A delegation of business leaders from Northern Ireland visited Sri Lanka to explore opportunities for trade, technology transfer and alliances with local companies.

The business delegation included senior managers from seven companies from Northern Ireland.

The group included Full Circle, a leading management consultancy, which recently signed a joint venture with a company in Colombo for specialist training advice and support. Most of the participated companies from Northern Ireland have experience of doing business in Sri Lanka and neighbouring India, stated the British High Commission in Colombo.

The visit is the second to Sri Lanka organized by Invest Northern Ireland during the past year.

“While many of our companies initially saw Sri Lanka as a potential springboard to the much larger Indian marketplace, they now recognize that the island is an exciting and individual market in its own right and one with great potential,” said Invest NI’s Regional Director, Barry Clarke. Northern Ireland shares with Sri Lanka a position as a small and relatively compact market close to a much bigger one. This makes Sri Lanka particularly attractive to smaller Northern Ireland companies with limited experience of doing business in the Indian subcontinent,” he added.

The companies are from a very broad industrial base and reflect key areas of expertise in Northern Ireland, including materials handling and construction machinery, one of the region’s biggest and most successful industries.

Business between Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka has been developing steadily since the Northern Ireland trade mission’s first visit in April this year, according to Claire Gadd, Invest NI Mission Manager.

“Significant contracts have been won by a number of our companies in sectors ranging from food ingredients to professional services. These contracts include two strategic alliances for management consultancy and training services,” he said.

The British High Commissioner John Rankin hosted a reception on Monday (Nov.21) at Westminster House to welcome the trade delegation.

Speaking at the reception, he said “I am pleased to see Invest Northern Ireland back for the second time this year after a very successful visit in April. This is an indication of the strong ties between our two communities and the clear potential for a stronger trade relationship.”

The mission to Sri Lanka is part of an ongoing programme of business activities in India and other adjacent markets organised annually by Invest NI to expand trade, says the British High Commission in Colombo.