It’s Good News Friday and, with the upcoming Northern Ireland Investment Summit just around the corner, we’re celebrating the North West’s growing reputation for sustainability and innovation!

We’re also highlighting our very own Derry girl and graduate of the North West Regional College Aoife Harvey. Aoife is the star of a new BBC NI show, ‘A Stitch Through Time’, and came out on top in a competition against three other designers! Aoife previously studied the BTEC Level 3 in Art and Design and the UAL Foundation Diploma at NWRC Limavady and graduated from Ulster University with a first-class honours degree in Fashion and Textiles.  Aoife is just one of the many young people here in the North West leading the way in innovation and succeeding in the local small business community.

Increasingly, sustainability is also bringing investment and new jobs to our region. Thanks to the innovation and creativity of our local SMEs, the North West is now one of the leading regions on the island of Ireland for sustainability.

With the support of our members, the Chamber hosts the annual North West Energy Conference where we explore in-depth some of the greatest challenges facing energy supply, sustainability, and the journey to net zero, and lead the conversation on how businesses can adapt new sustainable and innovative measures that will help grow the local economy.

Many of our local SMEs have developed new and fresh ideas for the North West in recent years such as the vital work BioLedger has played in supporting our green economy. More and more employers are becoming increasingly conscious of changes to the environment and are putting in the effort to making a positive and successful change.

Like Aoife, many of our young people are vital to the future of our innovative city. Thanks to programmes being offered by Ulster University and many innovative businesses, more and more young people are being exposed to new creative ideas that can only serve to better our city and the wider North West. Only recently, more than 650 young people across Northern Ireland participated in Catalyst’s innovative work experience programme, and the Chamber is delighted to see that 120 of those participants are from Derry.  

As we approach the final months of 2023 and work hard to promote the North West at the upcoming Northern Ireland Investment Summit, we’re confident that our region will continue to grow as a leader in sustainability and innovation as we move towards a more carbon-neutral economy!