possible quality for end markets, and continually improve efficiency by refining and improving processes.

That’s no small feat considering that over 1.5 million tonnes of waste have been processed on site to date.

Re-Gen Waste Ltd, Shepherds Drive, Carnbane Industrial Estate, Newry, Co. Down, N.Ireland, BT35 6JQ Telephone: 028 3026 5432 www.regenwaste.com.

sponsored feature

Dan Tuohy, Rory Best, Adam Keefe, Michael Eames, Elizabeth Eames, Paul Marshall and Tommy Bowe at the opening of Orthoderm Clinic, Hillsborough.

Michael Eames, Carl Frampton, Elizabeth Eames

orthoderm clinic official opening The Orthoderm Clinic was recently officially opened by Ireland and Ulster Rugby captain Rory Best. Boxing world champion Carl Frampton joined members of the Ulster Rugby squad, Belfast Giants, GPs, consultants, Orthoderm staff and friends to celebrate the opening of Northern Ireland’s newest state of the art private medical facility.

The purpose built clinic is located in Hillsborough, County Down, just off the A1 - only 10 miles from Belfast and 25 minutes from

Newry. It is equipped with outpatient assessment rooms, local anaesthetic operating theatre, physiotherapy and full diagnostic imaging including MRI, ultrasound scanning and x-rays. The imaging suite is run in partnership with Orthoderm by Alliance Healthcare. Patients can be assessed by local consultants in almost every specialty and promptly have their diagnostic imaging or procedures performed. Day surgery such as skin surgery, hand surgery, vasectomy, varicose vein removal and pain relieving injections are available.

The Orthoderm Clinic has opened in Hillsborough Appointments are available for: • Dermatology • General Medicine and Surgery • Gynaecology • Orthopaedic Surgery

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Contact us on 028 9268 0940 to make an appointment.

www.orthodermclinic.com

Powering ahead with energy Ambition SPECIAL focus

powering ahead with energy

powering ahead with energy

H

ouseholds and businesses across Northern Ireland rely on energy to support their dayto-day activities. The ability of the sector to continue to provide a secure and reliable supply of energy is therefore fundamental to our economic prosperity.

In recent years the energy market in Northern Ireland has undergone a radical transformation in terms of reform, restructure and renewables – and further change is on the horizon.

One of the biggest challenges involves how to face the energy trilemma which means reaching renewable energy targets, ensuring security of supply while also keeping costs low for consumers.

In this section, we look at some of the leading players in the energy sector across electricity, gas, renewables and storage and hear what they are doing to meet the challenges.

We also shine a light on the introduction of innovative technologies and plans for new developments including the North South Interconnector which is acknowledged as a key piece of Northern Ireland’s energy infrastructure with a vital role in keeping ‘the lights on.’

With regard to the bigger picture – the world population is expected to top 8.3 billion by 2030 and it is estimated that we will need 50 per cent more energy to meet needs. Energy therefore is a critical area.

As we look to the future, the energy sector across the globe will continue to undergo substantial transformational change in how electricity is generated, how it is transported and how customers use it. That change will see Northern Ireland energy firms continue to invest in the sector in order to deliver secure, low carbon and affordable energy supplies for the benefit of everyone in the region and for the local economy.

Contents:

50 NI Chamber

51

A Switched on Business - Veridian

59

Northern Ireland - ‘The Innovation Hub for

52

Innovation is Key - Electric Ireland

Energy Storage in Europe’ - Gaelectric

53

Powerful Connections - NIE Networks

Developments

55 Natural Gas - A Modern Fuel - Firmus Energy

60

Keeping the Lights on - System Operator for

56

Sunny Outlook for Solar Power - Kingspan ESB

Northern Ireland

57

Powering Our Low-Carbon Future - SSE Ireland

62

Reducing IT Energy Footprint - Hewlett Packard

58

Energy for the Future - AES UK & Ireland

63

A Precise Project - Pinsent Masons

Viridian – a switched on business With a new owner and considerable growth prospects, Viridian is looking forward to a bright future. In his first interview following the takeover, Viridian Chief Executive Ian Thom tells Adrienne McGill why the company is set to power ahead.

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iridian is one of the biggest energy companies in Northern Ireland and the Republic – and may be about to get even bigger.

Independent global infrastructure investment manager I Squared Capital won the race last month to buy Viridian from Bahrain-based Arcapita which has owned the energy business since 2006, in a deal rumoured to be worth around €1 billion. It is scheduled to go through before the end of June.

I Squared Capital, which fought off stiff competition to buy Viridian, said it was keen to acquire the company because Viridian had significant growth potential and operates in a robust growth economy.

The new owner has indicated that it does not intend to break up the company and the existing management team will remain in place but that the focus will be on growing Viridian by expanding its share of the all-Ireland energy market and potentially through buying other businesses in GB. Viridian Chief Executive Ian Thom says expansion is likely to come from organic growth or acquisitions.

“Going forward, I Squared have said that they want to use Viridian as a growth platform and to grow the business and that is a very exciting prospect for us as a management team.

“Part of the debate we are having involves exploiting opportunities which are available to us and some of that may be through acquisitions.”

Viridian owns Power NI, the regulated electricity supplier in Northern Ireland, which supplies electricity to around 610,000 homes and businesses across the region. Its Power Procurement Business manages 600MW of contracted generation capacity here.

Viridian also owns Energia which along with conventional electricity is also a retail supplier of

renewable electricity and gas across Ireland to domestic and commercial customers.

Viridian Power & Energy owns two power plants at Huntstown in Dublin which generate 747MW of electricity, enough energy for around 75,000 homes. The company has also been developing its renewable energy portfolio through off-take contracts with third party developers along with investment in its own wind farm assets which are together expected to grow their renewable capacity from 793MW to 1,000MW over the next 12 months.

Since demerging from NIE in 2010, Viridian has concentrated on growing its generation and supply businesses through Power NI and Energia.

Through both divisions of the company, Viridian has an approximate 20 per cent share of domestic electrical sales and an approximate 27 per cent share of business energy sales on an all-island basis.

The overall group has sales of €2 billion a year and moved back into the black in 2015, posting an after-tax profit of €7.5 million, compared to a loss of €21.9 million in 2014.

Mr Thom says the takeover is good for Viridian and for customers.

“It puts us on a stable footing going forward with access to capital for growth. It is good for customers because that stability and growth will benefit them. It is good for NI Plc because we have a major international investor making its first major investment in Europe in a Northern Irish/Irish company and looking at that company to be the platform for growth. That is unparalleled good news.

“To have a new shareholder who is potentially going to add a lot of growth to the business will open up a lot of opportunities for the Viridian team who are largely based in Northern Ireland. This is a very exciting prospect.

“Business is about creating value and if a business is not doing that then it is moribund.

“Where a business is dynamic and growing and creating value for shareholders, it is not likely to do so unless it is creating value for its customers.

Our track record through Power NI and Energia has been to deliver exemplary customer service at the best value to customers year in and year out. That has stood the business in very good stead.

“As we grow and expand we will deliver additional value and opportunities for customers and other stakeholders.”

Looking forward, the wholesale electricity market covering Northern Ireland and Ireland, the Single Electricity Market (SEM) which has been in operation since 2007, is to undergo significant change by the end of 2017. This is a requirement arising from changes to European legislation designed to harmonise cross-border trading arrangements across all European electricity markets. The SEM will be superseded by the Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM).

“There is a lot of potential innovation in the new market around trading arrangements for electricity in particular. It means electricity businesses like ours will trade electricity on a 24 hour basis which will potentially help to make the whole market more dynamic,” says Mr Thom.

A vital element in the strengthening of Northern Ireland’s electricity market has been in the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies which have helped the region harness its natural resources to provide heat and power and, on the way, reduced our reliance on fossil fuels, thereby providing more stable energy prices and securing a cleaner environment for future generations.

“One of the technologies we are working on at the moment is co-locating solar on wind farms so you have a mix of electricity generated by solar panels and also by wind turbines. The profile of generation from wind and solar is largely complimentary summer/winter given the load profile. There are synergies to be developed through that,” says Mr Thom.

Currently, one of the questions Viridian is having to address involves making investments in renewables when commodity prices are currently so low. The price of oil has been falling significantly from $65 a barrel this time last year to under $40 now.

“We have only got to the stage we are now by investing in renewable technologies and that has meant there is a cost to the customer in supporting those investments,” says Mr Thom.

“In the longer term those investments should prove to have been worthwhile. However, if we got into a position where there were permanently low oil and gas prices then the economics of renewables is less compelling; but you have to take a longer term view of the investment and also take into account the environmental and security of supply aspects.”

NI Chamber 51

powering ahead with energy

Innovation is key Electric Ireland supplies the business and residential electricity markets in Northern Ireland. General Manager Paul Stapleton describes what innovation means to both the company and its customers.

E

lectric Ireland has been supplying businesses in Northern Ireland since 2001 originally under the ESB brand and then rebranding in 2011 to Electric Ireland. In October 2015 we launched in the consumer market with the objective of providing the market with a new way of rewarding customers that doesn’t involve 12 month discounts. We are simplifying products for customers and offering cash rewards that are easily understood.

Electric Ireland is part of ESB Group which has strong associations in Northern Ireland through NIE Networks, Coolkeeragh Power Station and a number of renewable plants.

Innovation is at the heart of our business and at the core of our response to the unprecedented changes in the

52 NI Chamber

energy industry. Decarbonisation, competition and technological evolution are dramatically changing the operating context of the energy markets. At Electric Ireland we embrace innovation to create and grow new opportunities in areas directly adjacent to our core business.

Through innovation we support energy generated from the wind and solar as well as more traditional technologies. Innovation helps us to look to the future and invest, a key example of this being the rollout of electric vehicle charging points throughout Northern Ireland.

In the new energy environment, with increasing renewable energy, distributed generation, reduced barriers to market entry and consumers who are more and more energy conscious and engaged with their suppliers, the imperative

to reduce waste and save our residential and business customers money, is even stronger.

We have been running multiple trials over the last number of years with our customers and commit to continue to research potential solutions including collaborating with other parts of ESB, such as the NOVUS Modus investment fund and the ESB Kingspan solar joint venture, to ensure that the very latest viable technologies are available to our customers.

We have fostered smart, connected home products over the last few years, including Climote and Nest, and we are consistently exploring new and innovative ways of delivering good service and simple ideas that make life better for our customers. Through our Smarter Living programme we actively encourage and show our customers how to reduce energy consumption at home and through their businesses.

Our collaboration with Accenture is the latest phase in our Smarter Living Trial programme, which will help us to further develop and invest in emerging technologies introduced over the coming months. Working with the global Accenture Internet of Things practice, the trial is using Accenture Connected Platforms as a Service (CPaaS) to enable remote and automated control of multiple smart devices for homes and businesses. Accenture is a good fit with Electric Ireland, it’s a trusted global brand, with a reputation for delivering excellent service to its clients and promoting innovative solutions – all key deliverables for Electric Ireland too.

Every year we invest several million pounds in innovation, of which the collaboration with Accenture on the Smarter Living programme is just one part. We also help third party providers develop new energy services for our business customers, such as monitoring platforms like Energytracked, and of course as I said, we also collaborate with others parts of ESB. It’s not just collaboration on innovation that benefits Electric Ireland as part of the ESB Group, our parent also provides scale for the management of the risk inherent in the huge volatility in wholesale markets for gas, oil and foreign exchange. This allows us to provide stable products for those that have a preference for tariffs or fixed prices. Additionally, it facilitates access and participation in wholesale markets for larger industrial and commercial customers that have an appetite for risk/reward exposure.

It is this along with the innovation I have described that will help us realise our ambition to grow our business in Northern Ireland in both the residential and business sectors. Our investment is significant and reflective of how important our customers here are to our business. However, we see it as a long-term investment – our business is based on an indepth knowledge of the energy industry and our reputation for quality customer service. We understand that you have to earn the loyalty and trust of customers and that takes time.

Powerful connections The future of the electricity network is changing, as Les Drew, Head of NIE Networks’ Innovation Group, tells Adrienne McGill.

A

ny loss in electricity supply at any time can cause havoc in homes and businesses. There can be many reasons including severe weather, vandalism, third party damage and other events which can affect the electricity network and leave people without power.

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks) is responsible for getting people back on supply as soon as possible.

The company owns the electricity network here which is made up of 49,200 kilometres of lines and cables together with poles, pylons, substations and meters and is responsible for its upgrade and maintenance and in safely delivering power to all corners of Northern Ireland. The company distributes 8,137GWh of electricity to

860,000 consumers.

The network starts at substations beside power stations or wind farms and finishes at around 860,000 meter boxes across Northern Ireland. It transports electricity from where it is made to where it is used.

The majority of the electricity network was built during the late 1960s and 1970s and today the network is still growing with every new home or business that is connected to it.

Around £100 million was invested in the electricity network last year, mostly to maintain its service levels and to meet the demands of current customers. For example, 1,870 kilometres of overhead line was refurbished and over 7,000 kilometres of trees were cleared from lines to reduce the potential of power cuts.

NI Chamber 53

powering ahead with energy

The network is changing to meet the needs of the future. NIE Networks, which was acquired

by ESB in 2010, is renewing older parts of the network, integrating new technologies and responding to the challenges of renewable energy.

Government policies to encourage more electricity to come from renewable sources are posing new challenges. Being ready for a cleaner, greener future requires the network to be strengthened or extended in rural areas where wind farms, anaerobic digesters, tidal generators and other new technologies are being sited. By the end of 2015 NIE Networks had connected 848MW of renewable generation to the grid – that is around a quarter of Northern Ireland’s total generation.

Les Drew, head of NIE Networks’ Innovation Group, who joined the company almost 40 years ago when it was NIE, is one of the people at the forefront of developing the transformation and ensuring the company harnesses the ideas of its employees to drive change and efficiency.

“There is a huge investment programme underway to replace large sections of the rural network in particular and a lot of that involves the large and small generation projects around renewables,” he says.

“Since privatisation in 1993, we have been on a continuous journey of change and part of that has involved innovation in how we design and build the network and deliver a good service for homes and businesses across Northern Ireland.”

The company operates an employee engagement scheme where its 1,300 staff across all levels including engineering, administration, IT and communications are encouraged to submit ideas of benefit to the business and customers.

54 NI Chamber

“We felt it was important to establish a forum where innovative ideas or projects could be piloted and if successful and achievable, could be put into action,” says Les. “One of these has been the Sinclair device, developed by NIE Networks’ Brian Sinclair. The device holds a conductor in place while a pole is being removed and a new one installed – this saves time and money. We recognised while it was a simple idea it could potentially deliver huge benefits to us as an organisation. It was developed from a prototype into a fully patented solution.

“Another in-house innovation around health and safety is the Fall Arrest System which protects an employee who risks being injured in a fall while working in a substation which could be potentially dangerous given the amount of equipment there.

“Both of these ideas have been very well received by our parent ESB and have been recognised at the company’s innovation awards.”

Tracking customer demand is also a central element of NIE Networks’ operation. In 2014 a 2 year ‘Shift & Save’ trial in the Coleraine area found that smart meters helped decrease ‘teatime’ peak on the electricity network by 11.6 per cent.

The trial swapped existing electricity meters with a new smart digital meter in 200 homes in the town. The purpose was to investigate how smart meters and smart grid technology could change homeowners’ energy usage patterns to reduce demands on the electricity network, particularly at times of peak demand.

Participants used a display unit inside their home to see how much electricity they were using.

At the same time NIE Networks also installed smart grid technologies in local substations to

see what happened to the electricity flows on the electricity network when customers had this information.

“From photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on the roofs of houses to electric vehicles, the way electricity is produced and consumed is changing. As a network company we need to understand the effect that these changes may have on the electricity flows on our network. In the future this may mean that we need to install special equipment in substations to monitor the electricity flows to help us plan and operate our network,” says Les. “Our results from the trial were interesting.

One of our objectives was to see if smart meter technology could reduce demands on our electricity network especially during the peak time from 4pm to 7pm. Our results showed that the tea-time peak actually decreased on average by 11.6 per cent. We also found that the total amount of units used during this time was reduced by 7.3 per cent and that overall electricity usage decreased by 2.3 per cent by having a smart meter installed.”

Over the summer, NIE Networks will be submitting its plans for the 2017-2024 period to the Utility Regulator and these will set out options to develop smarter network solutions to facilitate the connection of low carbon technologies. The company believes these will increase the flexibility of the network and avoid costly reinforcements.

Over all, innovation is important to NIE Networks in terms of helping the company to drive down both operating and capital investment costs.

“And that is ultimately to the benefit of customers,” says Les.

Natural gas a modern fuel

Building a natural gas network has meant developing innovative solutions, as Adrienne McGill hears from Firmus Energy Managing Director, Michael Scott.

N

atural gas is the cleanest of all fossil fuels, emitting around 25 per cent less CO2 than home heating oil and around 50 per cent less CO2 than coal.

Firmus Energy, a leader in the natural gas industry, is powering ahead with innovative solutions and new technology to bring the fuel to customers across Northern Ireland. The Antrim-based company, which employs around 100 people, has approximately 80,000 business and residential customers in 30 cities, towns and villages stretching from Newry to Derry/ Londonderry and competes in the Greater Belfast supply market also. Business customers include major names such as Moy Park and Allied Bakeries.

It has invested around £120 million in networks across the region during the last decade and brought natural gas – which can be used for heating, hot water, gas fires, cooking tumble-drying and barbecuing – to areas which previously did not have access to the fuel.

Since connecting its first commercial customer

in 2005, and supplying natural gas across its initial ‘Ten Towns’ licensed area, the company has embarked on an ambitious growth strategy.

“More than 90 per cent of industry along the routes of our pipelines is now connected to our natural gas, which signifies how integral the fuel is to the economic landscape in Northern Ireland,” says Firmus Energy Managing Director, Michael Scott.

The company has adopted a number of innovative solutions in its gas pipe laying projects such as trenchless technologies (also known as directional drilling) which minimises surface excavation, reduces the environmental impact of underground installation and reduces air and noise pollution as well as minimising the amount of waste caused by earth and pavement excavation.

The technique can also overcome obstacle crossings where the regular open-cut pipe laying methods are not suitable. Trenchless technology is widely used for installing long services and mains, especially beneath rivers, canals, railways and busy roads.

To date, Firmus Energy has laid over 1000 km of gas pipelines throughout its network.

“At Firmus Energy we have embedded a culture of innovation, and aim to continuously improve our business, through both technical and commercial innovation,” says Michael.

“This will help us to develop our knowledge in order to provide a safe, efficient and reliable network, which will deliver value to our customers and safeguard our environment.”

But where does the natural gas come from? It begins its journey to Northern Ireland from the gas fields in the North Sea, where a pipeline carries it to Scotland and then onto the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is fed to the Ballylumford and Coolkeeragh Power Stations here by the pipeline that also brings natural gas to Firmus Energy customers.

As part of the company’s commitment to keep pace with new technologies in energy management, it has undertaken trials of a range of internet connected heating controls – smart technology.

This smart energy controller allows domestic customers to control their heating from any computer or enabled smart device. According to Firmus Energy, this additional control helps users spend less money and save on energy usage as the system provides a facility to reset, boost or turn off heating and hot water controls remotely.

“The system replaces the boiler’s time clock with an interactive hub, which allows the householder to communicate to the boiler via the internet from home or abroad or by sending text commands.

Homes have found that they were using their heating up to 20 per cent less, which provides savings on an average natural gas bill of around £140 per annum,” says Michael.

Following consultation with stakeholders and elected representatives, the company has also submitted an ambitious six-year business plan to the Utility Regulator lasting from 2017 to 2022.

If approved, this would see the company invest a further £85 million developing its network over this period making natural gas available to a further 70,000 properties.

“The most innovative thing that Firmus Energy does is to take natural gas to areas which never had natural gas before,” says Michael.

“In GB, natural gas has been available for the last 40 years but in Northern Ireland it has only been available for the last 20 years. Firmus Energy has built upon this legacy and is now 10 years into its own, unique development plan. The region remains the last place in western Europe not to have full coverage of natural gas.

“It is innovative for us to be developing a business in green field sites in rural areas and creating a natural gas network to facilitate new customers.

“We have built one third of our network but we still have a significant amount of investment that we want to make.

“So far, we have enhanced our connection targets year on year with more than 4,000 new commercial and domestic customers annually and we estimate with our forecast growth plans, we can sustain this into the future. We are committed to our on-going investment programme to improve the availability of natural gas across Northern Ireland.”

NI Chamber 55

powering ahead with energy

Sunny outlook for solar power Using solar power to run businesses and homes is an area which is heating up as Fergus Sharkey, General Manager of Kingspan ESB, tells Adrienne McGill.

S

ince the earliest of times, the sun has been providing energy for the planet, helping plants grow, warming the seas, and maintaining the conditions for life to thrive. In more recent times, man has been seeking to develop new and ingenious ways to harness that energy in the form of solar panels, turning sunlight into electricity which in turn feeds millions of businesses and homes.

Solar panels are one of the major technical innovations of our lifetime and are beginning to change the way we look at our energy needs, now and in the years to come.

As the quest for sustainable and renewable energy sources continues in a bid to make us less reliant on fossil fuels, solar energy and the development of efficient solar photovoltaic (PV) lies at the forefront of green technologies today.

Solar panels, which can be installed on the roofs of buildings, are used for domestic houses and businesses but are also produced on an industrial scale with solar farms covering many hundreds of acres transforming rural landscapes.

Through the innovation of photovoltaic cells, which power solar PV systems, we are now able to harness the power of the sun and turn it into electricity that can be fed into the grid.

That means solar PV is becoming more and more viable as a renewable energy source.

The most important part of a solar panel is the photovoltaic cell that traps light from the sun and converts it into electric current. Formed from silicon in various levels of purity, DC current is fed from the PV panels into an inverter that converts it to AC power.

Leading the delivery of solar PV in Ireland are two major companies who have come together in a joint venture in Northern Ireland to drive solar power forward.

Kingspan, a global name in building technology, and ESB, one of Ireland’s leading energy companies, have joined forces to offer local businesses the opportunity to get involved in a solar energy project that they claim could deliver energy savings of £320 million over the next 25 years.

The Kingspan ESB Funded Solar scheme gives customers an option to sign up to a roof top photovoltaic (PV) energy product that the joint venture says will produce cheaper, renewable energy without the investment normally required in the capital outlay, installation or maintenance of a PV system.

Fergus Sharkey, General Manager of Kingspan ESB, believes the system could help Northern Ireland hit its renewable energy target of 40 per cent of electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020.

“Each new system that is installed is making another contribution towards meeting that target. Over the last 20 years, energy delivery has changed considerably. Conventional power generation had its time, and now there is a

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distinct trend towards much smaller distributed generation assets that add up to quite a lot.”

Over the last number of years, homes and businesses in Northern Ireland have installed over 100MW of solar PV. “This is indicative of the wider changes in the energy sector. A lot of things are happening and people are taking control of their energy costs,” says Fergus.

Solar panels use the energy from daylight, as opposed to sunlight, to produce electricity so panels do not need direct sunlight to work. It is tiny particles called photons in natural daylight which are converted by solar panels cells to produce electricity. While direct sunlight is advantageous, high temperatures also reduce the efficiency of PV systems, so average temperatures in Northern Ireland can, ironically, be helpful.

This being said, it is true that direct sunlight does provide the best conditions for the panels.

However, even in overcast conditions light will diffuse through the clouds and reach the solar panels. Modern solar panels include concentrators which use a system of lenses and mirrors to maximise any light that does reach the cells. As a result it is estimated that solar panels will be 40 per cent as effective in heavy cloud as they would in direct sunlight. The clearer the skies are, the more electricity will be produced.

“The technology has advanced a great deal

in recent years and has become progressively better at collecting energy on cloudy days. Once it is daylight, the panels are always generating,” says Fergus.

For some businesses the cost of electricity in Northern Ireland can be 25 per cent higher than their UK counterparts and energy costs are high on the radar for every business. Kingspan ESB say their fully funded solar option can deliver a solution that could save the average business in Northern Ireland around 10 per cent of their electricity bill, potentially more.

According to Kingspan ESB this could work out at savings of equivalent to £5,800 each year for an average sized business but businesses with bigger energy bills – those who for example use 8000MW per year – could potentially see savings of £17,000 per year.

“Roof top solar power passes the benefit of solar tariffs directly to a business which creates a more competitive business because its energy costs have gone down and with the funded system it can achieve that without any investment – so therefore if it has capital available, it can use that for other areas of the business such as new machinery or personnel,” says Fergus.

“The partnership between ESB and Kingspan is a strong one. We may look at developing other products in the energy efficiency space and expanding what we offer. It is an area which is very active at the moment.”

Powering our low-carbon future Over the next five years the energy industry will need to be innovative if it is to help Northern Ireland make the transition to a low carbon future, says Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director, SSE Ireland.

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ith the international response to climate change stepping up through the COP21 Agreement and the negotiation of EU 2030 targets, it is clear that Northern Ireland will have a role to play in seeking to further decarbonise its economy. The global destination has been chosen – however, we have a number of choices to make about how we, as a society and those of us in the energy industry, want to get there.

In making these choices we need to be mindful of the energy trilemma to balance sustainability, affordability and security of supply.

The forthcoming Stormont Executive review of the Strategic Energy Framework to 2020 and development of an energy strategy to 2030 presents the opportunity to develop a vision and roadmap for Northern Ireland.

We have been successful to date in greening our energy supply. The carbon intensity of our electricity supply has reduced by almost 25 per cent since 2004, and that has the potential to deliver foreign direct investment dividends. Large

international tech investors are now making hard investment decisions to locate multi-million pound data centres in locations where they can access green power sources. Latest estimates suggest this ‘green data centre’ push could add up to 1GW to renewable energy demand on the island of Ireland in the next five years, representing a significant investment opportunity which we should be seeking to exploit.

Despite this progress in greening our energy supply, Northern Ireland faces a number of key challenges if it is to achieve the required transition to a low carbon future, most prominent in the agriculture, heat and transport sectors. Given the contribution of agriculture to overall emissions in Northern Ireland, the difficulty of reducing those emissions, and the dispersed rural nature of our settlement patterns, we believe that a cost-efficient and reliable choice to decarbonise the economy is to electrify heat and transport. By so doing, we can extend the progress already made in greening our power supply to go further by using electricity as a workhorse for the decarbonisation of heating and transport.

We know that energy costs are crucial to our

customers, and it’s important that Northern Ireland decarbonises in the most cost-effective way. This means carefully considering the type of projects built. Onshore wind has been a great success across the island of Ireland given our abundant wind resource and its relative low cost of deployment. Other technologies and innovative means will need to be considered including our offshore wind resource, solar, and wave and tidal as they develop.

We will also need to optimise the generation and grid assets we already have in place. This can be delivered through both battery storage and the co-location of further renewables at existing generation sites. It’s also important to ensure that grid and system services allow generators to reach their potential output. At SSE, we’re optimistic that policy, regulation and the new all-island Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM) design will work together to provide the stability and pathway necessary to deliver this vision. Considering the time it takes to plan and construct projects, 2030 is not that far away; indeed, we’re entering the ‘home straight’ towards achieving our 2020 target of 40 per cent renewables.

The ability to harness and maximise our use of these resources cost-effectively will also require a concerted effort on the demand side. In this digital era, customers are becoming much more empowered to engage with their energy use, something we at SSE Airtricity are making a difference towards facilitating.

As one of the largest energy providers in the all-island market and as a ‘digital-first’ supplier, SSE is leading the charge in supporting the integrated omni-channel customer. Around 70 per cent of all SSE Airtricity customer interactions are performed via the company’s award-winning online, digital and mobile service platforms.

On the technology side, many exciting products are coming to the marketplace. SSE is currently involved in the Real Value pilot project with a number of partners. This project, co-funded by EU Horizon 2020, uses the most modern and efficient Glen Dimplex storage heaters, combined with advanced ICT, to store energy when it is cheapest and greenest without interfering with the operation of the heating system within the home. We believe Real Value will demonstrate the capacity of small scale in-home energy storage systems to reduce costs for customers and optimise use of renewable energy. On a more fundamental level, the simple energy efficiency measures we are delivering not only reduce customer costs but also increase the effectiveness of heating systems.

We will also need to ensure that we develop our transport infrastructure in a manner that enables electrification of our public and private transport fleet and our own personal vehicles.

Not only will this reduce oil dependency, it will also deliver further noise and pollution benefits, particularly in urban areas.

Over the next five years and beyond, the energy industry will need to focus on innovatively building relationships with customers, supporting them to become more active in monitoring and managing their energy use, and utilising our green achievements to date to decarbonise our economy cost-effectively. In doing so, we can deliver a solution that enables Northern Ireland to sustain a growing low-carbon economy and benefits society as a whole.

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Energy for the future Energy storage is a new innovation which has become an increasingly important element within Northern Ireland’s electricity generation and distribution system, as AES UK & Ireland President Carla Tully tells Adrienne McGill.

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he electricity sector is currently undergoing a massive transformation.

The need to diversify electricity generation sources, including using renewables such as the wind and sun, to work with the existing generation infrastructure, the adjustments to the distribution network to allow these sources to contribute to the electricity grid, and the development of smart grids and intelligent appliances to allow demand to be varied according to the availability and cost of power throughout the day, are all changing the way that electricity is generated, accessed and used.

And that is where the latest addition comes in – grid connected energy storage.

Energy storage helps smooth out the intermittency of renewable generation systems and supports an unbreakable grid.

Leading this field in Northern Ireland is giant American energy company AES, which owns and operates the Kilroot and Ballylumford power stations.

In February this year AES unveiled its

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innovative Advancion Energy Storage Array – effectively a giant battery comprising 53,000 lithium-ion batteries arranged in 136 separate nodes – which has been installed at Kilroot power station in Carrickfergus.

It is the first step towards the delivery of a 100MW energy storage facility that will provide £8.5 million in savings per year to Northern Ireland’s electricity system and will reduce the equivalent of 123,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

The Kilroot array, which is one of the first of its kind in Europe and the biggest to date installed in the UK or Ireland, will initially store and release 10MW of energy, creating a 20MW power resource.

It will help balance supply and demand and support the all-island transmission grid via system operator, SONI. The Advancion array will also enhance power supply, allow existing baseload generation to be used more efficiently and cost-effectively, and increase the ability to integrate renewable power sources such as wind.

The array has the potential to benefit everyone by lowering costs, helping the environment and improving security of supply to homes and businesses.

AES UK & Ireland President, Carla Tully, who hails from California but is based at Kilroot, says the array allows power plants to be more efficient as they have very intense periods of creating energy and then slow down.

“This works by storing energy so that it can be used to regulate those changes of intensity.

“Energy storage creates more balance within the grid, makes it more stable and helps reduce the cost.”

Producing renewable electricity is most commonly associated with wind and solar power. However, although these power sources are clean and renewable sources of electricity, they can also be unreliable since they don’t produce any power when it gets dark or the wind stops blowing.

As these power sources become more important to the world’s energy economy, so does investment in technologies that allow energy producers, such as utilities, to store energy that is generated when the sun shines and the wind blows. This stored energy can then be released as needed, providing a continuous flow of clean energy during periods of high demand or when wind and solar energy is unavailable. It also

enables thermal generation to operate more effectively, enabling existing power plants to operate better and deferring required investment in new plants.

This, says Carla, addresses the “energy trilemma” – a term coined by the World Energy Council – which sums up the difficulty in finding secure energy supplies and catering to rising demand without prices becoming unaffordable, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

While lithium-ion batteries were developed almost 40 years ago and have a multitude of applications such as in electric vehicles, mobile phones and consumer electronics, their use in the electricity grid is a relatively recent innovation.

“It is a very proven technology,” says Carla.

“The innovation relates to taking them into the electricity grid. That is where the Advancion product comes in – we have the proprietary algorithms that tell the batteries what to do and how to respond to signals that comes from the system operator, i.e.

SONI, in under a second.

“We have been operating this technology over the past 9 years. We commercialised the first lithium-ion battery for the grid in Indiana in the US in 2007 and it worked beautifully.

“We have been continuing to evolve it and are now in the fourth generation of Advancion. We have deployed it in Chile, several parts of the US, the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

“This technology is faster, more responsive and more accurate than anything else which has previously been in operation.

The scope of the application is going to keep expanding because energy storage is a piece of technology which makes everything else better. It makes service of supply better, it makes affordability better and makes decarbonisation better. It enables renewable energy to come into the grid and be used efficiently and effectively.”

AES has operated in Northern Ireland since 1992. Globally, the company has a presence in 17 markets, and owns and operates the world’s largest advanced energy storage fleet with 116MW in operation and a further 268MW in construction or late stage development across six countries.

“Innovation is fundamental to AES – it is what we have been built on,” says Carla.

“Our innovation does not come from creating new products and technologies – it comes from applying technologies and using innovative ways to help solve the problems of business and the markets we are in.

“I expect energy storage ultimately to become the glue of our energy system and further enable a more efficient flexible stable electricity system.”

Northern Ireland – ‘the innovation hub for energy storage in Europe’ Deep below ground, an innovative security of energy supply project which integrates renewables is taking shape as Adrienne McGill hears from Patrick McClughan, Head of Corporate Affairs for Gaelectric Developments, a division of Gaelectric, which is driving the scheme.

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slandmagee in Co Antrim is to be the location for a major green energy project, only the third of its kind in the world, in a £300 million scheme led by renewable energy and energy storage group, Gaelectric.

The company is spearheading the development of energy storage with a unique Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) facility at Islandmagee near to the Port town of Larne. Due to its unique local geology, the site has the potential to be at the cutting edge in the development of grid-level energy storage solutions that will have local security of supply benefits and an international application. Larne will be the second CAES station constructed in Europe with the capability to store energy as compressed air in caverns created within geological salt layers at depths of greater than 1400m below ground. When completed, the new facility will be capable of generating 330MW of power – enough to power around 30,000 homes for periods of up to six hours whilst also providing a range of other system services that will assist system operators to improve the efficiency of the transmission grid, lowering costs and increasing the security of energy supplies in Northern Ireland.

In October 2013, ‘Project-CAES Larne, NI’ was included in the list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) under the EU’s trans-European energy infrastructure (TEN-E) Regulation. The project is the only CAES project to be designated in this way by the EU. For a project to be included in the list, it has to have significant benefits for at least two member states, contribute to market integration and further competition, enhance security of supply and reduce CO2 emissions.

The company submitted a planning application for ‘Project-CAES Larne, NI’ in December 2015 and hopes to gain approval later this year with construction planned in 2017.

“It is one of the largest planning applications submitted in recent years in Northern Ireland,” says Patrick McClughan, Head of Corporate Affairs for Gaelectric Developments.

“We have already received more than €6 million in grant aid from the EU for studies connected with the project because of its innovative nature and its ability to fully integrate renewables.

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“In addition to the North South interconnector, CAES is the largest generating security of supply solution for Northern Ireland.

“This will be the first CAES project developed in Europe in the last 40 years. It will also be a demonstration site for a pipeline of further CAES power stations in Great Britain and Europe, establishing Northern Ireland as the innovation hub for energy storage in Europe.”

Patrick says as Northern Ireland has made progress towards achieving its target to generate 40 per cent of electricity demand from renewable power sources by 2020, the implications for the Northern Ireland transmission system have become clearer.

New system management tools are required to balance the generation portfolio with end user demand on a minute by minute basis.

“Some generators are limited to when they can provide power namely wind, solar and tidal. This creates imbalances that need to be effectively managed so the end user receives a constant uninterrupted supply of energy.

“Key to achieving this level of penetration of renewable power will be an effective means to store that excess renewable energy. “As developers of wind projects, we recognised this fact and established an energy storage division in 2006 with the sole objective of identifying storage technologies that could be put to work in the energy market. We identified Larne with its salt deposits and CAES technology as a way to store energy and also provide a range of other services and benefits in the operation of transmission grids.”

In 2012, Dresser Rand, the international engineering group and world leaders in the supply of compression technologies to the energy sector, agreed a strategic alliance with Gaelectric to develop ‘Project-CAES Larne, NI’ for Northern Ireland and then to roll out a pipeline of other CAES projects across Great Britain and Europe.

Meanwhile, Gaelectric recently opened its third wind farm in Northern Ireland in a £16.8million project at Monnaboy on Loughermore Mountain in Co Derry. It will generate sufficient green renewable power to meet the electricity demand of over 7,436 homes on an annual basis. Gaelectric will commission a further four wind farms across Northern Ireland this year and an additional two next year.

Established in 2004 and employing 87 people, Gaelectric has offices in Belfast, Dublin, London, Manchester, Chicago, and Great Falls (Montana) in the US. Proven technology Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) stores energy by compressing fresh air into storage caverns created within geological salt layers deep underground. Off peak power is used to compress this air, allowing this stored energy to be utilised later to drive turbines that generate power to supply electricity when demand returns or as power is needed by system operators. CAES technology is in use at two existing CAES stations located in the United States and Germany.

Patrick McClughan, Head of Corporate Affairs, Gaelectric Developments.

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‘Keeping the lights on’ The proposed new North South Interconnector will play a vital role in reducing electricity costs and ensuring security of supply in Northern Ireland – and it is needed urgently, as Adrienne McGill hears from Robin McCormick, General Manager of the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI).

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he high voltage electricity system in Northern Ireland is essentially a system of powerful and fast moving electricity motorways which make up the electricity grid.

It is overseen by the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) a regulated utility company, responsible for ensuring the lights stay on in every house and business across the region and dispatches generators to meet the demand for electricity at every second of every day.

Established in 2000, SONI was purchased by EirGrid PLC in 2009 and now operates as part of the EirGrid Group with whom it is the Market Operator of the Single Electricity Market (SEM).

SONI is regulated by the Utility Regulator Northern Ireland and works in cooperation with asset owner NIE Networks to develop the grid infrastructure. This is needed to support competition in energy, to promote economic growth and to facilitate renewable energy.

As well as running and planning the electricity grid in Northern Ireland, SONI is also responsible for developing major energy projects such as the proposed North South Interconnector.

EirGrid is responsible for the portion of the interconnector in the Republic and oral hearings into its application have been taking place in recent weeks in Carrickmacross while the Public Inquiry into the Northern section will recommence in June in Armagh.

The interconnector, if given the go ahead, will see a series of overhead lines running from just north of Moy, Co Tyrone to Kingscourt, Co Cavan.

Interconnection is fundamental to increasing competitiveness in the market and for downward pressure on prices and it is not new to Northern Ireland. The Moyle Interconnector, owned and managed by Mutual Energy, is a submarine interconnection linking Scotland and Northern Ireland’s electricity systems.

Meanwhile, we already have an existing North South Interconnector which runs from Tandragee to Louth; it is the primary means of power flow between Northern Ireland and the Republic. At present if the Tandragee-Louth Interconnector goes down, there is no back up – such unplanned imbalance between generation and demand would

Robin McCormick, General Manager of the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI).

make the transmission system unstable and could lead to a system blackout on either or both sides of the border.

To deal with this risk SONI has restricted the quantity of power flowing on the Tandragee-Louth line; it has the ability to carry 1500MW but this has been limited to 300MW. This minimises the impact on the grid if the line goes down, reducing the risk of blackouts – but it also curbs the power flow in and out of Northern Ireland as SONI’s General Manager Robin Mr McCormick explains: “We have almost a decade of trading data since the Single Electricity Market has been in place.

Based on this, we know there is demand for unrestricted flows of power between Northern Ireland and the Republic. There is a regular demand for cross-border transfers of more than 750MW, with peak demand reaching 1100MW at times, but due to the limits we have had to place on this line, we are not even meeting half of this demand, which creates a bottle neck and this in turn leads to inflated electricity prices for everyone on the island.

“Importantly, the data also provides a clear picture of the scale of the solution needed.

To meet demand today and to plan for longterm growth, we have designed the second North South Interconnector with a capacity of 1500MW – which also matches the capacity of the Tandragee-Louth Interconnector.”

However, plans for the new North South Interconnector have been dogged by controversy with local objectors complaining it will be a blot on the landscape and could pose a risk to health.

These objections are said to be holding up one of the most critical infrastructure projects on the island.

Robin McCormick says the proposed project will reduce electricity prices and provide Northern

Ireland with a secure electricity supply by linking the grids in Northern Ireland and the Republic but he warns further delays in its development will prove costly.

“We are pleased to have been notified by the Planning Appeals Commission about the recommencement of the Public Inquiry into the new North South Interconnector. Of course we understand that people living locally to the proposed route have concerns, we are listening and we are responding to those concerns.

“This is a vital piece of infrastructure, essential for a secure supply of electricity for Northern Ireland.

It will also significantly reduce the cost of electricity for consumers across the entire island and will allow us to increase our use of renewable energy, reducing Northern Ireland’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. SONI has worked tirelessly to progress the planning application to make these benefits a reality.

“The project is fundamental to the Northern Irish economy and is supported by DETI, the Utility Regulator and all of the main business organisations including Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, but, in order to meet demand and to avoid increasing consumer costs, the interconnector must be built by the end of 2019 and so, we would hope for a speedy resolution from the inquiry.”

SONI has warned that Northern Ireland is facing real challenges around having an adequate supply of electricity post 2021.

Its annual forecast of supply and demand known as the Generation Capacity Statement, which covers the years 2016-2025, shows that while there is adequate electricity supply across the island of Ireland, not enough of that supply is reaching Northern Ireland which is facing serious issues with generation. From 2021, two large generators at

Kilroot Power Station in Carrickfergus will wind down resulting in a significant decrease in electricity supply for Northern Ireland.

“As the system operator, unless action is taken we won’t be confident that we can keep the lights on in 2021,” explains Mr McCormick. “This could be a particular issue during the winter months, because the supply may not be sufficient to meet the daily peaks in demand.

“We face a security of supply issue due to generation capacity, and delays with the North South Interconnector. That is because, instead of looking at generation adequacy on the island, where there is adequate generation, we are having to look at Northern Ireland specifically, where there is a potential deficit in generation capacity as we move forward.

“The North South Interconnector is the biggest and most critical single infrastructure project on the island at the moment. It has real significance on people’s pockets; because it isn’t there, the market doesn’t work as well as it should and so customers are paying more.”

Mr McCormick stresses that Northern Ireland relies on electricity interconnection but as existing generators start to retire, generation capacity will be lost in Northern Ireland. However, he says the new North South Interconnector will address this.

“We need to have a decision to have the interconnector built in time to meet our needs in Northern Ireland.

“We are encouraging people to have their say in the public inquiry – we want to hear people’s concerns and address those and that should encourage people to see the value of the project.

“We want to move to a solution in 2016 rather than having to face the consequences in 2020 of having an electricity deficit.”

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powering ahead with energy

Reducing IT Energy Footprint As the rate of technological innovation increases, so too do the demands placed on energy and the environment, as Joanne O’Doherty, Account Manager with IT giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise, explains.

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here are many things that we take for granted today such as access to applications that respond at a moment’s notice, connectivity to the world of information through the internet and of course access to every piece of content wherever we are whenever we want. We have seen technology shape our personal and professional lives so much over the past couple of decades that we rarely reflect on how all of this change and access to information impacts on our planet.

To put some context around this, in 2014 Google estimated that their energy consumption was 4,402,836MW. Enough power to keep a reasonably sized city moving and operating.

When we then extrapolate that and look forward to the year 2020, where it is estimated that there will be in excess of 30 billion connected devices generating unprecedented amounts of data and a dramatic rise in the number of end points through which we are going to consume that data, we can see that we cannot continue to store and deliver that data in the same way we have been doing to date.

The environmental impact of the Data Centres, Servers, Storage Devices and Networking devices is simply not sustainable as demand continues to accelerate. Quite simply the whole technology industry is at an inflection point where we need to think differently about what we do and how we do it.

Thankfully companies such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) are at the forefront of technological innovation and have environmental impact at the core of what we do. We recognise that by taking a holistic view on how services

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are delivered we can dramatically reduce the impact on the environment. We recognise that we need to use different technologies or adapt existing technologies to drive efficiency and reduce impact to the environment.

One example of this is HPE Moonshot, a new type of server, tailored for specific workloads and high performance, and on which we run our HP.COM website. This high performance website receives 9 billion hits a month and is running on the equivalent power of just twelve 60watt light bulbs!

How did we do it? We centralise management, power, cooling, networking, and capacity across a large number of units with lower power requirement and greater density.

Why? Because we estimate that to handle the explosive amount of data being generated, an estimated 8 to 10 million new servers in the equivalent of 200 football-field-sized data centres, are needed for the cloud over the next three years. That is simply not sustainable. So HPE Moonshot servers consume up to 89 per cent less energy, use 80 per cent less space, and cost 77 per cent less than a traditional server.

A rack that once held 64 standard servers now accommodates 1,800 Moonshot servers. Quite simply replacing 100,000 standard servers with Moonshot reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by the equivalent of removing 18,000 cars from the road for one year.

So in the Northern Ireland context then we have a very good story on both the development and consumption sides. In relation to development, HPE have two research and development centres in Belfast. One research and development centre is for our 3PAR StoreServ SAN technology, used by many of the leading Public Sector Departments, Health, Media, Utility and Manufacturing organisations in Northern Ireland. The other research and development team focus on HPE IDOL, our Big Data Analytics engine, enabling many local organisations to empower the Data Driven Enterprise.

In relation to our StoreServ development, technologies such as thin provisioning and data deduplication are proven to reduce spinning disk needed, by at least 50 per cent, dramatically reducing power consumption.

A recent project which HPE completed in the last year, and which had an impact on our customer’s energy footprint, was with Queen’s University, Belfast. This project was for High Performance Computing (HPC) and Research Data Store for their Centre for Experimental Medicine. Vaughan Purnell, HPC Lead at Queen’s University, was focused on ensuring delivery of this complex project on time and within budget.

Utilising the HPE Apollo dense compute system the University was able to reduce datacentre space by 50 per cent yet provide the researchers with the same performance capacity to run their critical research workloads.

Vaughan Purnell says: “QUB are no different from any other institution and welcome any opportunity to reduce operational costs. The HPC service uses approximately 50 per cent of the electricity for the entire Data Centre.

Investing in technologies such as the HPE Apollo servers to reduce power and cooling aligns neatly with our University’s green agenda.

“Managing and planning for physical server infrastructure and growth are key issues. The HPC service accounts for more hardware than any other service in the University hence Data Centre space is critical. Challenges included locating compute nodes close to the high performance switches and managing an interim period when both the new and previous cluster are operational. The density of the Apollo compute nodes allow us to keep HPC on premise for the near future.”

In relation to sustainability and corporate manufacturing challenges, HP Living Progress, ensures environmental issues are addressed by improving the efficiency of our supply chain, operations, and products and solutions, as well as making community investments that help tackle sustainability challenges. We take a leadership role in our efforts. In 2014, we became the first global information technology (IT) company to have set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction targets for our entire value chain: suppliers, operations, products and solutions. We believe that understanding environmental impacts across our value chain is the first step towards taking meaningful action.

A precise project Northern Ireland’s new EfW facility could be catalyst for change writes Richard Murphy, Energy Partner at Pinsent Masons.

Full Circle Generation Director Brett Ross and General Manager Bombardier Belfast, Michael Ryan.

Valuable waste An innovative project which converts waste into electricity could generate savings for businesses, reports Adrienne McGill.

A major £107 million waste energy facility is currently under construction in Belfast’s Harbour Estate.

The facility – the largest of its kind in Northern Ireland – will help power aerospace giant Bombardier’s Belfast factory where the wings for the CSeries aircraft are manufactured.

Energy costs for Bombardier in Belfast are critical to its global competitiveness. However, they are currently three times those of other Bombardier sites in North America.

The company, like other large firms across Northern Ireland, has sought alternative means to source energy with the cost of electricity for the largest users in Northern Ireland among the highest in Europe.

The energy from waste plant, which is being built adjacent to the Canadian company’s Belfast base, will provide heat and power with the potential to return any surplus to the grid.

It has the capacity to take 180,000 tonnes of fuel a year derived from black bin waste that otherwise would be destined for landfill and will enable Northern Ireland to save 50,000 tonnes of carbon per year.

When operational, it will generate enough power for over 21,000 households and recover energy from waste generated by more than 155,000 households in Northern Ireland.

The plant, which is due to be completed by 2017, will use a technology called gasification.

It superheats the waste to release gases which are then collected and burned to produce steam.

The steam drives turbines to generate electricity.

The 14.8MW plant is being built by a consortium of investors, called Full Circle Generation Limited.

It includes Co Londonderry headquartered RiverRidge Energy, UK Green Investment Bank PLC, Equitix and P3P Partners.

The French construction group Bouygues Energies and Services is responsible for the design, build and operation of the facility.

Full Circle Generation Director and Managing Director of RiverRidge Recycling and RiverRidge Energy, Brett Ross, said: “The construction of the Full Circle Generation Waste to Energy facility will allow the industry to gain access to a piece of crucial infrastructure which until now had required waste management operators to export waste derived fuels and consequently energy to other territories.”

He added that the plant would assist local authorities in ensuring their annual landfill diversion targets were met through to 2020.

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uch of the talk in the UK’s energy from waste (EfW) market 12 months ago was around renewables obligation certificates (ROCs) – specifically how many projects would get built under the tight deadlines set out by the renewables obligation (RO).

Estimates varied wildly, and in the end, the so-called ‘ROC rush’ probably didn’t have as many success stories as people expected – one success story though has been the Full Circle Energy from Waste (EfW) plant.

The project will be built at a site adjacent to Bombardier’s wing facility in Belfast’s Harbour Estate, with the Canadian aerospace giant also agreeing to buy electricity generated by the plant, which will be used to power its aerospace activities in Belfast.

This was a pathfinder project being the first large scale EfW facility in Northern Ireland.

These projects take time as parties tread carefully when considering risk allocation points with new technologies and no precedent deals to reference. The regulatory timeframe to construct the plant presents challenges and in order to qualify for the renewables obligation (RO) grace period, the plant must commission by the end of March 2018. It helps maintain the competiveness of our one of our leading manufacturing businesses in Northern Ireland.

As the only Chambers Band 1 Ranked Firm for Energy in Northern Ireland, we were pleased to have the expertise on hand to support the project, and believe it could be a catalyst for other large-scale energy users to examine potential reduced costs via on-site generation.

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“In recent years the energy market in Northern Ireland has undergone a radical transformation…”

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ouseholds and businesses across Northern Ireland rely on energy to support their dayto-day activities. The ability of the sector to continue to provide a secure and reliable supply of energy is therefore fundamental to our economic prosperity.

In recent years the energy market in Northern Ireland has undergone a radical transformation in terms of reform, restructure and renewables – and further change is on the horizon.

One of the biggest challenges involves how to face the energy trilemma which means reaching renewable energy targets, ensuring security of supply while also keeping costs low for consumers.

In this section, we look at some of the leading players in the energy sector across electricity, gas, renewables and storage and hear what they are doing to meet the challenges.

We also shine a light on the introduction of innovative technologies and plans for new developments including the North South Interconnector which is acknowledged as a key piece of Northern Ireland’s energy infrastructure with a vital role in keeping ‘the lights on.’

With regard to the bigger picture – the world population is expected to top 8.3 billion by 2030 and it is estimated that we will need 50 per cent more energy to meet needs. Energy therefore is a critical area.

As we look to the future, the energy sector across the globe will continue to undergo substantial transformational change in how electricity is generated, how it is transported and how customers use it. That change will see Northern Ireland energy firms continue to invest in the sector in order to deliver secure, low carbon and affordable energy supplies for the benefit of everyone in the region and for the local economy.

Contents:

50 NI Chamber

51

A Switched on Business - Viridian

59

Northern Ireland - ‘The Innovation Hub for

52

Innovation is Key - Electric Ireland

Energy Storage in Europe’ - Gaelectric

53

Powerful Connections - NIE Networks

60

Keeping the Lights on - System Operator for

55 Natural Gas - A Modern Fuel - Firmus Energy

Northern Ireland

56

Sunny Outlook for Solar Power - Kingspan ESB

62

Reducing IT Energy Footprint - Hewlett Packard

57

Powering Our Low-Carbon Future - SSE Ireland

63

Valuable Waste - Full Circle Generation

58

Energy for the Future - AES

Viridian – a switched on business With a new owner and considerable growth prospects, Viridian is looking forward to a bright future. In his first interview following the takeover, Viridian Chief Executive Ian Thom tells Adrienne McGill why the company is set to power ahead.

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iridian is one of the biggest energy companies in Northern Ireland and the Republic – and may be about to get even bigger.

Independent global infrastructure investment manager I Squared Capital won the race last month to buy Viridian from Bahrain-based Arcapita which has owned the energy business since 2006, in a deal rumoured to be worth around €1 billion. It is scheduled to go through before the end of June.

I Squared Capital, which fought off stiff competition to buy Viridian, said it was keen to acquire the company because Viridian had significant growth potential and operates in a robust growth economy.

The new owner has indicated that it does not intend to break up the company and the existing management team will remain in place but that the focus will be on growing Viridian by expanding its share of the all-Ireland energy market and potentially through buying other businesses in GB. Viridian Chief Executive Ian Thom says expansion is likely to come from organic growth or acquisitions.

“Going forward, I Squared have said that they want to use Viridian as a growth platform and to grow the business and that is a very exciting prospect for us as a management team.

“Part of the debate we are having involves exploiting opportunities which are available to us and some of that may be through acquisitions.”

Viridian owns Power NI, the regulated electricity supplier in Northern Ireland, which supplies electricity to around 610,000 homes and businesses across the region. Its Power Procurement Business manages 600MW of contracted generation capacity here.

Viridian also owns Energia which along with conventional electricity is also a retail supplier of

renewable electricity and gas across Ireland to domestic and commercial customers.

Viridian Power & Energy owns two power plants at Huntstown in Dublin which generate 747MW of electricity, enough energy for around 75,000 homes. The company has also been developing its renewable energy portfolio through off-take contracts with third party developers along with investment in its own wind farm assets which are together expected to grow their renewable capacity from 793MW to 1,000MW over the next 12 months.

Since demerging from NIE in 2010, Viridian has concentrated on growing its generation and supply businesses through Power NI and Energia.

Through both divisions of the company, Viridian has an approximate 20 per cent share of domestic electrical sales and an approximate 27 per cent share of business energy sales on an all-island basis.

The overall group has sales of €2 billion a year and moved back into the black in 2015, posting an after-tax profit of €7.5 million, compared to a loss of €21.9 million in 2014.

Mr Thom says the takeover is good for Viridian and for customers.

“It puts us on a stable footing going forward with access to capital for growth. It is good for customers because that stability and growth will benefit them. It is good for NI Plc because we have a major international investor making its first major investment in Europe in a Northern Irish/Irish company and looking at that company to be the platform for growth. That is unparalleled good news.

“To have a new shareholder who is potentially going to add a lot of growth to the business will open up a lot of opportunities for the Viridian team who are largely based in Northern Ireland. This is a very exciting prospect.

“Business is about creating value and if a business is not doing that then it is moribund.

“Where a business is dynamic and growing and creating value for shareholders, it is not likely to do so unless it is creating value for its customers.

Our track record through Power NI and Energia has been to deliver exemplary customer service at the best value to customers year in and year out. That has stood the business in very good stead.

“As we grow and expand we will deliver additional value and opportunities for customers and other stakeholders.”

Looking forward, the wholesale electricity market covering Northern Ireland and Ireland, the Single Electricity Market (SEM) which has been in operation since 2007, is to undergo significant change by the end of 2017. This is a requirement arising from changes to European legislation designed to harmonise cross-border trading arrangements across all European electricity markets. The SEM will be superseded by the Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM).

“There is a lot of potential innovation in the new market around trading arrangements for electricity in particular. It means electricity businesses like ours will trade electricity on a 24 hour basis which will potentially help to make the whole market more dynamic,” says Mr Thom.

A vital element in the strengthening of Northern Ireland’s electricity market has been in the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies which have helped the region harness its natural resources to provide heat and power and, on the way, reduced our reliance on fossil fuels, thereby providing more stable energy prices and securing a cleaner environment for future generations.

“One of the technologies we are working on at the moment is co-locating solar on wind farms so you have a mix of electricity generated by solar panels and also by wind turbines. The profile of generation from wind and solar is largely complimentary summer/winter given the load profile. There are synergies to be developed through that,” says Mr Thom.

Currently, one of the questions Viridian is having to address involves making investments in renewables when commodity prices are currently so low. The price of oil has been falling significantly from $65 a barrel this time last year to under $40 now.

“We have only got to the stage we are now by investing in renewable technologies and that has meant there is a cost to the customer in supporting those investments,” says Mr Thom.

“In the longer term those investments should prove to have been worthwhile. However, if we got into a position where there were permanently low oil and gas prices then the economics of renewables is less compelling; but you have to take a longer term view of the investment and also take into account the environmental and security of supply aspects.”

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powering ahead with energy

Innovation is key Electric Ireland supplies the business and residential electricity markets in Northern Ireland. General Manager Paul Stapleton describes what innovation means to both the company and its customers.

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lectric Ireland has been supplying businesses in Northern Ireland since 2001 originally under the ESB brand and then rebranding in 2011 to Electric Ireland. In October 2015 we launched in the consumer market with the objective of providing the market with a new way of rewarding customers that doesn’t involve 12 month discounts. We are simplifying products for customers and offering cash rewards that are easily understood.

Electric Ireland is part of ESB Group which has strong associations in Northern Ireland through NIE Networks, Coolkeeragh Power Station and a number of renewable plants.

Innovation is at the heart of our business and at the core of our response to the unprecedented changes in the

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energy industry. Decarbonisation, competition and technological evolution are dramatically changing the operating context of the energy markets. At Electric Ireland we embrace innovation to create and grow new opportunities in areas directly adjacent to our core business.

Through innovation we support energy generated from the wind and solar as well as more traditional technologies. Innovation helps us to look to the future and invest, a key example of this being the rollout of electric vehicle charging points throughout Northern Ireland.

In the new energy environment, with increasing renewable energy, distributed generation, reduced barriers to market entry and consumers who are more and more energy conscious and engaged with their suppliers, the imperative

to reduce waste and save our residential and business customers money, is even stronger.

We have been running multiple trials over the last number of years with our customers and commit to continue to research potential solutions including collaborating with other parts of ESB, such as the NOVUS Modus investment fund and the ESB Kingspan solar joint venture, to ensure that the very latest viable technologies are available to our customers.

We have fostered smart, connected home products over the last few years, including Climote and Nest, and we are consistently exploring new and innovative ways of delivering good service and simple ideas that make life better for our customers. Through our Smarter Living programme we actively encourage and show our customers how to reduce energy consumption at home and through their businesses.

Our collaboration with Accenture is the latest phase in our Smarter Living Trial programme, which will help us to further develop and invest in emerging technologies introduced over the coming months. Working with the global Accenture Internet of Things practice, the trial is using Accenture Connected Platforms as a Service (CPaaS) to enable remote and automated control of multiple smart devices for homes and businesses. Accenture is a good fit with Electric Ireland, it’s a trusted global brand, with a reputation for delivering excellent service to its clients and promoting innovative solutions – all key deliverables for Electric Ireland too.

Every year we invest several million pounds in innovation, of which the collaboration with Accenture on the Smarter Living programme is just one part. We also help third party providers develop new energy services for our business customers, such as monitoring platforms like Energytracked, and of course as I said, we also collaborate with others parts of ESB. It’s not just collaboration on innovation that benefits Electric Ireland as part of the ESB Group, our parent also provides scale for the management of the risk inherent in the huge volatility in wholesale markets for gas, oil and foreign exchange. This allows us to provide stable products for those that have a preference for tariffs or fixed prices. Additionally, it facilitates access and participation in wholesale markets for larger industrial and commercial customers that have an appetite for risk/reward exposure.

It is this along with the innovation I have described that will help us realise our ambition to grow our business in Northern Ireland in both the residential and business sectors. Our investment is significant and reflective of how important our customers here are to our business. However, we see it as a long-term investment – our business is based on an indepth knowledge of the energy industry and our reputation for quality customer service. We understand that you have to earn the loyalty and trust of customers and that takes time.

Powerful connections The future of the electricity network is changing, as Les Drew, Head of NIE Networks’ Innovation Group, tells Adrienne McGill.

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ny loss in electricity supply at any time can cause havoc in homes and businesses. There can be many reasons including severe weather, vandalism, third party damage and other events which can affect the electricity network and leave people without power.

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks) is responsible for getting people back on supply as soon as possible.

The company owns the electricity network here which is made up of 49,200 kilometres of lines and cables together with poles, pylons, substations and meters and is responsible for its upgrade and maintenance and in safely delivering power to all corners of Northern Ireland. The company distributes 8,137GWh of electricity to

860,000 consumers.

The network starts at substations beside power stations or wind farms and finishes at around 860,000 meter boxes across Northern Ireland. It transports electricity from where it is made to where it is used.

The majority of the electricity network was built during the late 1960s and 1970s and today the network is still growing with every new home or business that is connected to it.

Around £100 million was invested in the electricity network last year, mostly to maintain its service levels and to meet the demands of current customers. For example, 1,870 kilometres of overhead line was refurbished and over 7,000 kilometres of trees were cleared from lines to reduce the potential of power cuts.

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powering ahead with energy

The network is changing to meet the needs of the future. NIE Networks, which was acquired

by ESB in 2010, is renewing older parts of the network, integrating new technologies and responding to the challenges of renewable energy.

Government policies to encourage more electricity to come from renewable sources are posing new challenges. Being ready for a cleaner, greener future requires the network to be strengthened or extended in rural areas where wind farms, anaerobic digesters, tidal generators and other new technologies are being sited. By the end of 2015 NIE Networks had connected 848MW of renewable generation to the grid – that is around a quarter of Northern Ireland’s total generation.

Les Drew, head of NIE Networks’ Innovation Group, who joined the company almost 40 years ago when it was NIE, is one of the people at the forefront of developing the transformation and ensuring the company harnesses the ideas of its employees to drive change and efficiency.

“There is a huge investment programme underway to replace large sections of the rural network in particular and a lot of that involves the large and small generation projects around renewables,” he says.

“Since privatisation in 1993, we have been on a continuous journey of change and part of that has involved innovation in how we design and build the network and deliver a good service for homes and businesses across Northern Ireland.”

The company operates an employee engagement scheme where its 1,300 staff across all levels including engineering, administration, IT and communications are encouraged to submit ideas of benefit to the business and customers.

54 NI Chamber

“We felt it was important to establish a forum where innovative ideas or projects could be piloted and if successful and achievable, could be put into action,” says Les. “One of these has been the Sinclair device, developed by NIE Networks’ Brian Sinclair. The device holds a conductor in place while a pole is being removed and a new one installed – this saves time and money. We recognised while it was a simple idea it could potentially deliver huge benefits to us as an organisation. It was developed from a prototype into a fully patented solution.

“Another in-house innovation around health and safety is the Fall Arrest System which protects an employee who risks being injured in a fall while working in a substation which could be potentially dangerous given the amount of equipment there.

“Both of these ideas have been very well received by our parent ESB and have been recognised at the company’s innovation awards.”

Tracking customer demand is also a central element of NIE Networks’ operation. In 2014 a 2 year ‘Shift & Save’ trial in the Coleraine area found that smart meters helped decrease ‘teatime’ peak on the electricity network by 11.6 per cent.

The trial swapped existing electricity meters with a new smart digital meter in 200 homes in the town. The purpose was to investigate how smart meters and smart grid technology could change homeowners’ energy usage patterns to reduce demands on the electricity network, particularly at times of peak demand.

Participants used a display unit inside their home to see how much electricity they were using.

At the same time NIE Networks also installed smart grid technologies in local substations to

see what happened to the electricity flows on the electricity network when customers had this information.

“From photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on the roofs of houses to electric vehicles, the way electricity is produced and consumed is changing. As a network company we need to understand the effect that these changes may have on the electricity flows on our network. In the future this may mean that we need to install special equipment in substations to monitor the electricity flows to help us plan and operate our network,” says Les. “Our results from the trial were interesting.

One of our objectives was to see if smart meter technology could reduce demands on our electricity network especially during the peak time from 4pm to 7pm. Our results showed that the tea-time peak actually decreased on average by 11.6 per cent. We also found that the total amount of units used during this time was reduced by 7.3 per cent and that overall electricity usage decreased by 2.3 per cent by having a smart meter installed.”

Over the summer, NIE Networks will be submitting its plans for the 2017-2024 period to the Utility Regulator and these will set out options to develop smarter network solutions to facilitate the connection of low carbon technologies. The company believes these will increase the flexibility of the network and avoid costly reinforcements.

Over all, innovation is important to NIE Networks in terms of helping the company to drive down both operating and capital investment costs.

“And that is ultimately to the benefit of customers,” says Les.

Natural gas a modern fuel Building a natural gas network has meant developing innovative solutions, as Adrienne McGill hears from Firmus Energy Managing Director, Michael Scott.

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atural gas is the cleanest of all fossil fuels, emitting around 25 per cent less CO2 than home heating oil and around 50 per cent less CO2 than coal.

Firmus Energy, a leader in the natural gas industry, is powering ahead with innovative solutions and new technology to bring the fuel to customers across Northern Ireland. The Antrim-based company, which employs around 100 people, has approximately 80,000 business and residential customers in 30 cities, towns and villages stretching from Newry to Derry/ Londonderry and competes in the Greater Belfast supply market also. Business customers include major names such as Moy Park and Allied Bakeries.

It has invested around £120 million in networks across the region during the last decade and brought natural gas – which can be used for heating, hot water, gas fires, cooking tumble-drying and barbecuing – to areas which previously did not have access to the fuel.

Since connecting its first commercial customer

in 2005, and supplying natural gas across its initial ‘Ten Towns’ licensed area, the company has embarked on an ambitious growth strategy.

“More than 90 per cent of industry along the routes of our pipelines is now connected to our natural gas, which signifies how integral the fuel is to the economic landscape in Northern Ireland,” says Firmus Energy Managing Director, Michael Scott.

The company has adopted a number of innovative solutions in its gas pipe laying projects such as trenchless technologies (also known as directional drilling) which minimises surface excavation, reduces the environmental impact of underground installation and reduces air and noise pollution as well as minimising the amount of waste caused by earth and pavement excavation.

The technique can also overcome obstacle crossings where the regular open-cut pipe laying methods are not suitable. Trenchless technology is widely used for installing long services and mains, especially beneath rivers, canals, railways and busy roads.

To date, Firmus Energy has laid over 1000 km of gas pipelines throughout its network.

“At Firmus Energy we have embedded a culture of innovation, and aim to continuously improve our business, through both technical and commercial innovation,” says Michael.

“This will help us to develop our knowledge in order to provide a safe, efficient and reliable network, which will deliver value to our customers and safeguard our environment.”

But where does the natural gas come from? It begins its journey to Northern Ireland from the gas fields in the North Sea, where a pipeline carries it to Scotland and then onto the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is fed to the Ballylumford and Coolkeeragh Power Stations here by the pipeline that also brings natural gas to Firmus Energy customers.

As part of the company’s commitment to keep pace with new technologies in energy management, it has undertaken trials of a range of internet connected heating controls – smart technology.

This smart energy controller allows domestic customers to control their heating from any computer or enabled smart device. According to Firmus Energy, this additional control helps users spend less money and save on energy usage as the system provides a facility to reset, boost or turn off heating and hot water controls remotely.

“The system replaces the boiler’s time clock with an interactive hub, which allows the householder to communicate to the boiler via the internet from home or abroad or by sending text commands.

Homes have found that they were using their heating up to 20 per cent less, which provides savings on an average natural gas bill of around £140 per annum,” says Michael.

Following consultation with stakeholders and elected representatives, the company has also submitted an ambitious six-year business plan to the Utility Regulator lasting from 2017 to 2022.

If approved, this would see the company invest a further £85 million developing its network over this period making natural gas available to a further 70,000 properties.

“The most innovative thing that Firmus Energy does is to take natural gas to areas which never had natural gas before,” says Michael.

“In GB, natural gas has been available for the last 40 years but in Northern Ireland it has only been available for the last 20 years. Firmus Energy has built upon this legacy and is now 10 years into its own, unique development plan. The region remains the last place in western Europe not to have full coverage of natural gas.

“It is innovative for us to be developing a business in green field sites in rural areas and creating a natural gas network to facilitate new customers.

“We have built one third of our network but we still have a significant amount of investment that we want to make.

“So far, we have enhanced our connection targets year on year with more than 4,000 new commercial and domestic customers annually and we estimate with our forecast growth plans, we can sustain this into the future. We are committed to our on-going investment programme to improve the availability of natural gas across Northern Ireland.”

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powering ahead with energy

Sunny outlook for solar power Using solar power to run businesses and homes is an area which is heating up as Fergus Sharkey, General Manager of Kingspan ESB, tells Adrienne McGill.

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ince the earliest of times, the sun has been providing energy for the planet, helping plants grow, warming the seas, and maintaining the conditions for life to thrive. In more recent times, man has been seeking to develop new and ingenious ways to harness that energy in the form of solar panels, turning sunlight into electricity which in turn feeds millions of businesses and homes.

Solar panels are one of the major technical innovations of our lifetime and are beginning to change the way we look at our energy needs, now and in the years to come.

As the quest for sustainable and renewable energy sources continues in a bid to make us less reliant on fossil fuels, solar energy and the development of efficient solar photovoltaic (PV) lies at the forefront of green technologies today.

Solar panels, which can be installed on the roofs of buildings, are used for domestic houses and businesses but are also produced on an industrial scale with solar farms covering many hundreds of acres transforming rural landscapes.

Through the innovation of photovoltaic cells, which power solar PV systems, we are now able to harness the power of the sun and turn it into electricity that can be fed into the grid.

That means solar PV is becoming more and more viable as a renewable energy source.

The most important part of a solar panel is the photovoltaic cell that traps light from the sun and converts it into electric current. Formed from silicon in various levels of purity, DC current is fed from the PV panels into an inverter that converts it to AC power.

Leading the delivery of solar PV in Ireland are two major companies who have come together in a joint venture in Northern Ireland to drive solar power forward.

Kingspan, a global name in building technology, and ESB, one of Ireland’s leading energy companies, have joined forces to offer local businesses the opportunity to get involved in a solar energy project that they claim could deliver energy savings of £320 million over the next 25 years.

The Kingspan ESB Funded Solar scheme gives customers an option to sign up to a roof top photovoltaic (PV) energy product that the joint venture says will produce cheaper, renewable energy without the investment normally required in the capital outlay, installation or maintenance of a PV system.

Fergus Sharkey, General Manager of Kingspan ESB, believes the system could help Northern Ireland hit its renewable energy target of 40 per cent of electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020.

“Each new system that is installed is making another contribution towards meeting that target. Over the last 20 years, energy delivery has changed considerably. Conventional power generation had its time, and now there is a

56 NI Chamber

distinct trend towards much smaller distributed generation assets that add up to quite a lot.”

Over the last number of years, homes and businesses in Northern Ireland have installed over 100MW of solar PV. “This is indicative of the wider changes in the energy sector. A lot of things are happening and people are taking control of their energy costs,” says Fergus.

Solar panels use the energy from daylight, as opposed to sunlight, to produce electricity so panels do not need direct sunlight to work. It is tiny particles called photons in natural daylight which are converted by solar panels cells to produce electricity. While direct sunlight is advantageous, high temperatures also reduce the efficiency of PV systems, so average temperatures in Northern Ireland can, ironically, be helpful.

This being said, it is true that direct sunlight does provide the best conditions for the panels.

However, even in overcast conditions light will diffuse through the clouds and reach the solar panels. Modern solar panels include concentrators which use a system of lenses and mirrors to maximise any light that does reach the cells. As a result it is estimated that solar panels will be 40 per cent as effective in heavy cloud as they would in direct sunlight. The clearer the skies are, the more electricity will be produced.

“The technology has advanced a great deal

in recent years and has become progressively better at collecting energy on cloudy days. Once it is daylight, the panels are always generating,” says Fergus.

For some businesses the cost of electricity in Northern Ireland can be 25 per cent higher than their UK counterparts and energy costs are high on the radar for every business. Kingspan ESB say their fully funded solar option can deliver a solution that could save the average business in Northern Ireland around 10 per cent of their electricity bill, potentially more.

According to Kingspan ESB this could work out at savings of equivalent to £5,800 each year for an average sized business but businesses with bigger energy bills – those who for example use 8000MW per year – could potentially see savings of £17,000 per year.

“Roof top solar power passes the benefit of solar tariffs directly to a business which creates a more competitive business because its energy costs have gone down and with the funded system it can achieve that without any investment – so therefore if it has capital available, it can use that for other areas of the business such as new machinery or personnel,” says Fergus.

“The partnership between ESB and Kingspan is a strong one. We may look at developing other products in the energy efficiency space and expanding what we offer. It is an area which is very active at the moment.”

Powering our low-carbon future Over the next five years the energy industry will need to be innovative if it is to help Northern Ireland make the transition to a low carbon future, says Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director, SSE Ireland.

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ith the international response to climate change stepping up through the COP21 Agreement and the negotiation of EU 2030 targets, it is clear that Northern Ireland will have a role to play in seeking to further decarbonise its economy. The global destination has been chosen – however, we have a number of choices to make about how we, as a society and those of us in the energy industry, want to get there.

In making these choices we need to be mindful of the energy trilemma to balance sustainability, affordability and security of supply.

The forthcoming Stormont Executive review of the Strategic Energy Framework to 2020 and development of an energy strategy to 2030 presents the opportunity to develop a vision and roadmap for Northern Ireland.

We have been successful to date in greening our energy supply. The carbon intensity of our electricity supply has reduced by almost 25 per cent since 2004, and that has the potential to deliver foreign direct investment dividends. Large

international tech investors are now making hard investment decisions to locate multi-million pound data centres in locations where they can access green power sources. Latest estimates suggest this ‘green data centre’ push could add up to 1GW to renewable energy demand on the island of Ireland in the next five years, representing a significant investment opportunity which we should be seeking to exploit.

Despite this progress in greening our energy supply, Northern Ireland faces a number of key challenges if it is to achieve the required transition to a low carbon future, most prominent in the agriculture, heat and transport sectors. Given the contribution of agriculture to overall emissions in Northern Ireland, the difficulty of reducing those emissions, and the dispersed rural nature of our settlement patterns, we believe that a cost-efficient and reliable choice to decarbonise the economy is to electrify heat and transport. By so doing, we can extend the progress already made in greening our power supply to go further by using electricity as a workhorse for the decarbonisation of heating and transport.

We know that energy costs are crucial to our

customers, and it’s important that Northern Ireland decarbonises in the most cost-effective way. This means carefully considering the type of projects built. Onshore wind has been a great success across the island of Ireland given our abundant wind resource and its relative low cost of deployment.

Other technologies and innovative means will need to be considered including our offshore wind resource, solar, and wave and tidal as they develop.

We will also need to optimise the generation and grid assets we already have in place. This can be delivered through both battery storage and the co-location of further renewables at existing generation sites. It’s also important to ensure that grid and system services allow generators to reach their potential output. At SSE, we’re optimistic that policy, regulation and the new all-island Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM) design will work together to provide the stability and pathway necessary to deliver this vision. Considering the time it takes to plan and construct projects, 2030 is not that far away; indeed, we’re entering the ‘home straight’ towards achieving our 2020 target of 40 per cent renewables.

The ability to harness and maximise our use of these resources cost-effectively will also require a concerted effort on the demand side. In this digital era, customers are becoming much more empowered to engage with their energy use, something we at SSE Airtricity are making a difference towards facilitating.

As one of the largest energy providers in the all-island market and as a ‘digital-first’ supplier, SSE is leading the charge in supporting the integrated omni-channel customer. Around 70 per cent of all SSE Airtricity customer interactions are performed via the company’s award-winning online, digital and mobile service platforms.

On the technology side, many exciting products are coming to the marketplace. SSE is currently involved in the Real Value pilot project with a number of partners. This project, co-funded by EU Horizon 2020, uses the most modern and efficient Glen Dimplex storage heaters, combined with advanced ICT, to store energy when it is cheapest and greenest without interfering with the operation of the heating system within the home. We believe Real Value will demonstrate the capacity of small scale in-home energy storage systems to reduce costs for customers and optimise use of renewable energy. On a more fundamental level, the simple energy efficiency measures we are delivering not only reduce customer costs but also increase the effectiveness of heating systems.

We will also need to ensure that we develop our transport infrastructure in a manner that enables electrification of our public and private transport fleet and our own personal vehicles. Not only will this reduce oil dependency, it will also deliver further noise and pollution benefits, particularly in urban areas.

Over the next five years and beyond, the energy industry will need to focus on innovatively building relationships with customers, supporting them to become more active in monitoring and managing their energy use, and utilising our green achievements to date to decarbonise our economy cost-effectively. In doing so, we can deliver a solution that enables Northern Ireland to sustain a growing low-carbon economy and benefits society as a whole.

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powering ahead with energy

Energy for the future Energy storage is a new innovation which has become an increasingly important element within Northern Ireland’s electricity generation and distribution system, as AES UK & Ireland President Carla Tully tells Adrienne McGill.

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he electricity sector is currently undergoing a massive transformation.

The need to diversify electricity generation sources, including using renewables such as the wind and sun, to work with the existing generation infrastructure, the adjustments to the distribution network to allow these sources to contribute to the electricity grid, and the development of smart grids and intelligent appliances to allow demand to be varied according to the availability and cost of power throughout the day, are all changing the way that electricity is generated, accessed and used.

And that is where the latest addition comes in – grid connected energy storage.

Energy storage helps smooth out the intermittency of renewable generation systems and supports an unbreakable grid.

Leading this field in Northern Ireland is giant American energy company AES, which owns and operates the Kilroot and Ballylumford power stations.

In February this year AES unveiled its

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innovative Advancion Energy Storage Array – effectively a giant battery comprising 53,000 lithium-ion batteries arranged in 136 separate nodes – which has been installed at Kilroot power station in Carrickfergus.

It is the first step towards the delivery of a 100MW energy storage facility that will provide £8.5 million in savings per year to Northern Ireland’s electricity system and will reduce the equivalent of 123,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

The Kilroot array, which is one of the first of its kind in Europe and the biggest to date installed in the UK or Ireland, will initially store and release 10MW of energy, creating a 20MW power resource.

It will help balance supply and demand and support the all-island transmission grid via system operator, SONI. The Advancion array will also enhance power supply, allow existing baseload generation to be used more efficiently and cost-effectively, and increase the ability to integrate renewable power sources such as wind.

The array has the potential to benefit everyone by lowering costs, helping the environment and improving security of supply to homes and businesses.

AES UK & Ireland President, Carla Tully, who hails from California but is based at Kilroot, says the array allows power plants to be more efficient as they have very intense periods of creating energy and then slow down.

“This works by storing energy so that it can be used to regulate those changes of intensity.

“Energy storage creates more balance within the grid, makes it more stable and helps reduce the cost.”

Producing renewable electricity is most commonly associated with wind and solar power. However, although these power sources are clean and renewable sources of electricity, they can also be unreliable since they don’t produce any power when it gets dark or the wind stops blowing.

As these power sources become more important to the world’s energy economy, so does investment in technologies that allow energy producers, such as utilities, to store energy that is generated when the sun shines and the wind blows. This stored energy can then be released as needed, providing a continuous flow of clean energy during periods of high demand or when wind and solar energy is unavailable. It also

enables thermal generation to operate more effectively, enabling existing power plants to operate better and deferring required investment in new plants.

This, says Carla, addresses the “energy trilemma” – a term coined by the World Energy Council – which sums up the difficulty in finding secure energy supplies and catering to rising demand without prices becoming unaffordable, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

While lithium-ion batteries were developed almost 40 years ago and have a multitude of applications such as in electric vehicles, mobile phones and consumer electronics, their use in the electricity grid is a relatively recent innovation.

“It is a very proven technology,” says Carla.

“The innovation relates to taking them into the electricity grid. That is where the Advancion product comes in – we have the proprietary algorithms that tell the batteries what to do and how to respond to signals that comes from the system operator, i.e.

SONI, in under a second.

“We have been operating this technology over the past 9 years. We commercialised the first lithium-ion battery for the grid in Indiana in the US in 2007 and it worked beautifully.

“We have been continuing to evolve it and are now in the fourth generation of Advancion. We have deployed it in Chile, several parts of the US, the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

“This technology is faster, more responsive and more accurate than anything else which has previously been in operation.

The scope of the application is going to keep expanding because energy storage is a piece of technology which makes everything else better. It makes service of supply better, it makes affordability better and makes decarbonisation better. It enables renewable energy to come into the grid and be used efficiently and effectively.”

AES has operated in Northern Ireland since 1992. Globally, the company has a presence in 17 markets, and owns and operates the world’s largest advanced energy storage fleet with 116MW in operation and a further 268MW in construction or late stage development across six countries.

“Innovation is fundamental to AES – it is what we have been built on,” says Carla.

“Our innovation does not come from creating new products and technologies – it comes from applying technologies and using innovative ways to help solve the problems of business and the markets we are in.

“I expect energy storage ultimately to become the glue of our energy system and further enable a more efficient flexible stable electricity system.”

Northern Ireland – ‘the innovation hub for energy storage in Europe’ Deep below ground, an innovative security of energy supply project which integrates renewables is taking shape as Adrienne McGill hears from Patrick McClughan, Head of Corporate Affairs for Gaelectric Developments, a division of Gaelectric, which is driving the scheme.

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slandmagee in Co Antrim is to be the location for a major green energy project, only the third of its kind in the world, in a £300 million scheme led by renewable energy and energy storage group, Gaelectric.

The company is spearheading the development of energy storage with a unique Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) facility at Islandmagee near to the Port town of Larne. Due to its unique local geology, the site has the potential to be at the cutting edge in the development of grid-level energy storage solutions that will have local security of supply benefits and an international application. Larne will be the second CAES station constructed in Europe with the capability to store energy as compressed air in caverns created within geological salt layers at depths of greater than 1400m below ground. When completed, the new facility will be capable of generating 330MW of power – enough to power around 30,000 homes for periods of up to six hours whilst also providing a range of other system services that will assist system operators to improve the efficiency of the transmission grid, lowering costs and increasing the security of energy supplies in Northern Ireland.

In October 2013, ‘Project-CAES Larne, NI’ was included in the list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) under the EU’s trans-European energy infrastructure (TEN-E) Regulation. The project is the only CAES project to be designated in this way by the EU. For a project to be included in the list, it has to have significant benefits for at least two member states, contribute to market integration and further competition, enhance security of supply and reduce CO2 emissions.

The company submitted a planning application for ‘Project-CAES Larne, NI’ in December 2015 and hopes to gain approval later this year with construction planned in 2017.

“It is one of the largest planning applications submitted in recent years in Northern Ireland,” says Patrick McClughan, Head of Corporate Affairs for Gaelectric Developments.

“We have already received more than €6 million in grant aid from the EU for studies connected with the project because of its innovative nature and its ability to fully integrate renewables.

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powering ahead with energy

“In addition to the North South interconnector, CAES is the largest generating security of supply solution for Northern Ireland.

“This will be the first CAES project developed in Europe in the last 40 years. It will also be a demonstration site for a pipeline of further CAES power stations in Great Britain and Europe, establishing Northern Ireland as the innovation hub for energy storage in Europe.”

Patrick says as Northern Ireland has made progress towards achieving its target to generate 40 per cent of electricity demand from renewable power sources by 2020, the implications for the Northern Ireland transmission system have become clearer.

New system management tools are required to balance the generation portfolio with end user demand on a minute by minute basis.

“Some generators are limited to when they can provide power namely wind, solar and tidal. This creates imbalances that need to be effectively managed so the end user receives a constant uninterrupted supply of energy.

“Key to achieving this level of penetration of renewable power will be an effective means to store that excess renewable energy. “As developers of wind projects, we recognised this fact and established an energy storage division in 2006 with the sole objective of identifying storage technologies that could be put to work in the energy market. We identified Larne with its salt deposits and CAES technology as a way to store energy and also provide a range of other services and benefits in the operation of transmission grids.”

In 2012, Dresser Rand, the international engineering group and world leaders in the supply of compression technologies to the energy sector, agreed a strategic alliance with Gaelectric to develop ‘Project-CAES Larne, NI’ for Northern Ireland and then to roll out a pipeline of other CAES projects across Great Britain and Europe.

Meanwhile, Gaelectric recently opened its third wind farm in Northern Ireland in a £16.8million project at Monnaboy on Loughermore Mountain in Co Derry. It will generate sufficient green renewable power to meet the electricity demand of over 7,436 homes on an annual basis. Gaelectric will commission a further four wind farms across Northern Ireland this year and an additional two next year.

Established in 2004 and employing 87 people, Gaelectric has offices in Belfast, Dublin, London, Manchester, Chicago, and Great Falls (Montana) in the US. Proven technology Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) stores energy by compressing fresh air into storage caverns created within geological salt layers deep underground. Off peak power is used to compress this air, allowing this stored energy to be utilised later to drive turbines that generate power to supply electricity when demand returns or as power is needed by system operators. CAES technology is in use at two existing CAES stations located in the United States and Germany.

Patrick McClughan, Head of Corporate Affairs, Gaelectric Developments.

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‘Keeping the lights on’ The proposed new North South Interconnector will play a vital role in reducing electricity costs and ensuring security of supply in Northern Ireland – and it is needed urgently, as Adrienne McGill hears from Robin McCormick, General Manager of the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI).

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he high voltage electricity system in Northern Ireland is essentially a system of powerful and fast moving electricity motorways which make up the electricity grid.

It is overseen by the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) a regulated utility company, responsible for ensuring the lights stay on in every house and business across the region and dispatches generators to meet the demand for electricity at every second of every day.

Established in 2000, SONI was purchased by EirGrid PLC in 2009 and now operates as part of the EirGrid Group with whom it is the Market Operator of the Single Electricity Market (SEM).

SONI is regulated by the Utility Regulator Northern Ireland and works in cooperation with asset owner NIE Networks to develop the grid infrastructure. This is needed to support competition in energy, to promote economic growth and to facilitate renewable energy.

As well as running and planning the electricity grid in Northern Ireland, SONI is also responsible for developing major energy projects such as the proposed North South Interconnector.

EirGrid is responsible for the portion of the interconnector in the Republic and oral hearings into its application have been taking place in recent weeks in Carrickmacross while the Public Inquiry into the Northern section will recommence in June in Armagh.

The interconnector, if given the go ahead, will see a series of overhead lines running from just north of Moy, Co Tyrone to Kingscourt, Co Cavan.

Interconnection is fundamental to increasing competitiveness in the market and for downward pressure on prices and it is not new to Northern Ireland. The Moyle Interconnector, owned and managed by Mutual Energy, is a submarine interconnection linking Scotland and Northern Ireland’s electricity systems.

Meanwhile, we already have an existing North South Interconnector which runs from Tandragee to Louth; it is the primary means of power flow between Northern Ireland and the Republic. At present if the Tandragee-Louth Interconnector goes down, there is no back up – such unplanned imbalance between generation and demand would

Robin McCormick, General Manager of the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI).

make the transmission system unstable and could lead to a system blackout on either or both sides of the border.

To deal with this risk SONI has restricted the quantity of power flowing on the Tandragee-Louth line; it has the ability to carry 1500MW but this has been limited to 300MW. This minimises the impact on the grid if the line goes down, reducing the risk of blackouts – but it also curbs the power flow in and out of Northern Ireland as SONI’s General Manager Robin Mr McCormick explains: “We have almost a decade of trading data since the Single Electricity Market has been in place.

Based on this, we know there is demand for unrestricted flows of power between Northern Ireland and the Republic. There is a regular demand for cross-border transfers of more than 750MW, with peak demand reaching 1100MW at times, but due to the limits we have had to place on this line, we are not even meeting half of this demand, which creates a bottle neck and this in turn leads to inflated electricity prices for everyone on the island.

“Importantly, the data also provides a clear picture of the scale of the solution needed.

To meet demand today and to plan for longterm growth, we have designed the second North South Interconnector with a capacity of 1500MW – which also matches the capacity of the Tandragee-Louth Interconnector.”

However, plans for the new North South Interconnector have been dogged by controversy with local objectors complaining it will be a blot on the landscape and could pose a risk to health.

These objections are said to be holding up one of the most critical infrastructure projects on the island.

Robin McCormick says the proposed project will reduce electricity prices and provide Northern

Ireland with a secure electricity supply by linking the grids in Northern Ireland and the Republic but he warns further delays in its development will prove costly.

“We are pleased to have been notified by the Planning Appeals Commission about the recommencement of the Public Inquiry into the new North South Interconnector. Of course we understand that people living locally to the proposed route have concerns, we are listening and we are responding to those concerns.

“This is a vital piece of infrastructure, essential for a secure supply of electricity for Northern Ireland.

It will also significantly reduce the cost of electricity for consumers across the entire island and will allow us to increase our use of renewable energy, reducing Northern Ireland’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. SONI has worked tirelessly to progress the planning application to make these benefits a reality.

“The project is fundamental to the Northern Irish economy and is supported by DETI, the Utility Regulator and all of the main business organisations including Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, but, in order to meet demand and to avoid increasing consumer costs, the interconnector must be built by the end of 2019 and so, we would hope for a speedy resolution from the inquiry.”

SONI has warned that Northern Ireland is facing real challenges around having an adequate supply of electricity post 2021.

Its annual forecast of supply and demand known as the Generation Capacity Statement, which covers the years 2016-2025, shows that while there is adequate electricity supply across the island of Ireland, not enough of that supply is reaching Northern Ireland which is facing serious issues with generation. From 2021, two large generators at

Kilroot Power Station in Carrickfergus will wind down resulting in a significant decrease in electricity supply for Northern Ireland.

“As the system operator, unless action is taken we won’t be confident that we can keep the lights on in 2021,” explains Mr McCormick. “This could be a particular issue during the winter months, because the supply may not be sufficient to meet the daily peaks in demand.

“We face a security of supply issue due to generation capacity, and delays with the North South Interconnector. That is because, instead of looking at generation adequacy on the island, where there is adequate generation, we are having to look at Northern Ireland specifically, where there is a potential deficit in generation capacity as we move forward.

“The North South Interconnector is the biggest and most critical single infrastructure project on the island at the moment. It has real significance on people’s pockets; because it isn’t there, the market doesn’t work as well as it should and so customers are paying more.”

Mr McCormick stresses that Northern Ireland relies on electricity interconnection but as existing generators start to retire, generation capacity will be lost in Northern Ireland. However, he says the new North South Interconnector will address this.

“We need to have a decision to have the interconnector built in time to meet our needs in Northern Ireland.

“We are encouraging people to have their say in the public inquiry – we want to hear people’s concerns and address those and that should encourage people to see the value of the project.

“We want to move to a solution in 2016 rather than having to face the consequences in 2020 of having an electricity deficit.”

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powering ahead with energy

Reducing IT Energy Footprint As the rate of technological innovation increases, so too do the demands placed on energy and the environment, as Joanne O’Doherty, Account Manager with IT giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise, explains.

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here are many things that we take for granted today such as access to applications that respond at a moment’s notice, connectivity to the world of information through the internet and of course access to every piece of content wherever we are whenever we want. We have seen technology shape our personal and professional lives so much over the past couple of decades that we rarely reflect on how all of this change and access to information impacts on our planet.

To put some context around this, in 2014 Google estimated that their energy consumption was 4,402,836MW. Enough power to keep a reasonably sized city moving and operating.

When we then extrapolate that and look forward to the year 2020, where it is estimated that there will be in excess of 30 billion connected devices generating unprecedented amounts of data and a dramatic rise in the number of end points through which we are going to consume that data, we can see that we cannot continue to store and deliver that data in the same way we have been doing to date.

The environmental impact of the Data Centres, Servers, Storage Devices and Networking devices is simply not sustainable as demand continues to accelerate. Quite simply the whole technology industry is at an inflection point where we need to think differently about what we do and how we do it.

Thankfully companies such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) are at the forefront of technological innovation and have environmental impact at the core of what we do. We recognise that by taking a holistic view on how services

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are delivered we can dramatically reduce the impact on the environment. We recognise that we need to use different technologies or adapt existing technologies to drive efficiency and reduce impact to the environment.

One example of this is HPE Moonshot, a new type of server, tailored for specific workloads and high performance, and on which we run our HP.COM website. This high performance website receives 9 billion hits a month and is running on the equivalent power of just twelve 60watt light bulbs!

How did we do it? We centralise management, power, cooling, networking, and capacity across a large number of units with lower power requirement and greater density.

Why? Because we estimate that to handle the explosive amount of data being generated, an estimated 8 to 10 million new servers in the equivalent of 200 football-field-sized data centres, are needed for the cloud over the next three years. That is simply not sustainable. So HPE Moonshot servers consume up to 89 per cent less energy, use 80 per cent less space, and cost 77 per cent less than a traditional server.

A rack that once held 64 standard servers now accommodates 1,800 Moonshot servers. Quite simply replacing 100,000 standard servers with Moonshot reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by the equivalent of removing 18,000 cars from the road for one year.

So in the Northern Ireland context then we have a very good story on both the development and consumption sides. In relation to development, HPE have two research and development centres in Belfast. One research and development centre is for our 3PAR StoreServ SAN technology, used by many of the leading Public Sector Departments, Health, Media, Utility and Manufacturing organisations in Northern Ireland. The other research and development team focus on HPE IDOL, our Big Data Analytics engine, enabling many local organisations to empower the Data Driven Enterprise.

In relation to our StoreServ development, technologies such as thin provisioning and data deduplication are proven to reduce spinning disk needed, by at least 50 per cent, dramatically reducing power consumption.

A recent project which HPE completed in the last year, and which had an impact on our customer’s energy footprint, was with Queen’s University, Belfast. This project was for High Performance Computing (HPC) and Research Data Store for their Centre for Experimental Medicine. Vaughan Purnell, HPC Lead at Queen’s University, was focused on ensuring delivery of this complex project on time and within budget.

Utilising the HPE Apollo dense compute system the University was able to reduce datacentre space by 50 per cent yet provide the researchers with the same performance capacity to run their critical research workloads.

Vaughan Purnell says: “QUB are no different from any other institution and welcome any opportunity to reduce operational costs. The HPC service uses approximately 50 per cent of the electricity for the entire Data Centre.

Investing in technologies such as the HPE Apollo servers to reduce power and cooling aligns neatly with our University’s green agenda.

“Managing and planning for physical server infrastructure and growth are key issues. The HPC service accounts for more hardware than any other service in the University hence Data Centre space is critical. Challenges included locating compute nodes close to the high performance switches and managing an interim period when both the new and previous cluster are operational. The density of the Apollo compute nodes allow us to keep HPC on premise for the near future.”

In relation to sustainability and corporate manufacturing challenges, HP Living Progress, ensures environmental issues are addressed by improving the efficiency of our supply chain, operations, and products and solutions, as well as making community investments that help tackle sustainability challenges. We take a leadership role in our efforts. In 2014, we became the first global information technology (IT) company to have set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction targets for our entire value chain: suppliers, operations, products and solutions. We believe that understanding environmental impacts across our value chain is the first step towards taking meaningful action.

A precise project Northern Ireland’s new EfW facility could be catalyst for change writes Richard Murphy, Energy Partner at Pinsent Masons.

Full Circle Generation Director Brett Ross and General Manager Bombardier Belfast, Michael Ryan.

Valuable waste An innovative project which converts waste into electricity IS SET TO generate savings for businesses, reports Adrienne McGill.

A major £107 million waste energy facility is currently under construction in Belfast’s Harbour Estate.

The facility – the largest of its kind in Northern Ireland – will help power aerospace giant Bombardier’s Belfast factory where the wings for the CSeries aircraft are manufactured.

Energy costs for Bombardier in Belfast are critical to its global competitiveness. However, they are currently three times those of other Bombardier sites in North America.

The company, like other large firms across Northern Ireland, has sought alternative means to source energy with the cost of electricity for the largest users in Northern Ireland among the highest in Europe.

The energy from waste plant, which is being built adjacent to the Canadian company’s Belfast base, will provide heat and power with the potential to return any surplus to the grid.

It has the capacity to take 180,000 tonnes of fuel a year derived from black bin waste that otherwise would be destined for landfill and will enable Northern Ireland to save 50,000 tonnes of carbon per year.

When operational, it will generate enough power for over 21,000 households and recover energy from waste generated by more than 155,000 households in Northern Ireland.

The plant, which is due to be completed by 2017, will use a technology called gasification.

It superheats the waste to release gases which are then collected and burned to produce steam.

The steam drives turbines to generate electricity.

The 14.8MW plant is being built by a consortium of investors, called Full Circle Generation Limited.

It includes Co Londonderry headquartered RiverRidge Energy, UK Green Investment Bank PLC, Equitix and P3P Partners.

The French construction group Bouygues Energies and Services is responsible for the design, build and operation of the facility.

Full Circle Generation Director and Managing Director of RiverRidge Recycling and RiverRidge Energy, Brett Ross, said: “The construction of the Full Circle Generation Waste to Energy facility will allow the industry to gain access to a piece of crucial infrastructure which until now had required waste management operators to export waste derived fuels and consequently energy to other territories.”

He added that the plant would assist local authorities in ensuring their annual landfill diversion targets were met through to 2020.

M

uch of the talk in the UK’s energy from waste (EfW) market 12 months ago was around renewables obligation certificates (ROCs) – specifically how many projects would get built under the tight deadlines set out by the renewables obligation (RO).

Estimates varied wildly, and in the end, the so-called ‘ROC rush’ probably didn’t have as many success stories as people expected – one success story though has been the Full Circle Energy from Waste (EfW) plant.

The project will be built at a site adjacent to Bombardier’s wing facility in Belfast’s Harbour Estate, with the Canadian aerospace giant also agreeing to buy electricity generated by the plant, which will be used to power its aerospace activities in Belfast.

This was a pathfinder project being the first large scale EfW facility in Northern Ireland.

These projects take time as parties tread carefully when considering risk allocation points with new technologies and no precedent deals to reference. The regulatory timeframe to construct the plant presents challenges and in order to qualify for the renewables obligation (RO) grace period, the plant must commission by the end of March 2018. It helps maintain the competiveness of our one of our leading manufacturing businesses in Northern Ireland.

As the only Chambers Band 1 Ranked Firm for Energy in Northern Ireland, we were pleased to have the expertise on hand to support the project, and believe it could be a catalyst for other large-scale energy users to examine potential reduced costs via on-site generation.

NI Chamber 63

feature Bringing their talent to Northern Ireland are: Julien Bellue, Valerie Hogg, Roisin Moss and Rory Higgins.

BRINGING TALENT HOME

A successful campaign led by recruitment consultancy Abacus has seen dozens of professionals with much in demand skills come to Northern Ireland after working abroad and take up jobs. Ambition profiles some of those who have brought their talent home.

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ocal recruitment consultancy Abacus has recently achieved something of a milestone. It has now helped more than 100 professionals from the Accountancy & Finance, Legal and Information Technology sectors return or relocate to Belfast through its successful #BelfastforLife campaign.

The #BelfastforLife campaign launched in October 2015 and since then has seen Abacus partner with over 30 leading local businesses together with global networking organisation Northern Ireland Connections.

The campaign was designed to promote all that Northern Ireland has to offer to ex-pats and potential re-locators. A major focus

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centred upon educating people, based across the globe, on key local facts such as the well-priced property market, low commuting times, reasonable cost of living and great lifestyle events, not just the excellent job opportunities available.

With the support of businesses such as EY, Tughans, Cayan and others, the awareness and interest raised at promotional events was significant.

Commenting on the success Abacus Director Justin Rush said: “For too long, many of our most capable and gifted talent, upon completion of studies, have migrated to job opportunities in Dublin, London, and beyond. The accepted logic was that Belfast did not have enough high-calibre

career opportunities to meet the demand.”

According to Justin things have changed in recent years.

“Working everyday with some of the most progressive organisations in the country, my team know that people from Northern Ireland, who have gained experience in UK, EU, US or further afield, are in high demand for job opportunities locally right now.

Belfast has increasing demands for qualified and experienced Accountants, Lawyers and IT professionals. Our clients are always keen to engage with professionals that possess global/big-city experience.”

So much so in fact, that Belfast is now becoming a venue of choice for professionals from other EU countries to live and work in.

Julien Bellue Software Developer with Cayan Julien is an experienced software developer originally from Bordeaux in France. He has spent time living and working in France, Vietnam and Republic of Ireland over an eight year period before coming to Belfast.

“Belfast is very cool and gives me everything that I need. It’s a modern city with a strong tech centre. I think more and more people will realise Belfast is a good place to be based from.”

Rory Higgins Senior Lawyer with Tughans Originally from South East England, Rory is a Senior Lawyer who has worked within leading firms in London, Dublin and now in Belfast. Rory now lives close to Belfast with his wife and children.

“For me the work-life balance is much better here than where I lived previously. It's also great to be among family and friends, plus housing is a lot more affordable than the south east of England. My job is similar to what I did previously, but the environment is much more collegiate. My career is still on track.”

Roisin Moss Recruitment Consultant with Abacus Roisin is a Law graduate from John Moores University, who upon graduation travelled around South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand undertaking

Noticeable populations of French, German and Dutch professionals have now developed in the city.

Encouraged by the feedback from participants in the campaign, the Abacus team have decided to take #BelfastforLife

a number of office based positions along the way.

Having that period of work and travel allowed her to gain experience of different cities and effectively assess what Belfast could offer her.

“It was only while I was away living in other cities in Australia and New Zealand that I was able to appreciate all that we had on offer back home.

“We have a strong base of high-quality businesses offering great opportunities alongside a developing social and cultural scene. Belfast has the feel of a growing city and I love being here while it continues to develop.”

Valerie Hogg Senior Accountant with EY Originally from Northern Ireland, Valerie trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant and undertook assignments across Europe. She returned home after nearly 10 years of living and working in SE Asia and New Zealand.

“When we decided to return to Belfast we didn’t know what to expect and we’ve been surprised at how easy it’s been to find new jobs, set up our home and develop a good social circle of friends after only a few months back in the city. Belfast has changed significantly since I last lived here and I believe it encapsulates the benefits of working in a ‘small city’ with all the ‘big city benefits’. Excellent work opportunities, re-connecting with family and friends and a re-vamped city have made the move back very worthwhile.”

on tour in 2016. Having already delivered meet-up events in Dublin and London to expat audiences this year, the team at Abacus are planning future events in Manchester, Edinburgh and beyond. The goal of the Abacus team is to ensure ex-pats ‘bring their

talent home.’ *If you wish to find out more about how you can get involved in this campaign visit www.abacus.jobs/ BelfastforLife or contact Justin Rush via justin@abacus.jobs

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NI Chamber 65

columnist

The rainbow nation has lost its colour SOUTH AFRICA, GRIPPED BY FINANCIAL SCANDALS, IS ON A DOWNWARD SPIRAL, WRITES IAN RAINEY, FORMER INTERNATIONAL BANKER.

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hen I emigrated to South Africa I had a letter of introduction to Gordon Waddell from Sid Millar and Willie John McBride. All three had been on the British Lions Rugby Tour in 1962 during which Waddell met Mary Oppenheimer and returned the following year to marry her. As an Oxford graduate, Waddell was brought into the top echelons of Anglo American Corporation. My letter of introduction was sufficient for him to recommend my appointment as a Legal Adviser to one of Anglo’s subsidiaries.

In those days Anglo American and its largest subsidiary De Beers Consolidated Diamond Mines were by far the most successful conglomerates on the African continent. Founded by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer in 1917, Anglo acquired De Beers in 1926. The economic success of South Africa during the apartheid era was based on its mining industry and on the farming industry driven by a largely Afrikaans population. Anglo American’s market valuation peaked at $107 billion in 2007 and Tom

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Ekin, former Lord Mayor of Belfast, and I were proud to have been employed by the Group during this period. Unfortunately, in December 2015 the market valuation of the Anglo stock reached an all-time low of $8.7 billion, highlighting the biggest loss of the Group in its 99 year history. The present Chief Executive, Mark Cutifani, has unveiled proposals for a sweeping break-up of the beleaguered Group, with plans to close all but 16 of its mines and slash two thirds of its 127,000 strong work force. It is probably also true to say that 2007 was the zenith of the African National Congress, the party founded by Nelson Mandela which came to power in 1994. The year 2008 saw the elevation to the Presidency of Jacob Zuma who, like Mandela, enjoyed a considerable stay in prison on Robben Island. Unlike his predecessors Mbeki and Mandela, Zuma was not ‘A man of letters’ but he did represent the Zulu community which was then and remains the biggest tribal group in the country.

Unfortunately for South Africa barely a month goes past but President Zuma is associated with another major scandal. March and April 2016 will take some beating.

The month of March introduced a new name to Zuma scandal mongering – that of the Gupta family.

Originally from India the Guptas moved to South Africa in 1993 and have since built a business empire with interests mainly in mining and media. Quite how far their reach may stretch was underscored last month when the Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas alleged in an official Finance Ministry Press release that members of the Gupta family had offered him the position of his boss, that of the Minister of Finance. It was uncanny that the Finance Minister changed three times in four days as Zuma struggled to get approval for some of his most outrageous demands for financing. One of these was the financing of a new fleet of Airbuses for South African Airways which Finance Minister Nene refused to approve. More outlandish was the revelation of Zuma’s extensive

relationships with former President Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin of Russia which had been going on since 2010 and which were based on the provision by Russia of a 9000 megawatt nuclear procurement programme. This was to allow a Russian conglomerate Rosatom to build up to 9 nuclear reactors in South Africa at a cost of $60-$100 billion. Tucked in behind this was the need to increase the supply of South African uranium from 290 tons per year to 3,300 tons per year once all the reactors were operational. And behind all this was the Gupta family’s acquisition of the Shiva Uranium mine in the north-west Transvaal for a sum of $37.3 million, reputedly at a discount of $242 million, or put another way the mine was acquired by the Guptas for about 14 per cent of its value. Wrapped up in the new ownership of the mine was Zuma’s son, Duduzane and the Gupta brothers. It has since transpired that the agreement with Russia and Rosatom was signed on 25 November 2013 but was only made public on Christmas Eve 2015. The ensuing row has been such that South Africa’s four major banks have walked away from financing any Gupta companies. The net effect is that the Guptas have been left financially high and dry and KPMG have refused to continue to audit the financials of the family companies.

On Thursday 15 April the Gupta family left Lansing Airport near Johannesburg in their private jet together reputedly with enough luggage for 20 people. It is not expected that they will return.

However, the links to Zuma will not vanish as quickly and the scandal surrounding his spending some $20 million on fortifications to his homestead in Zululand could prove miniscule compared to his shenanigans with Presidents Medvedev and Putin. Desmond Tutu, the former celebrated Archbishop of Cape Town, encapsulates the sorry state that the country now finds itself in when he said recently: “Our Rainbow Nation that so filled the world with hope, is being reduced to a grubby shadow of itself. The fabric of the nation is splitting.”

sponsored feature

Devenish receives Queen’s Award for Enterprise for international trade and commercial success achieved by its international division, Devenish Nutrition International.

Devenish Nutrition International was set up in 2012 in line with the Devenish Group’s international growth strategy, and since then has shown exceptional growth. Offering innovative, vitamin and mineral premix, neonatal feeds and nutritional solutions to the feed and food industry, the company now trades in over 25 countries worldwide.

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise, recognised as the UK’s highest accolade for business success, recognises outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the areas of innovation, international trade, and sustainable development.

Leading animal nutrition company Devenish has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of the exceptional growth

Owen Brennan, Devenish Group Executive Chairman, commented: “It is a great honour to be recognised through this prestigious award, and I would like to applaud the efforts of our international team and the Devenish

group as a whole, all of whom have contributed to the phenomenal growth of our export business. We strive to go beyond nutrition, building our business through the talent and expertise of our people; the integrity of our brand and customer service, our independent nature and international outlook. When we launched our international division we set out to grow the business organically year on year by 75%, and we are very pleased with our progress.”

“We spend over £30million each year on innovation and this has proved to be a solid foundation for business growth, both locally and internationally. We have also invested heavily in developing new markets and expect to see this translated into further significant growth in the coming years. We are committed to providing a world class, value-added offering for our customers worldwide and we are excited about future growth opportunities for the business as we continue to expand our international presence,” he concluded.

An appetite for growth in Agri Food sector

By William Thompson, Head of Agri at Bank of Ireland UK.

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orthern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink 2016 provides our local food producers, a platform to showcase the quality that we have in the Agri Food sector. As a sector, Agri Food is currently worth £4.5 billion to the Northern Ireland economy with a target to raise this to £7.5 billion by 2020. Given that the sector accounts for a quarter of employment and a quarter of manufacturing exports, it is safe to say that the Agri Food sector touches every aspect of society from our local producers and farmers through to retailers and consumers.

Ensuring support for continued growth within the sector is something that we are

committed to as a Bank. The upcoming Connecting for Growth programme ‘Meet the buyer’ event in Newry sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK will provide local producers with an opportunity to pitch to buyers including Tesco, Avondale Foods and Coca Cola Hellenic.

Attendees can also access business advice and network to explore the potential of doing business together.

In acknowledging the export potential of our Agri Food companies we also must acknowledge the importance of innovation and technology to allow our companies to compete on a global stage and strengthen their export capability. In March, Bank of Ireland UK provided over 45 Northern Ireland dairy farmers with an opportunity to visit the UK

Dairy Expo in Carlisle. Attracting a global audience, local farmers were able to experience and learn from farmers across England, Wales, Scotland and further afield. The trip also offered a visit to Ve-Tech Holsteins, the first fully automated dairy farm within the UK. On 18 & 19 June, there will be a mix of fun, food and farming as we launch the annual Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend. The programme is an educational, engaging and fun opportunity to learn more about agriculture and food production, and will give a valuable insight into the supply chain from field to fork. Over 21,000 people visited farms across Northern Ireland in the 2015 initiative and we look forward to similar numbers this June.

Full details: www.openfarmweekend.com

NI Chamber 67

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Is your Workplace Ready for the Millennials?

By Matt McCloskey, Sales & Marketing Director, eir Business NI

Practical things to consider:

Attracting top talent often means creating a Millennialfriendly workplace.

This transformed workplace is one where flexibility is encouraged and supported in an environment that protects both the worker and the enterprise.

Millennials have been connected to a range of devices for most of their lives and value Matt McCloskey, Sales & Marketing the greater flexibility Director, eir Business NI and collaboration that tools such as IM, social networks, video-communications and Wi-Fi bring. HR and IT need to work hand-in-hand to make digital collaboration tools ‘must-have’ not ‘nice-to-have’.

• Determine an acceptable usage policy for each of the tools employees use.

• Clearly state what classification of information can be communicated via IM. Your policy may want to include the company’s right to monitor usage.

• Ensure personal devices that are used for work purposes are password-protected.

• Draw up a list of applications that are acceptable to use on own/company devices so employees are aware of what is considered safe.

• Make sure the workplace policy covers accessing sensitive data from a personal device and use of Wi-Fi hotspots.

• Consider investing in a mobile device management (MDM) solution if flexible working is prevalent to track, monitor and secure employee interactions.

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FIRM OFFERING EXPERT HELP FOR SMES LAUNCHES IN NORTHERN IRELAND With the launch of Citation in Northern Ireland, there’s a new way for SMEs across the region to access a host of professional business services including HR, Employment Law, Health and Safety and ISO accreditation. The Manchester headquartered company is expanding across the Irish Sea to establish itself in Northern Ireland, and will be based in Belfast. Looking to increase its turnover in 2016, the award-winning company has recruited a team of four initially that will be headed up by local Belfast lady Angela Prior.

There are approximately 118,000 SMEs in Northern Ireland, with these small to medium sized businesses providing 75% of employment and 75% of turnover in the private sector, the move should significantly enhance Citation’s expansion plans this year and beyond. Furthermore, 80% of Northern Ireland’s SMEs have ambitious plans for growth, opening up plenty of opportunities for Citation and its professional services, which help businesses with their human resources requirements, health and safety needs and necessary ISO accreditations. Citation currently employs 384 people, having quadrupled in size in the last three years, with the company expecting on-going growth in the coming years, of which the market in Northern Ireland will play a large part.

For further information, please visit www.citation.co.uk.

70 NI Chamber

columnist

Video is in the picture

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t used to be enough just to have a presence on one of the main social channels and the safest bet for most companies was Facebook. However, as with the entire digital landscape, social is diversifying and evolving and brands need to be aware of all available channels and the pros and cons for each, particularly for their own audiences.

It was only a few years ago we were told that in the increasingly busy social arena, images equal engagement; if your post didn’t contain an image, people would not take notice. The idiom “a picture speaks a thousand words” was often used. Just as most brands have now gotten to grips with this, we are now being told the focus has shifted. Video is where it is at. With 49 per cent of 25-34 year olds watching online videos daily (Google Consumer Barometer), the numbers speak for themselves.

For many years online video was seen as a cost effective way to extend reach of a TV commercial. However with the predictions that online video advertising will be the fastest growing ad format in 2016, brands need to realise that is it so much more than that. A recent US-based survey from digital entertainment company Defy Media, shows Gen Z and young millennial consumers consider digital video “their daily lifeline”. A total of 51 per cent of 13-24 year olds said they

cannot live without YouTube, and 48 per cent watch video on the main social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat and Twitter). The online consumption habits of consumers in the UK support this, with YouTube being the second most visited site after Google and followed closely

by Facebook.

It is interesting to see Facebook have been changing their position over the past few years to set themselves up as not only a social media platform, but a destination to consume video content. Back in 2014 when the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ was at its peak, more than 1billion people per day were watching its videos, in 2015 a new milestone of more than 4bn daily video views was reached (Forbes, 2015).

The growth in Facebook’s video activity has been phenomenal and was primarily due to the introduction of auto play videos in 2014. There had been a lot of speculation that the newsfeed algorithm had been tweaked to show bias towards video for Facebook. Many cynics out there believed that this shift is solely due to this social giant wanting to compete and take revenue away for the video platform of choice, YouTube. Whilst this may be the case, it is also the format consumers are demanding.

One difference is that Facebook videos tend to be shorter than on YouTube, and in the UK 55 per cent

of the videos watched were less than 5minutes long. This jumps to 65 per cent when viewed on a mobile device, which aligns with Facebook users habits. Not only is Facebook a threat to YouTube but they are now rivalling Periscope with the launch of their live real-time video posts.

What does this emphasis on video really mean for businesses? Facebook have already said that they will favour any live video activity ahead of regular video and archived feeds, so we will begin to see brands move away from the safety of perfectly edited videos, to live streaming where there is less control and finesse. Some top companies like GE, Red Bull and Adidas have successfully incorporated live streaming in their digital activity.

If you are not ready to jump into the world of live streaming just yet, it is vital that brands remember digital video consumption is different.

The emphasis should be on short sharp, engaging content to ensure you are seen and remembered. It doesn’t have to be standard video either. There are other motion based formats out there that could work really well for your brand whether it’s the looping GIF or the subtle hypnotising movement of the Cinemograph.

Engaging content is key and it’s important to keep moving with the times, literally!

Video killed the radio star, so who’s next? Orla McKibbin, Head of Media NI at ICAN examines the question.

NI Chamber 71

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Asset based lending Business changing finance

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Dinner 2016’ on Wednesday 4 May. Susie McCullough, Director of Sales and Marketing at the venue commented, “We were delighted that the Champions’ Dinner was our first business event in the newly reopened venue, marking a new era for events in Belfast.”

To discover how the Waterfront could stage your next event, contact the sales team on 028 9033 4400, email conference@waterfront.co.uk or visit www.waterfront.co.uk

feature

Randox gallops ahead An exciting new partnership sees Randox Health sponsor the Grand National writes Adrienne McGill.

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Randox Founder, Dr Peter Fitzgerald.

rom next year, millions of race-goers and television viewers across the world will see the name of one of Northern Ireland’s leading healthcare companies emblazoned on signage at the Grand National.

Co Antrim-based Randox Health will sponsor the three-day festival and showpiece horse race at Aintree from 2017 in its 170th year in a five-year deal.

Randox Health is a world leader in healthcare diagnostics with more than 370 million people using its products. The company is dedicated to improving health and enhancing lives worldwide. To achieve this, Randox engages in extensive research and has invested more than £220 million since 1992. This research has also led to the establishment of a number of successful subsidiary companies supporting forensic toxicology, food safety and veterinary care as well as leading developments within the pharmaceutical industry.

It was founded founded in Crumlin in 1982 by leading medical scientist and keen horseman, Dr Peter FitzGerald. The company currently employs more than 1,400 people of 44 different nationalities.

With around 9 million people tuning in each year in the UK, the £1 million Grand National currently attracts one of the largest live TV audiences in sport and Channel 4’s largest audience of the year. From 2017, the first year with new partner Randox Health, the race will be broadcast on ITV. Worldwide, the event attracts an estimated television audience of around 600 million.

Randox replaces the drinks firm Crabbies as sponsor.

Dr FitzGerald said: “The Randox Health team is extremely pleased to partner the world’s greatest race.

“The Grand National offers us a major public platform to raise awareness of preventative healthcare and to encourage people to take control of their health and wellbeing.

“We see this partnership as a natural fit, as both organisations invest heavily in the future and we aim to use our partnership to promote a positive lifestyle and to bring enjoyment to millions of people. We care about people’s health and this is the people’s race.”

Randox Health also becomes the Official Healthcare Partner of The Jockey Club which runs many of the sport’s most prestigious events such as the Cheltenham Festival.

The Jockey Club, which was founded in 1750, is British Racing’s largest commercial group.

Simon Bazalgette, Chief Executive of the Jockey Club, said: “It is fantastic to see a new brand in racing, particularly one with such opportunities and possibilities as Randox – a healthcare company – that is something that is very important for horse racing as well. I think this will be a great partnership.

“Randox is about investing in people and the health of people. The Jockey Club reinvests everything back into people and racing to make sure the world of racing and horses is as healthy as it can be going forward. There are lots of ways that we can bring out the links between what the Jockey Club does and what Randox does.”

Senior Manager at Randox Mark Campbell described the partnership as “a very exciting opportunity” for the company.

“From next year more than 600 million people around the world will become aware of the Randox Health brand and allow us to power the growth of our business,” he said.

“The Grand National is an iconic international brand and this is a very exciting opportunity for us. We have always had a very strong veterinary division so equestrian welfare has always been part of the Randox business.

We believe this will be an ideal platform to increase the knowledge and understanding of what we do.”

NI Chamber 73

Healthy businesses

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henever I have a complex business decision to make, I think of the dentist.

The main reason I imagine myself in the chair is because of the fantastic levels of trust that people put in their dentist, or indeed other carers, pharmacists or physiotherapists, to perform difficult and sensitive work for their benefit. It’s more than just a transactional relationship. Trust, built on good experiences and longstanding relationships, helps people to overcome their fear, provides reassurance with complex topics and leads to better outcomes. That’s an approach that chimes strongly with my outlook and it’s one of the reasons that we at Ulster Bank are so keen to work closely with the healthcare sector.

Healthcare is part of Northern Ireland’s

By Nigel Walsh, Director, Commercial Banking, Ulster Bank services sector – the largest part of the economy, and something that touches us all, either directly or through the experiences of our friends and relatives, often at vulnerable and distressing times. Trust and loyalty, once earned, are long-lasting and consistent as long as a provider delivers what they say they will and works collaboratively with the patient or customer.

It can be challenging. In this new, technology-led environment, people are more active consumers of their own health and this can make them more demanding about what they expect from a provider.

There are also cost pressures on staffing, as well as higher than normal levels of inflation from new technology. But my experience is that those businesses that have cemented customer trust are most adept at meeting

Business leaders help to ‘Make Millions’ for The Prince’s Trust

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EAMS from Northern Ireland’s top companies have raised £36,660 to help disadvantaged young people in Northern Ireland, in a competitive battle of entrepreneurial skills during The Prince’s Trust ‘Million Makers’ fundraising challenge.

Over the past six months, business teams from Capita, Translink, ShredBank and Concentrix have endeavoured to turn £1,500 Veronica McKinney from Translink which won the ‘Million Makers’ fundraising challenge with Prince’s Trust Young Ambassadors, Ryan Morris and Natalie Coffey.

74 NI Chamber

of seed funding from a ‘Dragons Den’-style investment into £36,660 to help young people into work.

Translink won the competition by selling advertising space on their website, organising spinathons at its stations, taking part in the Mourne Challenge and a French Village Bake Sale.

Speaking at the final, John Lundy, Executive

these challenges. The levels of innovation that I see – both products and processes – also makes it an exciting one to work with, particularly as we rise to the opportunity of how to serve people who are living for longer.

At Ulster Bank we recently invested around £3m in recharging our brand based on this insight – that customers’ trust is one of the greatest indicators of whether or not they’ll do business with you. I’m pleased to see this being put into action, with our support for examples of best practice in the sector.

We are proud to play our part in supporting a sector that has significant potential for innovation – innovation that has a positive impact on our quality of life and delivers meaningful help for what matters most to people.

and Business Support Manager with Translink, said: “We are thrilled and proud to have won the Million Makers challenge and delighted that our efforts will support The Prince’s Trust to help disadvantaged young people turn their lives around.”

The Million Makers initiative has raised over £6 million for The Prince’s Trust in the eight years it has been running in order to support 13-30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school or at risk of exclusion.

The competition, which has supported more than 45,477 young people, is a learning and development tool proven to build essential business skills and motivate employees.

Mark Dougan, Acting Director of The Prince’s Trust in Northern Ireland, said: “We are very thankful to all the companies involved not only for the funds raised to support unemployed and struggling young people but also for helping to raise awareness of the many issues that our young people face such as homelessness or mental health problems,” he added.

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged young people to get their lives on track. The Trust’s programmes give vulnerable young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives, helping develop self-esteem and skills for work.

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what’s in it for me?

HOW NI CHAMBER HAS HELPED MY BUSINESS WITH…DAVID HENRY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF HENRY BROTHERS.

Describe your Business Henry Brothers was founded in 1976 by my father, Jim Henry, as a small Construction Company that has grown from humble beginnings to one of Northern Ireland’s top 10 Construction Companies.

Henry Brothers is a leading privately owned multi-disciplinary chartered building, civil engineering, manufacturing and facilities management company.

We offer a full spectrum of services with expertise in Education, Defence, Policing, Prisons, Housing, Civic Buildings & Amenities, Industrial, Commercial, Healthcare, Leisure, Transport and Historical Restorations. From concept to completion and beyond we provide high quality, cost effective, sustainable solutions, personalised to our client’s specific needs. We have accumulated a portfolio of award winning projects of varying types which have been built across the UK. What makes your Business stand out?

Our business is run as a family business and our core values are focused on fairness, integrity and value for money, delivered in a spirit of enthusiastic cooperation and unrivalled commitment to complete client satisfaction. Our aim for excellence is embodied in our “right first time, every time” approach.

Our success and growth has been founded on the application of solid management principles and the employment, motivation

and retention of widely experienced and professional staff that ensure that we continually focus on all aspects of project performance: high quality construction, innovation, integrity and dependability.

We are extremely proud of the fact that we are the only contractor in the UK to have secured a place on all the MOD NGEC Regional Frameworks for Scotland, East England and South East England and South West England. These frameworks are programmed to deliver over £1 billion of construction projects over the next five years.

How has NI Chamber helped your company achieve its goals?

By attending Chamber events we have been able to meet new and potential clients and actually tendered and won a contract that we may not even have considered had we not met the client at a previous event. In construction, deals are not going to be done on the day but it is beneficial to be aware of what potential work may be in the pipeline and speaking to the client or end user about their plans and vision for the future gives us a clear insight of their expectations.

We have also hosted a “Minister On The Move” event at our premises in Magherafelt, which gave other local business the opportunity to come and see everything that we do and how we do it.

The networking opportunities offered by the Chamber are fantastic and it’s often

useful to see how others do things and if these procedures can be incorporated into our business to our benefit.

What would your advice be to other NI Chamber members to help get the most from their membership?

I suppose that we have always been a fairly “back seat” company who didn’t seek the limelight or any type of exposure but as times have changed we have had to adapt and realised that you have to put yourself out there and in effect blow your own trumpet.

The Chamber is an excellent platform for doing that.

I would also say that no matter how big or small your business is, you should seek to attend as many events as are relevant to your business, sometimes meeting the right contact is enough to get your business on the path towards your vision and aspirations.

How has Chamber membership helped you and your staff develop a professional skillset?

Overall I would say that from a personal and a company perspective, we have gained much more confidence. We have always known that we do a good job but we were not very good at telling our story, now we are being asked to host events, attend events as guest speakers and we are in a much better position to promote the services we offer.

NI Chamber 75

columnist

Brexit A fully informed decision?

Prime Minister David Cameron’s ambitious plans for EU reform may impact the referendum result, says NI Chamber Economist Maureen O’Reilly.

I

ncomplete information. This is the first thing that springs to mind for me when it comes to the whole debate around Brexit. We are being asked to make a decision without full knowledge of all of the facts and particularly consequences of that decision. There is no one ‘go to’ place to find out about the implications or not of leaving the EU and competing political agendas makes it very difficult to objectively assess the consequences. How then can we make what in economic terms is known as a ‘rational choice’

or put simply choosing what we as individuals believe is likely to have the best overall outcome?

One aspect of the EU referendum debate for which there are facts centres around Prime Minister David Cameron’s attempt to renegotiate the terms of the UK’s membership of the EU ahead of the referendum.

The Conservative Party’s 2015 Manifesto, committing to an in-out EU referendum, talked about reforming ‘the workings of the EU which is too big, too bossy and too bureaucratic’. By November 2015,

David Cameron had written a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk requesting EU reform in four key areas: economic governance, competitiveness, sovereignty and immigration. In essence David Cameron suggested that if reforms were achieved under these key areas then he would be ready to campaign to remain within a reformed EU. He was not explicit about what would happen if the reforms were not agreed but he made the statement that he would ‘rule nothing out’.

So what of the key asks around these four areas of reform?

Under economic governance, Cameron placed a strong focus on the issue of currency – that there should be recognition that the EU has more than one currency and that non-Euro EU countries should never be penalised in any way for not being part of the eurozone.

This raised issues around the protection of the Single Market and ensuring that decisions were not taken to the detriment of EU countries outside the eurozone.

In terms of competitiveness, the Prime Minister said that the EU needed 1) a target to cut total burden on business, 2) to fulfil its commitment to free flow of capital, goods and services, and 3) a clear long-term commitment to boost the competitiveness and productivity of the EU and to drive growth and

76 NI Chamber

jobs for all.

Cameron noted the sovereignty issue as a particular area of concern and made three proposals around this including 1) to end Britain’s obligation to work towards an ‘ever closer union’ as set out in the Treaty ‘in a formal, legally-binding and irreversible way’ 2) to enhance the role of national parliaments, by proposing a new arrangement where groups of national parliaments, acting together, could stop unwanted legislative proposals, and 3) to see the EU’s commitments to subsidiarity, that is the level of governance (EU, national, regional or local) at which action should be taken, fully implemented. Cameron also stated that ‘National Security is – and must remain – the sole

responsibility of Member States’.

The final set of asks centred on immigration. Cameron stated in his letter to Tusk that while ‘the UK believes in an open economy’ it could not cope with the pressure that free movement was placing on services. Key asks in relation to immigration included 1) that free movement would not apply to new EU countries until their economies had converged much more closely with existing Member States, 2) to crack down on abuse of free movement, 3) that people coming from the EU to the UK had to live there and contribute for four years before qualifying for in-work benefits or social housing, and 4) that the practice of sending child benefit overseas should be ended.

In February 2016, after an intense period of consultation involving all EU member states and European Council, Donald Tusk put forward a proposal for a new settlement to address the concerns raised by David Cameron. He stated in his letter that in his mind ‘it goes really far in addressing all the concerns raised by Prime Minister Cameron’ although taking care not to cross the line in terms of the principles on which the European project was founded. The ‘Tusk Package’ was described as ‘a good basis for a compromise’. Most of the substance of the proposal would take the form of legally binding decisions. The set of agreements only become effective on the date that the UK informs the Secretary-General of the European Council that the United Kingdom has decided to remain a member of the European Union.

On economic governance, principles were set out which meant

that further monetary union could take place for those in the eurozone which could be voluntary for noneurozone States and that there would be mutual respect between both. On competitiveness, a commitment was made to increase efforts to enhance competitiveness.

This included regular assessment of progress in simplifying legislation and reducing the burden of business red tape. On sovereignty, it was proposed that the UK did not have to commit to further political integration.

Respect for subsidiarity was also reinforced. On immigration, Tusk re-enforced the EU’s commitment to the principles of freedom of movement and non-discrimination but outlined an approach to dealing with issues relating to ‘better fighting abuse of free movement’. It is on the immigration issue that Cameron’s key asks are thought to have fallen short.

This is because the deal provided for

an ‘emergency brake’ on migrants’ in-work benefits for four years in ‘exceptional’ levels of migration but not the outright ban Cameron requested. Migrants would still be able to send benefits to their children abroad, just in lower amounts than they currently do.

Perhaps the decision on how to vote in the EU referendum depends on the weight that you attach to these four key areas of reform?

For example, how significant is immigration as an issue for you and how far have the proposals in the Tusk Package gone towards assuaging any concerns? There may be other aspects of EU membership that you believe are more important or perhaps it simply comes down to what you believe is better for the economy. Hopefully by the time we get to vote some more of the EU referendum information void will have been filled!

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NI Chamber 77

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Emma Hunt and Ralph Bauer

Gillian McAuley, Kiera Lee and John Greer

John Kearns with some of the Mills Selig team.

MILLS SELIG DARE TO DREAM

Mills Selig, one of Northern Ireland’s leading commercial law firms, hosted a recent event in Belfast to unveil their new brand. The ‘Dare to Dream’ event, attended by many of the firm’s impressive client list, supported a call for business leaders to positively change their future by ‘believing in the impossible and thinking differently’. The shift in thinking paradigm was delivered by guest speaker, international TedX speaker, innovator and change agent, Marcus Orlovsky. Mills Selig Managing Director, John Kearns, presented the bold new look for the firm’s brand and their continued commitment to value, understanding and expertise.

Mills Selig 21 Arthur St, Belfast BT1 4GA Phone: 028 9024 3878 www.millsselig.com

Guest speaker, Marcus Orlovsky.

Fiona Barbour and Peter Barbour.

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Peter Kelly and Lauren Browne.

William McIntyre and Anna-Marie McAlinden.

John Hannaway and Mark Earnshaw.

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For more information about Smarter Field Workforce Coordination, visit www.esri-ireland.ie/workforce

appointments

new appointments

Leading accountancy and advisory firm Baker Tilly Mooney Moore has appointed Donal Laverty (left) and Stephen McConnell (right) as Partners. They are pictured with the firm’s Chairman, Desmond Mooney.

Ryan Kilfedder joins digital agency The Tomorrow Lab as Senior Web Manager.

Claire Reid has been appointed as Head of Delivery by 4c Executive Search.

Raymond McGinley has been appointed as General Counsel with Moy Park’s Senior Finance and Legal team.

Neville Bell has been appointed as General Manager of Solmatix Renewables.

PARTNERSHIP.EXPERIENCE.IMPACT. 32 years connecting talent and opportunity

Banking & Finance | Technology | Engineering | HR | Sales & Marketing www.graftonrecruitment.com ambition strip ad May 2015.indd 1

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17/08/2015 12:22:29

Construction on the rise

By Patrick McDade, Grafton Recruitment Specialist.

The Northern Ireland construction sector is gathering real momentum, and this is clearly evident with the new roles Grafton’s specialist Construction Team has recently registered.

Having spent the last number of weeks meeting with many of our regular clients and assessing their needs, both short and long-term, the common feedback seems to be on the demand for Senior Quantity Surveyors and the difficulty in sourcing these professionals, particularly those with experience working on project values of £20 million upwards.

It is a very plausible demand, as our local contractors are having fantastic success in tendering for UK-based contracts, where £20 million+ contracts are normal, whereas, it’s typically closer to the £10 million+ range in Northern Ireland.

The caveat must be whilst organisations will always hope to appoint those with experience of these larger contract values, we must be mindful that there is a limited candidate pool in this market locally.

Specialising in construction related recruitment, our advice to organisations would be to consider Intermediate level QS Professionals, who whilst initially may not

Roger Acton has been appointed as Head of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in Ireland (CIMA).

have the exposure of working on the larger contracts, still possess strong skill-sets and industry experience and will certainly have the drive and determination to succeed, if given the opportunity.

Whilst this may require additional support from the organisation in the short term, the pay off to the organisation will be they have helped to shape and develop the candidate’s skills and career, which is a huge selling point for organisations currently competing for talent in a market clearly short of skills, rather than simply competing on salary, which offers no long-term stability or loyalty from the employee.

We have also noticed a surge in the demand for Junior Quantity Surveyors and this is for a number of reasons, the most notable being salary demands, which currently are much lower and more affordable to Northern Ireland-based contractors.

However, from speaking to candidates daily, they should be mindful that while demand is high for their particular skillset, they need to be realistic about what renumeration packages are affordable to the organisation. Candidates should not just view a job opportunity as what is the best salary but what will offer the best career

Carol Magill has been appointed as network manager of CIM (The Chartered Institute of Marketing).

opportunities and therefore enhance future career prospects.

Currently there are 21 contracts out to tender over the £10 million value, including a new cruise ship berth for Belfast Harbour.

In addition there are two separate contracts totalling £29 million being tendered for in our very buoyant movie/TV industry, as well as further investment in education, healthcare and hospitality projects.

This is fantastic news for the Northern Ireland construction industry as a whole and should reflect the hard work being done by local firms to secure these contracts.

However, the question lies in where organisations will source the experience they require to oversee these contracts, once they come to fruition.

Grafton’s specialist Construction Team see this as an excellent opportunity for organisations to invest early in the Junior & Intermediate level QS market, ensuring the right mix of skills and people are in place, trained to the desired standards of the organisation, ensuring a proactive approach to future business and company hiring plans, which can truly make Northern Ireland flourish.

E:pmcdade@graftonrecruitment.com

Joanne Casey has recently taken up post as Senior Scientific Advisor (Dietary Health) in the Standards and Dietary Health Team at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland.

Danielle Scullion recently joined the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland as a Communications Officer.

PARTNERSHIP.EXPERIENCE.IMPACT. 32 years connecting talent and opportunity

Banking & Finance | Technology | Engineering | HR | Sales & Marketing www.graftonrecruitment.com ambition strip ad May 2015.indd 1

17/08/2015 12:22:29

NI Chamber 81

feature

mums with power Angela Halpenny is Head of Environmental Regulation with Northern Ireland Water (NI Water).

She is married to Brian and the couple have two daughters, Lauryn (18) and Ella (12).

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Describe your job I have worked with NI Water for almost 25 years and am responsible for managing the company’s environmental regulatory duties.

This includes the development of a scientific advisory function that will enable NI Water to monitor the performance of wastewater services. I have direct responsibility for the interface between NI Water and the environmental regulators, including submission of all wastewater and waste regulatory compliance reporting.

I also lead on the Pollution Reduction Strategy for NI Water. We are putting more focus on improving customer education on the appropriate use of the sewerage system. This is an area I am passionate about, because small changes in public behaviour can make such a difference to our beautiful natural environment.

We also try to reinforce strong messages to businesses about the importance of disposing of fat, oil and grease correctly. Many do not realise the serious harm they can do by pouring fat down the sink.

What is your favourite part of the day?

The end of the working day gives me time to reflect on my achievements and make plans for the following day. A lot of my work, however, is reactive, dealing with Environmental Information requests and queries from elected representatives or media, this requires a fast turn-around time and can play havoc with a well-intentioned schedule!

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

I try to ensure I get home in the evenings to enjoy home cooked family meals and take time to check homework and discuss how the day

went. Baking is my way of relaxing and getting quality time with the girls. We have produced some fantastic creations with pink being a popular colour theme. On many occasions I have hosted cake sales in work for WaterAid. When you work in a water company, you have a real appreciation of the value of water. As a mum, it is heartbreaking to know that millions of children still do not have access to basic water and wastewater facilities.

As a family, we love to relax on family weekend getaways and summer holidays.

How does having a child impact your personal and working life?

No doubt our lives revolve around the children’s routines for now. They are growing so quickly, this precious stage will soon be behind us, so all our focus is on ensuring the memories last a lifetime. Lauryn has passed her driving test, so that takes the pressure off the school runs. With the age gap between the girls, Lauryn can also babysit on occasion, so Brian and I can get a night out.

Are working mums in greater need of state support than stay-at-home mums?

I do not necessarily believe that working mums are in greater need of state support, but I suppose this is dependent on individual circumstances/financial arrangements. What I would suggest is that pre-school places are available to all children, which I believe would greatly assist working mums and help relieve the stress associated with juggling childcare arrangements. I am lucky that NI Water has some excellent flexible working arrangements and the primary school my children attended offered Breakfast Club and After-Schools Clubs, so I was satisfied the girls were happy in a safe environment with their friends.

Do you think you will always remain in employment?

Yes, I am really fortunate to be working in a job that is relevant to my academic and professional qualifications (MSc in Water Resource Management, Chartered Water and Environmental Manager and Chartered Environmentalist). I thoroughly enjoy the variety of challenges and satisfaction that my job brings, with no two days being the same.

As long as I continue to enjoy the job I plan to remain in employment.

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Congratulations!

We would like to congratulate the latest candidates to have been awarded Chartered Director status as a result of taking part in the Institute of Directors (“IoD”) Chartered Director Programme in Northern Ireland...

Alan Clarke C Dir, Alan Clarke Tourism, now a consultant, previously Alan was Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Mark Fegan C Dir, Bunzl, the leading supplier of non-food catering supplies to businesses, previously Mark was with CCEA and InBev

Be qualified to lead and be seen to be qualified to lead! The Institute of Directors (“IoD”) sets the standards for leadership in the UK and Ireland. Our highly acclaimed Chartered Director Programme is designed to ensure that the directors of today and tomorrow from all sectors can contribute effectively to major organisation-wide decisions. This ability to contribute and challenge on areas outside one’s particular functional background is critical for boards to be truly effective. With an annual Northern Ireland cohort and a further five cohorts starting each year in Dublin we are clearly the leader in our market segment. The first Dublin cohort to start this year sold out in two hours!

We offer 12½ days of face-to-face tuition over nine months including five two-day residentials on the themes of • • • • •

Role of the Director and the Board Strategy and Marketing Finance Leadership and Change Developing Board Performance

Our programme leads to the IoD Certificate (“Cert IoD”) and Diploma (“Dip IoD”) – afterwards we help many go on to become Chartered Directors – the “gold standard” for professional directors in the UK and Ireland and increasingly adopted worldwide. Some

Geraldine Gordon C Dir, Gordon Business Consultancy – Chartered Surveyor Geraldine did the IoD programme when with H & J Martin

Raymond Mulligan C Dir, one of four delegates from wealth management specialists Johnston Campbell to undertake the IoD programme

Allen Reid C Dir, Magerafelt-based Henry Group – at 34 Chartered Accountant Allen is NI’s youngest Chartered Director

300 people have obtained the IoD Diploma as a result of attending the programme in Northern Ireland in recent years and some 60 of these have progressed to achieve Chartered Director status – a mix of executive and nonexecutive directors, helping lift the standard of governance in Northern Ireland’s private, public and third sector organisations. Typically around 30% of our delegates are female. You do not have be a member of the IoD to take part but the substantial discount in fees for members makes it well worth joining the IoD before or during the early stages of the programme.

IoD membership brings with it a host of other benefits including local events, at which networking is always a strong attraction, and access to the IoD’s various premises, including the landmark headquarters on London’s Pall Mall.

an engaging, enjoyable style. Aimed at busy people there are no tedious assignments or dissertations to spoil your precious weekends!

There are however two exams, for which our delegates are well-prepared – our current delegates have just received the results of the March 2016 Certificate exam - they achieved a pass-rate of 100% and our delegates took an amazing 20% of the Distinctions awarded worldwide. The opportunities for networking and peer learning, during the programme and in our local Alumni group, feature highly in delegate feedback. Uniquely Northern Ireland and Dublin programme delegates are offered the option of free one-to-one coaching on finance, a topic in which some non-accountants can excel (despite some previously having phobias!), our average marks in finance being some 30% above those in other areas.

The five two-day residentials are held in five hotels in Co Down and Co Antrim, ranging from The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn to The Ballygally Castle Hotel on the Antrim Coast.

The shorter sessions are held at Riddel Hall, Belfast.

The next Northern Ireland programme starts on 19/20 Sept 2016 and finishes in June 2017.

If the local dates for a particular session do not suit we have at least two alternatives in Dublin.

Some financial support towards fees may be available – including up to six privately-funded bursaries for smaller companies and charities.

We draw upon the IoD’s unrivalled resources – approved facilitators who work internationally and understand the implementation issues rather than simply the theory, comprehensive programme materials and highly accessible on-line support. The modules are delivered in

For details and endorsements call Peter Martin on 028 9064 1131 or email directordevireland@gmail.com PS: it’s fun too!

“I really enjoyed the IoD programme. It was very thought-provoking and I made great contacts in very different professions. It takes you outside your comfort zone and encourages you to stand back and see what is important for any business and where your priorities should lie. I would thoroughly recommend the Chartered Director Programme to anyone wanting to make a difference in their organisation and career progression” – Joanne Grant, Managing Director of JCDecaux Ireland Ltd

CHARTERED DIRECTOR PROGRAMME are you qualified to lead?

news Ann McGregor (NI Chamber), Brian Murphy (BDO) and Maureen O’Reilly (NI Chamber Economist).

Assembly tasked to help manufacturers Higher value manufacturing has a future ACCORDING TO THE LATEST REPORT FROM NI CHAMBER AND BDO.

T

he Northern Ireland Assembly should establish a “taskforce” from the private sector charged with creating a positive plan for the manufacturing sector which will drive competitiveness.

That is one of the suggestions made by members of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) who were surveyed in the latest Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 of 2016 released

by NI Chamber in association with leading business advisers BDO. Most members believe Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector has a future particularly in higher value manufacturing but are concerned about the lack of government policy specifically targeted towards the sector.

Members are also concerned about the lack of effective energy strategies to support the industry and believe that addressing the issue of high energy costs should be the number one priority for the Assembly to support local manufacturers.

The survey, which was completed by almost 300 local businesses and analysed by NI Chamber Economist Maureen O’Reilly, was conducted against the background of a number of substantial job loss

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announcements recently in the sector.

Q1 2016 results show that local manufacturers are continuing to face considerable challenges. Over the quarter, manufacturing employment balances, reflecting balances of business taking on staff in the last 3 months and those expecting to in the next 3 months, both fell. Confidence in both turnover and profitability going forward has also fallen, investment intentions are lower and fewer manufacturers are operating at full capacity.

However, there were improvements in both manufacturing domestic sales and orders balances this quarter and both are now more positive than UK balances. There was also some small signs of pick up in export orders.

Meanwhile, exchange rates remain a challenge with more than twice as many members (45%) citing them as a key concern compared to this time two years ago.

Members suggest a range of initiatives to help the manufacturing sector including educational programmes which support young people in pursuing a career in skills suitable to the manufacturing sector and identifying factors which are most crucial to creating a more vibrant manufacturing base

including the early adoption of the lower corporation tax rate.

Northern Ireland’s service sector performance in a regional context continues to be poor generally across most of the indicators. Only 5 of the 14 key balances improved this quarter while 7 of the 14 fell.

The sector is in the bottom 3 performing UK regions for 10 of the 14 key balances.

There was an improvement in the domestic sales balance which increased by 10 points to +19%. The domestic balances remain low however compared to the UK average and the domestic order book looks particularly weak. The employment balance fell by 4 points to 11% in Q1. Fewer businesses appear to be taking on part-time staff. The cash flow balance also deteriorated falling by 19 points to +4% in Q1.

In light of the forthcoming Assembly elections, the survey also revealed how businesses believe that the most important government intervention that the next NI Executive can introduce to help support their business and help the Northern Ireland economy grow is to reduce corporation tax (24%). Some members asked for its early introduction while others expressed concern that it might not be implemented.

Other important interventions include

lowering business rates (13%) and ensuring that the UK remains within the EU (13%).

Concern was also expressed over growing payroll costs, particularly for small employers, in light of the introduction of policies including most recently the National Living Wage.

Commenting on the survey, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “There are some signs of growth in the Northern Ireland economy this quarter and it is positive to see an improvement in sales and a slight pickup in export orders in manufacturing. However the sense of uncertainty is palpable. More key balances weakened than strengthened and fewer businesses in both manufacturing and services took on staff during the last 3 months. It is concerning to note that many of the forward looking indicators point to a dampening of employment expectations, investment intentions and confidence going forward.

“Energy costs consistently dominate member concerns particularly in sectors such as manufacturing. NI Chamber welcomes the recently published recommendations of the Ministerial Energy & Manufacturing Advisory Group but would like to see the NI Executive put in place a plan of action to respond to those recommendations as a matter of urgency. Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector has a future but support from the Executive is crucial to give the sector a level playing field with other regions and countries.”

KEY POINTS OF THE SURVEY:

ANALYSIS

By Brian Murphy, Partner, BDO

C

urrent levels of confidence in the Northern Ireland economy have clearly been impacted by broader economic and political factors, none of which have been particularly positive in the year to date. Nevertheless, difficult headwinds have not undermined confidence in our ability to shape our economic future and we can take pride in the fact that manufacturing in Northern Ireland continues to hold its own against the rest of the UK. While any job losses are a blow, both

on a personal level and for the wider economy, they should be set against solid signs of improving demand for output from the region.

The real take-home message from the first Quarterly Economic Survey of 2016 is that the mood of industry is resolute but that Northern Ireland’s political establishment must meet its concerns with positive action. In particular, we need to see a concerted strategy that focuses on the region’s potential as a centre of high-value manufacturing excellence.

The Northern Ireland Assembly

must also take more aggressive steps to address issues around competitiveness and energy costs. As the region readies itself for the introduction of lower corporation tax, members of NI Chamber clearly want to see a greater sense of urgency and resolve from Stormont. The demand for an industry task force should be a clear wake up call to our politicians.

Only by working together in partnership will we ensure that Northern Ireland’s appeal to investors is as compelling and comprehensive as we believe and know it can be.

NI Chamber 85

sponsored feature

In profile: Frances Lundy, Managing Director of Riada Resourcing.

How did you start Riada Resourcing?

In the early 90’s, I was offered a temporary job in a now large recruitment agency. Eight weeks later, one of the founders asked me would I be interested in setting up a branch in Coleraine. I jumped at the chance. By 2000, I was looking after five offices, was never off the road and expecting our fourth child. It was time for a change and get more local, Riada and Eve were born. Through the support of local companies our business took off and we are still here sixteen years later.

Where does your energy, positivity and motivation come from?

I’ve always been competitive and always play to win. I thrive on people, business and sport. I have learned a lot from the people I do business with and I have made a lot of good business contacts but more importantly I have gained a lot of good friends. I lost my Dad when he was 50 and I was 19. His death was a pivotal point in my life, it got me focused. I was driven by not wanting to

let him down, he too was a people’s person. I do my best to get the most out of every day and delighted to be over 50 and loving recruitment.

You left Northern Ireland at 18, what brought you back?

I spent eight years in London where I ran my own sandwich business. Then we moved to Australia for three years, which I loved, working as the assistant to the Financial Controller of Arthur Young. However my husband had other plans and convinced me to return to Coleraine. We have been back for over 25 years and it was a good decision. You really have to leave Northern Ireland to appreciate what we have here. I get great satisfaction from encouraging others to come back home with their experiences and develop their career here.

What does the future hold for you and Riada Resourcing?

I was extremely proud of my team when we achieved Investors in People Gold award last year! It was recognition for what we believe in ‘people’. At Riada we do a lot of work with high growth companies and we get to do what we do best, recruiting staff quickly to a very high standard. Thankfully the companies we work with are growing and we constantly have to review and set clear goals as a team for the continued success of Riada. I believe the more you put in, the more you get back in life. I call it, paying it forward. Finally always employ people better than yourself, it’s how I continue to learn.

PRIME CITY CENTRE INVESTMENT SOLD Osborne King has sold the former Danske Bank building on Donegall Square North for a figure comfortably over the asking price of £5.75 million.

A Northern Irish-based investor has acquired the property.

The six-storey, mixed-use retail and office building provides the investor not only with the opportunity to benefit from Government income but also to let the fully fitted upper floor offices.

Richard McCaig, Associate Director of Osborne King, commented “This investment opportunity attracted keen interest, not only from local parties, but also from investors based in Dublin and London as well as international investments funds. There has been significant activity in the office sector over the last 24 months and the property represented a rare opportunity to acquire a prime building in Belfast’s most desirable office location. We are pleased to have delivered a successful sale and achieved what we believe to be a strong price for the asset.”

Osborne King has been retained by the new owner to let the upper floors, which offer accommodation ranging from c. 3,500 sq ft – 17,000 sq ft and the company is hopeful of achieving a rent somewhere in excess of £16.00 per sq ft.

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BUSINESS CLASS MOTORING

By James Stinson

18 Boucher Way, Belfast, BT12 6RE W: agnewcorporate.com

Business Class Motoring by James Stinson AD.V2.indd 1

Sponsored by

19/05/2015 14:26

lifestyle

Luxury style and comfort The new Tiguan had to be good and it is, writes James Stinson.

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S

ales of crossover cars are going through the roof and it’s easy to see why. You get more space, added practicality and that elevated driving position that somehow makes us feel safer.

And we really are spoilt for choice.

Take your pick from the Ford Kuga, Nissan’s Qashqai, the VW Tiguan, Renault Kadjar, Hyundai Tuscon, or Mazda CX-5 to name just a few.

They’re all exceptional cars.

The Tiguan has been around since 2008 so this entirely new model has arrived at just the right time.

As you’d expect, it’s lighter than its predecessor with more fuel efficient engines. But more importantly, it’s also bigger than the car it replaces, is better looking and feels considerably more luxurious.

The added luxury, style and comfort is a real bonus as VW looks to push the Tiguan into BMW X1 and Audi Q3 territory.

Practicality is king for crossover buyers and VW knows it. The all new platform means that even though the roofline’s slightly lower, there’s more headroom in this latest model. It’s also a bit longer and wider which means more legroom and a more spacious boot.

It boasts a class best 520 litres of space. Slide the rear seats bench forward and that rises to 615 litres.

Fold the rear seats over, creating a near-flat load area, and that rises to a massive 1,655 litres – still comfortably ahead of rivals.

Many Tiguans also have a front passenger seat that folds completely over to enable longer items to be swallowed with ease. It’s a really useful feature and complements the 40:20:40 split-folding rearseat arrangement. Watch out for a stretched seven-seat version later in the year.

There’s a pleasing feel to the cabin too, now fitted with a bespoke interior and not just one lifted from the Golf. The materials have a more upmarket feel while the dash, dials and infotainment system is more obviously angled towards and around the driver. It’s quiet too.

On the road, it feels agile and surefooted.... just like a Golf but with a better, airier view.

Engine options at launch are a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol that’s available in 123bhp and 148bhp forms, and a 2.0-litre diesel with 108bhp, 148bhp or 187bhp. Plus, buyers can choose between six-speed

manual and seven-speed automatic gearboxes, and the range will later be expanded to include a GTE plug-in hybrid model.

VW expects the 148bhp diesel will be the most popular. It delivers a zesty sub 10 second 0-60mph time and close to 60 mpg combined fuel economy, though you’ll need knock at least 10 per cent off that for real world driving. You can also choose between front or four-wheel-drive, with the latter adding around £1,500 to the asking price.

Another feather in the Tiguan’s hat is a towing capacity of up to 2,500 kg, which is unique in this class of compact SUVs – handy for horse boxes, caravans, and speedboats.

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welcome to the team Agnew Corporate appoint new Trainee Account Manager. programme as he builds the foundations for future years as a fully-fledged Account Manager at Agnew Corporate. He will spend time working alongside colleagues in the maintenance, accounts, disposals and sales departments of the company.

Coming from a background in sales and having already attained experience in the motor trade, Joshua brings an eagerness and enthusiasm to learn and hopes that his new role will help develop his knowledge and skills in delivering B2B sales and forging long-term customer relationships. This will allow him to become a valuable asset to the Agnew Corporate team whilst ensuring increased success towards his career.

“Having been given the opportunity as a Trainee Account Manager, I believe this will provide more than a sufficient understanding for my role ahead. This should also make it easier to display the passion I have for meeting new people, making it easier to build relationships and create new customers”.

Agnew Corporate are delighted to welcome Joshua Kernohan to the team.

Joshua has been appointed into the role of Trainee Account Manager and will follow a scheduled twelve-month training

The team at Agnew Corporate would like to congratulate Joshua on his newly appointed job role.

For information on vehicle requirements, contact Agnew Corporate on 028 9038 6600 or visit the website at www.agnewcorporate.com

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Audi goes up a gear with new A3 Audi is giving its big selling A3 range an update.

And in typical Audi fashion, there’s lots of clever stuff in here including a new pintsized 1-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. That will power the entry level version, available from £18,000, but there’s something in here for everyone, from 3-door Hatchback to 5-door Sportback, as well as Saloon and Cabriolet versions.

The other big changes include lots of neat stuff in the cabin,

including the option of having Audi’s Virtual Cockpit – a first for a car of this size. It’s a digital dashboard that lets you configure it how you like. And how useful is this? The optional Audi phone box in the centre armrest connects and charges your phone wirelessly.

It’s generously equipped too with cruise control, light and rain sensors and three-spoke multifunction steering wheel now fitted as standard. Orders are being taken now for first deliveries in the summer.

This BMW is green and great with it Electric charging points are still a bit of a rarity but a decade from now, they’ll be everywhere. Electric cars are becoming more common and so are plug-in electric hybrids like this new BMW 330e. It’s a cross between a hybrid and a pure electric vehicle.

The benefits are that you don’t worry about running out of juice like you do with an all-electric car. And if you plug it in whenever you can and depending on the type of driving you do, you can get much better mpg than a normal hybrid.

For this new Beemer, the best case scenario is close to an incredible 150mpg. Emissions are an incredibly low 44g/km, which means it’s a no brainer for company car drivers especially. It’s heavier than the standard car and there’s slightly less boot space too but it’s still quick and handles well. It’s not even that expensive to buy, at £33,935 it’s just £745 more than the equivalent petrol-powered 330i.

If you can’t beat them, join them There was a time when Italy made some of the finest little sports cars around but that wasn’t anytime recently. Fiat are now back in the game with a blast from the past – the Fiat 124 Spider and that’s not all that’s familiar.

Perhaps realising that it would be hard to better Mazda’s brilliant MX-5, Fiat has jumped into bed with its Japanese rival to create the new 124 Spider. Aside from the body panels, the engine, some suspension tweaks and the badge, this is essentially an MX-5. It’s even built in Japan on the same assembly line.

Fiat has tweaked the package to make it different enough to give buyers a choice. Aside from the looks, which are really tasty, the biggest difference is the introduction of Fiat’s turbocharged 1.4 turbo engine over the 2.0 litre non turbo motor in the MX-5. The small turbo has more mid-range punch and should be a more relaxed drive. Performance isn’t bad either, with a 0-60 time of around 7.5 seconds. It goes on sale later this year, with prices expected to start at just under £20,000.

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Salary Sacrifice Scheme

HASSLE FREE DRIVING FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES

18 Boucher Way, Belfast, BT12 6RE W: agnewcorporate.com T: 028 9038 6600

lifestyle

Sun, sand… and stress-free Ensuring you have a safe and secure holiday abroad has never been more important.

DOREEN MCKENZIE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KNOCK TRAVEL AND DIRECTOR OF ABTA offers advice.

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he outlook for the travel industry this year is cautiously positive, according to ABTA’s Travel Trends Report issued in December 2015.

Economic recovery seems set to continue and almost a quarter (23%) of the population are expecting to spend more on their holidays this year.

However the threat of terrorism has impacted public mood and may affect holiday decisions for 2016.

GfK Ascent’s Leisure Travel Monitor reported that booking patterns changed following the Tunisian incident towards the end of June last year with a switch away from Tunisia towards perceived safer destinations.

British holidaymakers have traditionally proven to be resilient travellers and it is likely that this will continue.

Tried and trusted destinations look set to benefit from geopolitical uncertainty and it is likely that Spain will be 2016’s top destination: Away from Europe, ABTA Members have reported that bookings to Cuba, Cape Verde, Kenya and Thailand have been very healthy and demand for Jamaica, Barbados and the UAE is also strong for 2016.

Global political uncertainty and a heightened terror threat are never far from the headlines and the ongoing migrant situation, raising questions around the impact of the situation on holiday destinations, with the Greek Islands particularly affected.

Travellers and in particular those from Northern Ireland have always been robust in their attitude to

holidays. They live on a beautiful little island not blessed with too much sunshine so the call of the sun is unrelenting and no terrorist will prevent them from having their annual holiday.

Whilst that makes me very proud, taking a few simple steps of preparation before and during your travel overseas can help to ensure a trouble-free trip.

These include: •Fully research the destination you intend to visit before travelling. It is a good idea to find out the local laws and customs of the relevant country – there may be serious penalties for breaking a law that might seem trivial at home. For more information visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

•Whatever your age or fitness level, take out comprehensive travel insurance and ensure you are covered for all of the activities you intend to do, such as moped or quad bike hire. Remember that most insurers won’t pay out if you injure yourself or others when under the influence of alcohol.

•If travelling within the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, get a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to give you free or reduced cost emergency care. You still need full travel insurance though as the EHIC doesn’t cover other costs such as returning you to the UK. You can call 112 to contact the emergency services in any EU country.

•Research the health risks of the country you are visiting as soon as possible before travelling, so you

can get the right vaccinations and take other preventative measures if required (e.g. malaria tablets).

Visit http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/ travelhealth/ for more information.

•Check your passport is valid for your full trip (some countries require 6 months validity from the end of your visit) and has emergency contact details filled in. Be sure you have all necessary visas.

•Take enough money with you, and make sure you have access to emergency funds. Don’t keep all your money in the same place and keep a note of your credit card numbers and expiry dates.

•Value your passport and keep it safe. Make photocopies of your passport – leave one with friends or family and take another with you, or store it online using a secure data storage site. There were 20,663 British passports lost or stolen in 2015 with Spain, USA, Australia the highest volume countries.

•Tell family or friends in the UK where you are going, and leave emergency contact details with them.

•If you plan to drive overseas, familiarise yourself with local driving laws and make sure your licence is current and valid where you are going.

•Find out where the nearest British Embassy or Consulate will be and note the contact details. For more information visit ttps://www.gov.uk/ government/world/embassies Remember of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport – enjoy safe travelling!

lifestyle

CULINARY DELIGHTS Warm salad of Radish & Comber Potato Ingredients 800g scrubbed Comber potatoes 2 sprigs mint 4 bay leaves 20 breakfast radishes 1 bunch sorrel 1 bunch watercress Dressing ½ clove garlic ½ tsp ground mace ½ tsp black peppercorns 1 ½ tblsp white wine ½ tblsp white wine vinegar 120g unsalted butter 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Place the potatoes, mint and 3 of the bay leaves in a pan, cover with cold water and a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Once water is boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer and cook until tender. Drain and halve ready for the dressing.

To make the dressing, place the remaining bay leaf, the crushed clove of garlic, mace, peppercorns, white wine and vinegar into a pot and reduce on a high heat until ½

From the shores of Strangford Lough, the humble Comber spud is a stalwart of menus across the land and further afield. Niall McKenna of James Street South has some delicious and easy recipes for us all to try at home!

teaspoon-worth is left. Add in half the butter and melt, being careful not to burn. Once this has melted, add in the rest of the butter and stir in the mustard.

To serve, halve the comber potatoes and add to bowl with radishes (halved if particularly large) and pour the butter mix over, serve with cleaned sorrel and watercress leaves.

Cod, White and Red Comber Potato & Samphire Ingredients 4 x 250g portions of cod, 16 Comber potatoes 2 plum tomatoes, deseeded and skin off 100g samphire 25g flat leaf parsley, remove from stalk and chopped 2 tblsp pine nuts, chopped 1 lemon, juice only 2 tblsp rapeseed oil 2 knobs butter Salt and pepper to season

Start by boiling the Comber potatoes in salted water until al dente and drain, you don’t want them fully cooked as you are pan frying them next. Once cooled, cut in half lengthways.

Next you want to take the skin off your tomato. To do this, cross the top of the tomato and take the eye out at the top. Place in a pot of boiling water and cook for 30 seconds and then refresh in iced water, this makes it easier to peel the skin off. Remove the skin, cut into quarters lengthways, discard the seeds, and finely chop.

Cook your samphire in a pot of unsalted boiling water until soft. Remove, refresh in cold water and drain.

Now heat the oil in a large pan and once hot, season the cod and place skin side down in the pan. If you look at the fish sideways-on, you will see the color of the flesh changing from translucent to white, this means the fish is cooking and when ¾ of the way up turn over.

At this point, add your potatoes flat side down and add the butter and cook until bubbling, add the samphire, tomatoes and, at the last second, the flat leaf parsley.

Cover in lemon juice and add the pine nuts. At this point, check for seasoning.

Remove from heat and serve the cod with a selection of the potatoes, samphire and juices from the pan.

NI Chamber 93

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columnist

Quirky indicators are telling us how the economy is performing explains Jim Fitzpatrick, Independent broadcaster and founder of podcast ‘The Profit Margin’.

H

sign off...

Surprising sources guide economic outlook

ow can you tell if the economy is doing well? We hear the official statistics, but does GDP really mean anything tangible to any of us?

Recently on The Profit Margin, we heard from an expert who uses the ‘Shove Your Job Index’ to measure the strength of the economy. Essentially the index looks at job leavers and separates those who are sacked from those who have voluntarily quit. When the percentage of those quitting voluntarily is above 55 per cent it tends to suggest the economy is very healthy because people are confident enough to quit or switch jobs.

During the boom years in Northern Ireland – a boom we now know was fuelled by unsustainably cheap money – people used to count the cranes in the skyline as a measure of economic strength. In some ways it was accurate enough.

It told us pretty clearly that there was a lot of building work going on.

Building requires finance and suggests investment. Therefore, the cranes in the sky were a decent indicator of economic strength.

The number of cranes, however, did little to forewarn us of the crash to come. The skyline picture was nothing more than an economic thermometer – accurate in the

96 NI Chamber

moment, but offering no insight about the future.

Do indicators exist that can predict the future? Yes, but you’ve got to look a little harder to find them. During the boom, many kept borrowing more and more as the consensus view was that the good times were here to stay – no official report predicted the crisis and subsequent crash. But some investors had their own indicators – the canaries in the coal mine that sent a warning.

One canny operator I spoke to outlined how he had managed to avoid the worst effects of the crash. He sold much of his property portfolio at the height of the market and stopped all acquisitions. What told him the bubble was going to burst? Cement figures. When he looked at the graph for cement usage in Ireland he could see the building boom was clearly unsustainable and decided to reduce his exposure as quickly as possible.

Some of the apparently useful indicators come from surprising sources. For instance, if you could track the data on dating website match.com you might get a good hint of what way the economy was going.

People seek dates when they’re lonely and that tends to increase whenever the economic times are

hard. So, increased traffic on match. com often means bad news for the economy.

The Big Mac Index is one which is perhaps more familiar. Published by The Economist each year, it compares currency exchange rates in different countries based on the cost of a Big Mac. The index attempts to show whether a currency is over or under valued based on the price of the Big Mac. Beyond these quirky indicators of how the economy may be performing, there is a wider effort now to find a measure of wellbeing that gives a broader and deeper picture than GDP alone.

Herman Daly, a former senior economist with the World Bank, put it neatly when he said “the current national accounting system treats the earth as a business in liquidation”. He also pointed out that the world has reached a strange place where we’re seeing GDP growth, but this doesn’t seem to be matched by better outcomes for wider society.

Hence the development of measures like the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) or Gross National Happiness (GNH) as alternatives.

There’s no global consensus yet on what’s the best alternative, but expect much more focus on this debate in the years ahead.

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As Northern Ireland’s largest provider of wind power, we’re investing in cleaner, greener energy to help secure the country’s future energy needs.

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16/02/2016 09:59

MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Connected Workplace of the Future May/June 2016 ISSUE 16

may/june 2016

This is Jack, he’s using video to host a meeting with his colleagues and a supplier across different office locations

3 Years

According to Neil Rickard, research vice president at Gartner, there is a shift from wireless-by-exception to wireless-by-default in many enterprises. Where previously only 10% of devices would be connected to the enterprise LAN via Wi-Fi, he predicts that modern enterprises will be connecting 90% of devices via wireless, with only 10% relying on wired connectivity

According to Cisco, global WiFi traffic will overtake wired traffic in just three year’s time. This steady and inevitable move towards wireless is changing the face of the ‘office’ forever

Attracting top talent means creating a Millennial-friendly workplace, where flexibility is encouraged and supported in an environment that protects both the worker and the enterprise

Connected Workplaces from eir Business NI A host of digital workplace solutions to improve collaboration in any organisation: designed, installed and managed by the best in engineering skills. The future of the workplace is here – let it work for you now.

2018

Gartner predicts that by 2018, 25% of large organisations will have an explicit strategy to make their corporate computing environments similar to a consumer computing experience

Wi-fi, webex, UC and videoconferencing are all available now for you to shape your workplace for the future

Find out what we can do for you. Call us on 0800 239 2000.

Business rises on E00059659 eir/cus_Network Pressures Infographic Connected Workplace A4.indd 1

HighWire Press

opens new chapter in Northern Ireland

Face to Face with Osborne King’s Martin McDowell

eir.co.uk 27/04/2016 16:02

Angela McGowan the Brexit debate Magazine of northern ireland chamber of commerce and industry

90% of devices

£2.95

In contact across the world Teleperformance’s Stephen Morrow