Londonderry Chamber of Commerce welcomed Matthew Patrick MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office, to a roundtable hosted at Alchemy NTT Data in Ebrington Plaza on 10th March 2026. The discussion brought together Chamber leadership and members from across food, insurance, finance, manufacturing and logistics to outline the North West’s economic strengths and the barriers still constraining private-sector growth.

The Chamber positioned the region as a strategically important economic gateway, underlining its unique role as the only UK region with a land border to the EU. Members stressed that the North West is moving from ambition to delivery, with momentum across advanced manufacturing, digital growth, City Deal investment and the expansion of Ulster University’s Magee campus. Collectively, these interventions now sit within a wider capital programme estimated at around £1 billion over the next decade.

Business leaders highlighted the region’s strongest assets as its people, work ethic and collaborative ecosystem between business, government and academia. Alchemy’s growth and acquisition by NTT Data was cited as a clear example of indigenous success scaling globally from Derry.

At the same time, members were clear that major constraints remain. These include water and utility capacity, wider connectivity issues and persistent barriers to cross-border labour mobility following Brexit and changes to previous working arrangements. The Chamber argued for more tailored criteria to enable Northern Ireland to qualify as an AI Growth Zone. It noted that the current thresholds are unrealistic in a Northern Ireland context and should be adapted to reflect regional energy realities.

The Minister acknowledged the distinct challenges facing the North West and engaged positively with the region’s case for more proactive, place-based support.

Takeaway:

The meeting reinforced that the North West has a credible, investable growth proposition, but targeted policy action will be needed to remove structural barriers and convert momentum into long-term economic impact.