Data centre demand boosts Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector
Equipment demand for artificial intelligence data centres has driven a 9% year-on-year growth in Northern Ireland's manufacturing industry.
According to official data released, Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector grew by 9% year-on-year in the second quarter of this year, significantly outperforming the UK average.
High Growth in Manufacturing Sector
The latest official data revealed significant activity in Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector, with the annual growth rate reaching 9% in the second quarter.
UK Average Left Behind
This strong rate recorded in the regional manufacturing industry far outperformed the overall UK average, which remained at 1.2%.
Impact of the Technology Sub-Sector
The primary source of this momentum in the sector was the sub-sector comprising computers, electronics, electrical and optical products, which recorded an annual growth of nearly 28%.
Global Artificial Intelligence Operations
Local facilities and factories in the region are manufacturing hardware to support large-scale artificial intelligence operations conducted by giants such as Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI.