Invest NI’s latest council briefing presents a mixed but encouraging picture of the Derry City and Strabane economy: strong exporting performance, significant planned investment and a business base with clear potential to grow further.

In 2025, the 156 locally based businesses included in Invest NI’s performance data generated £1.44 billion in total sales, including £726 million in exports. Advanced engineering and manufacturing remained a major economic strength, accounting for the largest share of both sales and employment among supported firms.

Over the five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26, Invest NI supported projects representing approximately £243 million in planned company investment and 1,176 proposed new jobs across the council area. This demonstrates that the North West can continue to attract investment while supporting the expansion of established indigenous businesses.

The figures also point to strong entrepreneurial potential. Derry and Strabane recorded a business birth rate above the Northern Ireland average and the highest rate of early-stage entrepreneurial activity across any council area between 2022 and 2024.

However, the challenge is to translate that entrepreneurial energy into more businesses capable of scaling, exporting and creating well-paid employment. Economic inactivity remains higher than the Northern Ireland average, while productivity and qualification levels continue to lag.

The briefing reinforces the case for sustained, place-based support for the North West. The region already has the businesses, talent and ambition. The priority must now be helping more firms grow, innovate and compete internationally, while ensuring that investment creates wider opportunities across the local economy.

Read the full Derry City & Strabane Council Briefing July 2026 here.