Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with respect to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal published on 18 September 2025, what assessment has the Government made of the role that Northern Ireland companies and universities can play in delivering the eight component parts of its Accelerating AI Innovation Strategy, and what steps has it taken to secure full Ireland engagement in this aspect of the Technology Prosperity Deal.

The Technology Prosperity Deal supports businesses, universities and research organisations across the whole of the UK, including in Northern Ireland, to unlock growth for our most strategically important tech companies and harness R&D to tackle some of the most pressing problems we face. The Deal was informed by experts from across the United Kingdom.

Northern Ireland’s universities and companies are recognised as key partners in delivering the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. Recent government investment of £2 billion from the AI Opportunities Action Plan aims to target and benefit all regions of the UK and highlights Northern Ireland’s growing strengths in artificial intelligence and next-generation networks. We are also working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on the delivery of our flagship TechFirst programme.

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to several NI tech firms and universities in Belfast, to make sure the business ecosystem is meeting the needs of NI AI and tech companies to international markets, including the United States. We continue to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on matters relating to growth to ensure we are working collaboratively to achieve the best results for the people of Northern Ireland.