
Paul McCoy
Paul is responsible for the AICC project within Invest NI, as part of a portfolio of City and Growth projects, in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Digital Health and Creative Industries.
Paul is responsible for the AICC project within Invest NI, as part of a portfolio of City and Growth projects, in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Digital Health and Creative Industries.
Innovation thrives through connection. Whether you're an SME, researcher, or professional exploring AI, we’re here to help.
We had a fantastic day yesterday at The Junction, Dungannon for the next stop of our AI Acceleration Tour!
In partnership with the Mid Ulster Labour Market Partnership, we were delighted to welcome a room full of local SMEs keen to explore how #AI can drive innovation, improve efficiency and unlock growth.✨
Throughout the interactive session our experts shared practical and actionable insights around what AI is (and what it isn’t), how to assess your organisation’s readiness and how to adopt AI responsibly and effectively. There was so much great conversation happening that we practically had to drag everyone away for the coffee break!☕
🤝Events like this are only possible through strong collaboration. A big thank you to Shelly Grimes and Gareth Boyle from Mid Ulster LMP for their support in making this event a success and for the warm welcome.
We’re also grateful to Councillor Frances Burton, Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, for officially opening the event, and to all the exhibitors who joined us to highlight the support available for business wanting to embrace digital transformation.
We hope everyone left with fresh thinking, valuable connections and renewed confidence in how AI can support their business.💡
Were you there? Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments to share with others! 👇
Invest Northern Ireland Innovate NI InterTradeIreland Digital Transformation Flexible Fund Go Succeed NI Department for Communities Department for the Economy NI Ulster University Queen's University Belfast David Crozier CBE Kathryn Harkin Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Jean Frazer Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Roger Woods
✨ The countdown is on for #AICON2025 and tickets are going fast! ✨
Secure your place today and be sure to choose the Day 1 + Day 2 ticket option to access the full programme, including Day 2 hosted by the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) at W5 Belfast on 3rd October.
Also, the early bird rate has been extended to Monday 15th September!
🎟️https://ai-con.ai
Discover more about this must-attend conference 👇 and we look forward to seeing you there!
Connla McCann Aisling Events Kainos Matrix, The Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel Allstate Northern Ireland Belfast City Council Options Technology Deloitte Software NI David Crozier CBE Kathryn Harkin Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Jean Frazer Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Roger Woods
It was great to catch up with Rachel McCorriston and John Moore from FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses) this morning.
David Crozier CBE, Patrick McGirr, Molly McDowell and Nicole Costello ACIM shared the latest on the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC)’s work to date and heard firsthand what questions businesses across Northern Ireland are really asking when it comes to AI. With FSB supporting over 6,000 members here, together we’re exploring how we can help more small businesses confidently take their first (or next) steps in AI adoption.✨
Some exciting collaborations are on the horizon 👀 stay tuned!
Roisin McAliskey Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods
Today we welcomed Department for the Economy NI Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald to officially launch the Artificial Intelligence Capability Census 2025, the first comprehensive baseline of NI's AI ecosystem.
This pivotal document, commissioned by the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) and delivered by Perspective Economics, lays out a clear roadmap for the growth and innovation of AI in the region.
Key highlights include:
✨198 firms engaged in AI development or deployment
✨1,340 AI-related jobs identified across sectors
✨£188m in AI-related revenue and £82m GVA (2024 baseline)
✨AI salaries in NI average £55,200, 60% above the regional median
✨Projected to hit £200m GVA and over 2,000 jobs by 2028
Belfast leads the way, with 73% of AI firms and 89% of AI employment based here, but there's strong potential for regional growth. The report also highlights the key sectors driving AI development, including services and consulting, software and development, and health and life sciences.
Launching the report at the AICC in Belfast, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald, said:
“Artificial intelligence will transform our economy. This report shows both the strength of our AI sector and the potential ahead. With targeted investment in skills, innovation, and the widespread adoption of AI, we can ensure that our people and businesses are positioned to capitalise on the opportunities. The AICC will be central to delivering this ambition.”
David Crozier CBE, Director of the AICC, added:
"This report gives us the data and direction to scale that success, responsibly, regionally, and collaboratively as well as a solid baseline from which to measure our progress and impact.”
The report also outlines 8 key recommendations to accelerate the region's #AI growth and strengthen its position as a global AI leader.
🔗 Read the full publication and explore Northern Ireland’s AI potential at https://lnkd.in/exUzpNju
Huge thanks to the Department for the Economy for supporting the Minister’s visit and announcing this milestone publication. Also, a special shout-out to Sam Donaldson and the Perspective Economics Research Team for their outstanding work in delivering this valuable report.
Jade Rosborough Paul Seawright Fiona Kane MBE Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods Robert Hill Matrix, The Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel Kathryn Harkin NI Chamber Department for Business and Trade
✨What a brilliant kick-off to our AI Coffee Conversations series at The Academy, Belfast!
The morning brought together a buzzing room of AI innovators, SMEs and curious professionals to share insights, network and spark new ideas over coffee.
A huge thank you to our brilliant speakers:
☕ David Crozier CBE (AICC) for setting the scene and welcoming our community.
☕ Claire McDyre (Cloudsmith) for showcasing Cloudsmith’s ML Model Registry solution.
☕ Donnacha Kirk (AICC), Ross Macdonald (Oculus Ireland/Retinal Vault), and Christopher McCausland (AICC) for bringing Transformer Programme success stories to life.
We also loved the open floor Hot Topic discussion exploring MIT’s ‘GenAI Divide’ report and the state of AI in business, proving just how valuable these conversations are for Northern Ireland’s growing AI community.
👏 Thanks to everyone who joined us, shared experiences and connected with peers. This is just the beginning, we’ll be back in November with more conversations, insights and opportunities to connect and grow Northern Ireland’s AI ecosystem.
Follow us here on LinkedIn and join our mailing list via our website (link above) to stay updated. 🥰
Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Kathryn Harkin Patricia O'Hagan MBE Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Jean Frazer Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy John Healy Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Roger Woods
The wait is over….the full agenda for #AICON2025 is now live!
On 2nd and 3rd October, Northern Ireland’s largest and most influential AI conference will bring together business leaders, global experts, innovators and researchers to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming our world.
The Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) is proud sponsor and host of day 2 on Friday 3rd October at W5 Belfast. Expect a day packed with cutting-edge sessions, live demos and straight-talking conversations about where AI is headed and how Northern Ireland can take the lead.
Here’s a flavour of what’s on the agenda:
✨How we are helping SMEs turn AI ideas into impact
✨A deep dive into AI architectures, agents and multimodal models
✨Building Northern Ireland’s AI workforce of the future
✨Exclusive launch of our Responsible AI Hub
✨Research meets industry: real case studies from QUB & Ulster University
✨Global innovators on scaling AI beyond pilots
✨Fresh perspectives from the next generation of AI users
✨A no-fluff fireside chat with leading experts
Don’t miss out! Book your AICON 2025 Day 1 + Day 2 ticket now and save with the early bird rate, ends 5th September.
👉 https://ai-con.ai/
Connla McCann Aisling Events Kainos Matrix, The Northern Ireland Science Industry PanelAllstate Northern Ireland Belfast City Council Options Technology Deloitte Software NI David Crozier CBE Kathryn Harkin Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Jean Frazer Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Roger Woods
👋 Say hi to Geraldine Doherty, who joined the team this week as our new Professional Training & Academic Coordinator! We're delighted to have her on board as her role is key to driving the expansion of our training and education delivery.
🎓 Geraldine is passionate about connecting people with opportunities to develop their skills in AI, whether they’re students just starting out, professionals looking to upskill, or researchers navigating the evolving AI landscape.
She brings a unique blend of healthcare and education expertise, with a PhD focused on training medical imaging professionals to work confidently with AI. She’s already collaborated with organisations like the Society of Radiographers and Health Education England to shape national AI learning tools. ✨
Now at the AICC, she’s designing inclusive, practical training that builds a future-ready workforce across Northern Ireland.
View her full bio here - http://bit.ly/4lw0ACy
Join us in welcoming Geraldine to the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC)!
Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI David Crozier CBE Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Jean Frazer Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods
It was a privilege to be part of Queen's University Belfast’s Economic Forum last week, where our Director David Crozier CBE chaired a panel on 'Framing the Future: AI, Business, and Standardisation'.✨
Emma Little-Pengelly BL MLA, Caoimhe Archibald Joe Kennedy III Pippa Malmgren Baker McKenzie Kainos Dell Technologies Salesforce Queen's University Belfast | School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science EEECS Karen Rafferty Michael Costigan Declan McGarry Ruth McGuinness Ronan Carey Peter Gilleece Helen Carrick Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Jordan V. Chizube Chikezie Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Roger Woods Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Ulster University
What a fantastic day we had yesterday at The Junction, Dungannon for the next stop of our AI Acceleration Tour!
In partnership with the Mid Ulster Labour Market Partnership, we were delighted to welcome a room full of local SMEs keen to explore how #AI can drive innovation, improve efficiency and unlock growth.✨
Throughout the interactive session our experts shared practical and actionable insights around what AI is (and what it isn’t), how to assess your organisation’s readiness and how to adopt AI responsibly and effectively. There was so much great conversation happening that we practically had to drag everyone away for the coffee break!☕
🤝Events like this are only possible through strong collaboration. A big thank you to Shelly Grimes and Gareth Boyle from Mid Ulster LMP for their support in making this event a success and for the warm welcome.
We’re also grateful to Councillor Frances Burton, Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, for officially opening the event, and to all the exhibitors who joined us to highlight the support available for business wanting to embrace digital transformation.
We hope everyone left with fresh thinking, valuable connections and renewed confidence in how AI can support their business.💡
Were you there? Drop your biggest takeaway in the comments to share with others! 👇
Invest Northern Ireland Innovate NI InterTradeIreland Digital Transformation Flexible Fund Go Succeed NI Department for Communities Department for the Economy NI Ulster University Queen's University Belfast David Crozier CBE Kathryn Harkin Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Jean Frazer Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Roger Woods
#HappyFriday! We’re delighted to share that the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) is the Future Business Category Sponsor for Catalyst's #INVENT2025! 🥳
Our mission is to support bold ideas, empower businesses and build a thriving AI-driven economy in Northern Ireland. That’s why this category is such a natural fit. It shines a spotlight on the innovators and problem-solvers who are already shaping the businesses of tomorrow.💡
✨INVENT is a celebration of visionary entrepreneurs, disruptive technologies and the big ambitions that will define the next generation of industry and impact. We can’t wait to meet the trailblazers pitching their ideas later this month and see how they’re helping redefine our region’s economic and social future.
#FutureBusiness #Innovation #AI
Catalyst Claire Kelly Joe Wilson Patrick McIlveen Niamh Griffin David Crozier CBE Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Queen's University Belfast Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods
#ThrowbackThursday
Hard to believe it's already been a year since David Crozier CBE was announced as Director of the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), and what a year it’s been. (David says it feels like five minutes!)
✨ From building our team to delivering real impact across Northern Ireland, in this short space of time we’ve made huge strides towards our mission… and there is so much more to come! http://bit.ly/4oBl2o4
Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods
🚎 Next stop Dungannon!
We’re teaming up with Mid Ulster Labour Market Partnership to bring the AI Acceleration Tour to The Junction, Dungannon on 16 September. We’re looking forward to meeting local businesses and help them take their first step to responsible #AI adoption.
Whether you're curious about AI, unsure where to begin, or want to discover how it can streamline operations and drive growth, this hands-on session is for you. No jargon. No tech skills required. Just clear, practical guidance and real-world insights.
Hear from AI experts, see how other SMEs are already benefitting, and find out what support and funding is available locally to help you get started.
Secure your space 👉 https://bit.ly/44IabQl and we will see you there!
We're delighted you got in touch about this collaboration Gareth Boyle and Shelly Grimes, we're really looking forward to it!
Mid Ulster District Council David Crozier CBE Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods
We’re incredibly proud to see our very own Tadhg Hickey, Head of AI and Digital Ethics Policy at the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), appointed to Ulster University's Centre for Legal Technology Advisory Board.👏
Tadhg’s appointment reflects the growing importance of responsible innovation and ethical AI in legal tech and we’re thrilled to see his expertise recognised at this level.
✨ At the AICC, we’re committed to building an AI-powered future that’s fair, transparent, accountable and sustainable. Congratulations Tadhg, a brilliant voice to help shape the future of law and technology.
David Crozier CBE Kathryn Harkin Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Jean Frazer Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Queen's University Belfast Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Roger Woods Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner
✈️ Jordan V. from our team recently returned from the bright lights of Las Vegas where he attended DEF CON 2025, one of the world’s largest and most influential hacker and security conferences.🔒
Here are some of his key takeaways:
✨ Big focus on generative and agentic AI and the real-world security challenges they introduce.
✨ Valuable conversations on the risk vs. reward trade-off and where these technologies are (and aren’t) suited to deployment.
✨ Insights into the security issues around additional data stores and tools that AI systems plug into.
✨ A chance to connect with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) and explore the top-10 resources they’ve created for AI.
Beyond AI, Jordan explored fascinating areas including:
🚢 The maritime village, diving into the security landscape of maritime systems.
🚘 Vulnerabilities uncovered in electric vehicle charger communications.
👨💻 Tips and tricks from the custom electronic badge builders community on running small-scale production.
Above all, he felt is was an incredible opportunity to connect with people pushing boundaries, tackling challenges and experimenting with new ideas.
At the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC) we champion the ethical and responsible use of AI across industries, with security and trust at the heart of our approach. Attending conferences like DEF CON allows our team not only to learn from global experts but also to share those insights with colleagues and the wider ecosystem we support.
Thanks for telling us all about your experience Jordan!
Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI David Crozier CBE Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Geraldine Doherty Jean Frazer Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods
☕ We’re kicking off our AI Coffee Conversations series on 18th September, with the aim of strengthening and expanding Northern Ireland’s AI community. These regular meetups will bring together technical minds from industry, academia and beyond to network, share ideas, and explore real-world applications of AI.
✨ Our first session will explore AI transformation in SMEs, showcasing how local businesses across multiple sectors are already harnessing AI through the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC)’s Transformer Programme.
Expect practical insights, success stories and plenty of opportunities to network with peers who are shaping the future of #AI in Northern Ireland.
📍 Where: The Academy Restaurant, Ulster University, York Street, Belfast
🕒 When: 18th September, 9am - 11:00am
🔗 Reserve your place at http://bit.ly/3Hve9UH
This is just the first of many sessions. Follow us on LinkedIn to stay in the loop with all upcoming events. You can also join the mailing list on our website through the link above.
We look forward to seeing you there!
David Crozier CBE Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Geraldine Doherty Gulzar Alam Christopher McCausland Chizube Chikezie Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Queen's University Belfast Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods NI Chamber Belfast Chamber Management & Leadership Network FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses) Catalyst Enterprise Northern Ireland
Meet ARTI, our in-house AI sidekick!
At the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), we’ve been working behind the scenes with our very own in-house high-performance compute node, affectionately named ARTI. It doesn't look like much, but this a very impressive piece of kit!
✨ What is ARTI?
ARTI is our AI-focused High-Performance Computing (HPC) node, supercharged with GPU acceleration, designed to handle large-scale, complex AI workloads.
✨ What do we use it for?
From fine-tuning language models to training image classification models, ARTI helps our data scientists tackle compute-heavy tasks in-house. Right now, it's hard at work supporting real-world use cases for our SME collaborations.
✨ Why it matters for businesses
Thanks to ARTI we can rapidly build, train, and test a wide variety of AI models so SMEs don’t need to worry about hardware, infrastructure, or costly cloud compute just to get started. This means faster prototyping, quicker insights, and more value from day one.
Got a data challenge you think AI could solve? ARTI’s ready when you are, just get in touch!
David Crozier CBE Patrick McGirr Donnacha Kirk Tadhg Hickey John Sweeney Nicole Costello ACIM Molly McDowell Gulzar Alam Chizube Chikezie Christopher McCausland Jordan V. Kaveh Mahdavi, PhD Matthew Manktelow Bronagh Lanigan Leigh Johnston, Ph.D. Kyle Madden Michaela Black Iain Styles Paul McCoy Invest Northern Ireland Department for the Economy NI Ulster University Queen's University Belfast Jonathan Wallace Colin Turner Debbie Rankin Dr. Bryan Gardiner Roger Woods
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