Last year, the Chamber and others brought Paul Cheek, a leading international expert in entrepreneurship and AI, to the North West. He challenged us to think about what the rapid growth of AI could mean for a regional economy like ours.

Seagate’s Springtown operation is a global centre of excellence, developing world-leading technology for the next generation of data storage. E&I, founded locally and now part of Vertiv, supplies critical infrastructure to the global data-centre industry. Alchemy is another business that started and scaled in Derry and is now part of NTT DATA, a global technology leader whose operations include one of the world’s largest data-centre businesses.

North West companies are already supplying critical technologies that underpin the growth of AI around the world.

The City Deal will connect research at Magee more closely with industry, helping turn new technology into commercial applications and businesses. At Foyle Port, GreenScale is planning a major new data centre, using renewable energy and connections to global data networks to help attract further technology investment.

Taken together, our world-class businesses give us a strong base to build from, with the City Deal and plans at Foyle Port strengthening the region’s links to the growing AI economy.

AI can also reshape businesses from within. My business partner, Catriona, and I are seeing the practical reality of that in our own business. Making expertise more accessible can lower barriers to entrepreneurship and open new routes into economic activity — particularly relevant in a region where economic inactivity remains a major challenge.

The UK’s AI Growth Zone model is based on a similar idea: major AI infrastructure acting as a catalyst for wider regional growth.

The answer to Paul Cheek’s challenge may be staring us in the face. These strengths could help anchor more of the growing AI economy here in the North West.

Success creates momentum. It can attract further investment, open new opportunities for local suppliers and give entrepreneurs new markets to build around.

Turn those connections into commercial relationships, match ambition with policy that encourages investment, and more of that growth can happen here.

For the North West, that is an ambition worth pursuing.