A business delegation from Switzerland has been visiting Belfast this week as part of a trade mission to explore business links with the city.
The group of eleven from the Canton of Neuchâtel arrived in Belfast on Sunday and have been spending time touring the city. They visited Ulster University's Belfast campus on Monday before a reception with the Lord Mayor in City Hall. They will be calling at the Innovation Factory on the Springfield Road on Wednesday, before departing on Thursday.
The region of Neuchâtel built much of its economy on watchmaking, and this latest trip is being facilitated by Andersonstown man Declan Barry.
Matthieu Aubert is the Director of the Neuchâtel Economic Development Office.
"We are here with companies active in semiconductors, photonics, life sciences and automation, which are all leaders in their niche markets," he said.
"We are here to seek opportunities for partnerships with local companies, and also with academic and research institutions."
Mr Aubert said it was very important to foster good relationships between businesses.
"We are a small country with eight million inhabitants. The Canton of Neuchâtel is even smaller, with 180,000 people. We are two per cent of the Swiss population, but we account for seventeen per cent of the trade.
"We have a strong industrial sector that accounts for forty-seven per cent of our GDP."
Mr Aubert said that watchmaking is a "big legacy" in the Canton, and that they now have great competence in fields which are very precise and have low energy consumption.
"We have attractive companies but we also want them to explore new markets. This is an interesting market here. We have a partner here for four years now who has helped us attract companies to Neuchâtel, and we are now helping Neuchâtel companies get to the market here."
The group met local companies whom Mr Aubert says "have needs" that they can meet.
"I think we can really find some constructive matches and create some partnerships to help companies from both countries," he said.
