Northern Ireland (NI) Office Minister of State Steve Baker has announced £18.9 million investment in NI’s cyber security industry at Queen’s University Belfast’s (QUB) Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT).
This includes £11 million funding from the New Deal for NI.
The investment will “see the creation of a new Cyber-AI Hub at CSIT.” It will “bring together academia and businesses to increase NI’s cyber capacity, creating jobs and supporting the government’s £2.6 billion national cyber strategy.”
The funding will “help ensure a pipeline of world-class cyber professionals, with the creation of a doctoral training program and masters bursaries.”
This will help “to deliver on the government’s pledge of 5000 cyber professionals in NI by 2030.”
An additional £3.3 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will “consolidate the benefits achieved over the past 2 phases of UK Research and Innovation funding.”
This will enable CSIT to continue its work to:
- link industry, academia, and government
- protect citizens and businesses
- drive economic growth
It will also “enable CSIT to seed new research activity in emerging areas of cyber security.”
This will “raise the level of impact nationally and internationally, and further strengthening the UK’s reputation as a global leader in cyber security research and innovation.”
With an additional £4.6 million from project partners, the funding “builds on NI’s impressive track record of attracting investment in its cyber security sector ahead of Belfast hosting the UK’s flagship cyber security event, CyberUK 2023 in April.”
Cyber-AI Hub will “see the creation of a UK government, NI based cyber engagement lead, joining the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology colleagues in NI.”
This role, “similar to positions in other regions in the UK, will engage directly with the NI cyber sector to support the delivery of the government’s national cyber security strategy.”
It will also “support the levelling up strategy as well as exploring opportunities for further UK government funded innovation and skills initiatives.”
The funding will also “allow for the continuation of the NI Cyber Security Snapshot by QUB.”
This will “highlight opportunities and challenges for the NI cyber security sector to be identified on a regular basis, further enabling growth in the sector.”
Minister of State for NI Steve Baker said:
“This funding will help to create jobs and strengthen Northern Ireland’s economy and ensure that NI continues to lead the way in cyber security. We have world-class talent and expertise in Northern Ireland and the government is committed to developing cyber security professionals, here and across the UK. The funding will “have an immediate positive impact on NI’s cyber security sector, and with Belfast hosting the UK’s leading cyber security conference in April, I’m looking forward to seeing Northern Ireland’s deserved recognition as a global cyber security hub.”
For the past 13 years the Centre for Secure Information Technologies has “played a key role in helping the UK to respond to emerging cyber security threats.”
It is also “at the heart of a thriving innovation ecosystem in Northern Ireland involving more than 100 companies and providing 2,300 people.”
Together with the Cyber-AI Hub this additional EPSRC funding announced “will build on this success to promote further growth and support further cutting edge research that will benefit us all.”
As noted in the update, Northern Ireland’s cyber security firms “play a huge role in the UK’s thriving and world-leading tech industry.”
President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, Professor Ian Greer, said:
“This funding boost will have a hugely positive impact on the cyber security sector locally, nationally and globally. Investing in a Doctoral Training Program is vital for the future of our society. We are investing in the skills of the next generation of leaders in cyber security, as well as progressing the Northern Ireland economy.”
Over the last 15 years, Queen’s University has “helped to put Northern Ireland on the map for digital innovation.”
They are proud of the work “that takes place through the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) and are looking forward to further developing cutting-edge research through the broader Belfast Region City Deal-funded Global Innovation Institute.”