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Massachusetts Hosts Emerging Ulster Technology Entrepreneurs

4 January 2010

Thirty entrepreneurs and business development executives from Northern Ireland have been in Massachusetts with the Ulster Business School drumming up business in the new technology economy.

The business development visit, part funded by Invest Northern Ireland, included networking events with Microsoft’s New England Research and Development Centre, The Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, North Eastern University’s Digital Media I-Cubator, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Governors office.

The initiative is part of the Ulster Business School’s  Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Transformation Programme and is hosted by Babson College – a leading proponent of entrepreneurship in the USA.

Programme coordinator Adele Dunn highlighted the importance of the initiative in accelerating business growth and innovation and commented:

“The programme exposes local technology entrepreneurs to growth insights from leading US entrepreneurs and sophisticated technology networks, the opportunities for accelerating business growth are immense.”

Donal Durkan, Invest NI’s Director of Life Sciences and Creative Division said: “The digital media sector is one of NI’s most dynamic and fastest growing industries, with a wealth of talent which is increasingly attracting international interest.

"Invest NI continues to work closely with the industry and our support for this initiative saw a number of local digital media companies travel to the US to network with key industry bodies and learn more about the various business models employed there.”

“Exposure to the experiences of American entrepreneurs and venture capitalists was absolutely invaluable – in particular how they construct and develop their business models.”