the shopping, the restaurants, pubs and cafes and the services industries, which inevitably have to be in place to make such a community function.


“Belfast will have its own Canary Wharf on its doorstep and I donʼt think we properly understand yet just what that will mean for the regionʼs economy in terms of the investment it will attract, the quality of jobs that will be created and the new industries that will grow up in the midst of it,” said Mr Cross, who also pointed out the success enjoyed by the Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP) and the film production industry growing around the old Harland & Wolff Paint Hall, both also in the heart of the docklands.


It has even been suggested that the Titanic Quarter may eventually develop into a hi‑technology orientated village, comparable with Paris's La Défense.


While Northern Ireland historically has contributed significantly to specialist technology sectors such as ship building and aerospace, jobs in these sectors have declined substantially due to the continued slow down of the worldʼs economies and the shortage of contracts.


Northern Ireland's future Northern Irelandʼs future therefore depends on a robust economy and we need new industries to help diversify the cityʼs employment base into an knowledge economy. With the creation of new, state of the art workplaces and the new BMC campus we have an exceptional opportunity to act as a driver for high‑quality investment in the city. High specification, high technology business and office space with supporting innovative ICT infrastructure will only build on the catalyst already created by the NISP and its successful business incubation.


“It is anticipated that the area will become a significant source of employment opportunities in industries such as health, environmental technology, information and communication technology and the growing business, services, hospitality and tourism sector,” he said. “In addition the potential for the Titanic Quarter to become a ʻmust seeʼ visitor attraction is immense because of its world renowned maritime heritage delivered by the Signature Project, the refurbishment of the Titanicʼs drawing offices providing historical focus and the planned use of open public spaces formed by the Olympic and Titanic slipways for recreation and events. “Furthermore the potential influx of tourists owing to the construction of a cruise liner berth that will be linked to walkways designed to integrate the Titanic Quarter with Laganside and the City Centre will offer a very valuable and exciting new visitor segment for the tourism economy in Belfast and beyond.” He went on; “Belfast and Northern Ireland has had to face the realities of a changing economic environment with the long term decline of our regionʼs traditional manufacturing industries but with the level of investment now coming in to the region, even in the midst of a global downturn, one can see how well positioned our economy will be to grasp the new opportunities presented by a new economic landscape. Tourism, the arts, media and IT will all be blended together to make Belfast stand out as a centre of global significance.” Mr Cross believes Titanic Quarter can be the economic catalyst Northern Ireland requires over the next five years as it moves out of recession, embraces new opportunities and becomes less reliant on the public sector.


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