£50 million for Northern Ireland research

Northern Ireland universities are to get £50 million for research from a public-private partnership. The government will provide £25 million over five years to be matched by £25 million that the universities must attract from private sources.

Gerry McKenna, vice-chancellor of the University of Ulster, said Northern Ireland had been "the poor relation of the UK regions for too long and continued investment at this level is important if we are to be competitive".