Invest NI

Part of Enterprise, Trade And Investment – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 3:15 pm on 3 November 2009.

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Photo of Arlene Foster Arlene Foster DUP 3:15, 3 November 2009

Yes, I do. Through Northern Ireland Spin Out (NISPO), we are helping to facilitate some of the spin-outs from the universities. The NISPO funds allow companies to make the move from universities, where a lot of our innovation happens, into marketable competitive companies. The NISPO fund manager is required to proactively help increase the volume and pace of development of spin-out companies emerging from Northern Ireland’s research base and centres of excellence. I am content that that work is going well. Within NISPO is the proof-of-concept fund, which is specifically for universities. Through Invest Northern Ireland, we are keenly concentrating on R&D and innovation as we move forward. We believe that that is where the next big thing will come from.