Professor Christopher McCabe opened the session by highlighting Queen’s University Belfast’s longstanding relationship with Canada and its commitment to supporting the life and health sciences sector through initiatives like our Business Navigator Executive Programme, designed to help life and health sciences leaders scale their innovations.

The delegation, including Nicholas Greenwood  and Jaspreet Grewel, engaged in insightful discussions with senior figures from Queen’s Business School and Queen’s University Belfast’s  Belfast City Regional Deal Innovation Centres. Together, they explored how Northern Ireland’s dynamic research ecosystem and strategic partnerships are driving groundbreaking advancements in health, biotech, and digital transformation.

Key contributions came from Professor Judy Bradley (IREACH), who showcased our multi-million pound investment in clinical trials capacity to ensure that pioneering medical research transforms patient outcomes in Northern Ireland and around the world. Dr. Stephen McCabe (Momentum One), who shared exciting expansion plans at Titanic Quarter to support growing demand for innovation in secure connected artificial intelligence. Richard Jackson, Chief Operating Officer of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre, which builds on 50 years of manufacturing innovation here in Northern Ireland,  and will give NI companies access to cutting edge expertise to support their digitisation and net zero ambitions in the Factory of the Future, which will open in March 2026. Professor Helen McCarthy, Chief Scientific Officer NI Executive, Joann Rhodes (CEO, HIRANI) and Cecilia Hegarty (QUBIS), shared their expertise with the meeting, highlighting Northern Ireland’s unique strengths in life sciences, secure intelligence and advanced manufacturing to drive economic development.

With Canada’s growing interest private sector expansion into NI, as exemplified by Dr.  Grewel’s leadership of AxialBridge’s growing footprint,  the massive potential for future collaborations, this was a hugely positive first step in strengthening international partnerships and creating innovation driven economic development.