Coinciding with the international spotlight of The Open Championship, the Forum brought together more than 100 senior investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers and researchers to explore how AI can supercharge Belfast and Northern Ireland’s potential as a global hub for innovation, investment and economic growth.

Key contributors included some of the world’s most influential thinkers and investors, including one of Ireland’s most successful businesspeople, financier and serial investor Dermot Desmond, as well as former US trade envoy Dr Joseph P. Kennedy III, senior executives from OpenAI, Mastercard, Salesforce, PWC, and some of Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing deep-tech companies.

Dermot Desmond had a clear message for invitees:

“Northern Ireland is in a unique position to attract global investors and build a competitive, resilient economy. With dual access to the UK and EU markets, a lower cost of living than other capital cities, and a world-class university producing a steady stream of talented and highly skilled graduates, Belfast has the potential to be a global economic powerhouse.”

The Forum focused on four key areas where Queen’s has demonstrated international leadership:

• Cybersecurity and finance
• Health and biotech
• Sustainable energy and the green transition
• Business and AI regulation

Attendees also heard from Queen’s-supported spinouts including Analytics Engines, Bia Analytical, Catagen, and Ionic Technologies – companies that began life on campus and are now attracting global investment across energy, diagnostics, data and AI.

American economist and former White House advisor Dr Pippa Malmgren told delegates:

“The island of Ireland, both north and south, has always been a region of storytellers and storytelling which is an essential skill for technological advancement.

“It is not enough to have great tech. Someone needs to explain it. Also, your long history of polymathic inventors since the industrial revolution means that you can become experts in not just individual technologies but in techplexity which is the relationships between many technologies that are all advancing at a hyper fast pace.”

Queen’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer added:

“With thousands of visitors from around the world arriving for The Open, this is the moment and opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland’s strengths and our ambition to the rest of the world.

“Queen’s is leading the way for entrepreneurial impact and we will ensure today’s Forum isn’t just a one-off conversation – it’s a launchpad for new ideas, lasting connections and future investments that will shape the next chapter of Northern Ireland’s economic story.

“We are particularly pleased to welcome Dermot back to Queen’s where he has made such an input to our work, in particular, supporting the Patrick G Johnston Fellowships which allowed exceptional individuals to develop translational research programmes to benefit patient care and advance cancer diagnosis and treatment in Northern Ireland and beyond.”

The Forum is part of Queen’s year-long celebration of its 180th anniversary, marking nearly two centuries of delivering innovation, education and civic leadership.

Media

Media enquiries to Queen’s Communications Office via email: comms.office@qub.ac.uk or tel: (028) 9097 3091