Investment Surge: Invest NI reports £764m boost with stronger regional spread

Invest NI has unveiled one of its strongest annual performances in years, delivering a major boost for ireland business news and wider economic confidence across Northern Ireland. In a significant update for breaking news ireland readers following economic developments, the agency said it supported £764 million in business investment in the year to March 2026, marking its highest total in more than a decade and signalling a more visible move toward regional balance beyond Belfast.

The newly published figures show Invest NI provided £126 million in direct support across 2,221 investment projects, helping leverage roughly six times that amount from businesses. According to the agency, that activity underpinned 4,300 jobs, with many of those roles classed as high-skill positions paying above the private-sector median salary.

Invest NI posts strongest investment performance in years

The latest results add up to a strong year for the economic development body, which says 48 of its 56 three-year targets have now been met. Over the first two years of its strategy, Invest NI has secured £1.4 billion in productive investment against a three-year target of £1.75 billion.

• £764 million in business investment secured in 2025/26
• £126 million in agency support across 2,221 projects
• 4,300 jobs linked to supported investments
• 48 of 56 three-year targets already achieved
• 20 first-time foreign investors backed during the year

The investment portfolio reflects activity across advanced manufacturing, agri-food, life sciences, technology, automation, artificial intelligence and research and development. Most support went to locally owned firms, particularly SMEs, while international interest also remained solid despite tougher global conditions.

Regional balance becomes a defining theme

A key theme in the annual report is the spread of projects outside the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Invest NI said nearly 1,300 supported projects, or 59% of the total, were located beyond greater Belfast. Those investments are expected to generate £359 million locally and more than 1,500 jobs.

While that falls short of the 65% strategic target, the agency argues the trend is moving in the right direction. Chief executive Kieran Donoghue said stronger regional distribution is now embedded in the organisation’s approach, and pointed to five foreign direct investment wins outside Belfast as evidence of progress.

He also suggested that late-year deal flow in Belfast distorted the final percentage, after Invest NI had been close to its internal regional target at several points during the year.

What the numbers mean for ireland economy news

For observers tracking ireland economy news, the annual performance suggests Northern Ireland is holding momentum in a difficult international environment. Invest NI said its client base of more than 2,300 companies employs just under 150,000 people. From 2024 to 2025, those firms recorded:

• 7% growth in sales
• 6% growth in external sales
• 7% growth in exports

That data indicates the agency’s support is not only attracting fresh capital, but also helping existing firms improve productivity, competitiveness and market reach. Donoghue said modern investment now increasingly centres on automation, innovation, new products and better-paid specialist jobs rather than the massive factory-style job announcements seen in previous decades.

Major projects underline confidence

Several high-profile investments helped shape the year’s results. Among the most notable were Bank of America’s first-time investment in Northern Ireland with the potential for up to 1,000 jobs, Lakeland Dairies’ £24.5 million investment, £5 million from Kestrel Foods and 340 new jobs at Kainos.

Those projects, alongside locally driven SME expansion, show that the region’s economic strategy is relying on a mix of foreign direct investment and domestic business growth.

Economy minister Caoimhe Archibald said the figures show Northern Ireland is outperforming Britain on output and export growth, while productivity is rising and regional imbalances are narrowing. CBI regional director Angela McGowan also welcomed the results, saying they highlight the agency’s role in supporting businesses, investors and communities.

Outlook for breaking news ireland readers

The broader takeaway for breaking news ireland audiences is that Invest NI appears to be gaining traction on both scale and spread of investment. The regional target has not yet been fully reached, but the direction of travel is clear: more projects, more skilled jobs and a growing effort to distribute economic gains beyond Belfast.

If the current pace continues into the final year of its strategy, Invest NI has a realistic chance of moving closer to its long-term goals. For businesses, workers and policymakers watching breaking news ireland and ireland economy news, this latest update points to a more balanced and resilient growth story taking shape across Northern Ireland.

Article/Image Courtesy: The Irish News