The Power of Partnership: A strategic approach to local and global alliances 

NI Chamber’s vision is to create opportunity for NI businesses and to drive the growth and prosperity of the economy.  

In pursuit of this, the organisation has taken a fresh look at its approach to partnerships, prioritising strategic alliances at local, national and international level which deliver the greatest opportunities and return for both NI Chamber and its member companies in high-growth sectors.  

One of the most substantial outputs has been the creation of a new international partnership with North Carolina Chamber, which was affirmed through the signing of a formal MOU in March 2024. Having identified specific synergies between both jurisdictions through industry bases in aerospace, life science, advanced manufacturing and financial services, NI Chamber proposed the formalisation of a transatlantic partnership which sees both Chambers work together to promote international trade, investment and co-operation. It includes pledges to leverage existing synergies between both economies, share research and learning and foster new relationships between member companies.    

The partnership was publicly endorsed by US Special Economic Envoy Joe Kennedy III, Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris MP and Shadow Secretary of State Hillary Benn MP. In a further demonstration of its stakeholder appeal, Belfast’s US Consul General travelled specifically for the signing ceremony in Raleigh, which was also attended by university and business representatives from both NI and North Carolina including Caterpillar, Collins Aerospace and Almac.    

Post EU exit, new trading arrangements are one of the most complex issues facing NI and GB businesses. As the only BCC accredited Chamber in Northern Ireland, NI Chamber is playing a central and pivotal role in helping to overcome challenges faced by companies across the network – partnership is the lynchpin of its advocacy plan.   

Having invested considerable time in developing trusted relationships in Stormont, Whitehall and Brussels, using its unique and trusted position, NI Chamber is working closely with policy makers across UK and Europe to resolve the challenges of trading arrangements.  

Given its unique geographic location and recognising the economic opportunities of all-island trade, in the same period NI Chamber has also invested considerable resources in new partnerships with Chambers of Commerce in Dublin and Cork City. In May, it hosted a joint delegation for a two-day visit, kick-starting a new collaborative partnership focusing on connectivity and infrastructure, including ports and rail infrastructure, as well as building on opportunities from tourism development and establishing innovation clusters.   

Results   

NI Chamber’s focus on partnerships is growing our profile, enhancing our reputation and contributing substantially to the bottom line.  

Our partnership strategy is demonstrably adding to our value proposition and contributing to increased revenue. NI Chamber is 100% funded by members, with no government funding. All of the collaborations and partnerships established this year have been sustainably funded through earned income.    

In a demonstration of how the approach is resonating with members, our current retention rate is very high at 91%. Of those members, 85% are currently in engaged with one or more of our services. To effectively manage a growing pipeline of sales leads and to manage engagement among a growing membership base, we have successfully integrated HubSpot across the organisation as an integrated sales, marketing and CRM system.   

It has also enhanced our reputation and audience reach, earning 1,781 media mentions and driving 310,00 visitors to our website last year.    

Impact  

Already, we’re seeing our MOU with NC Chamber deliver tangible business results with discussions having taken place between various companies in the aerospace industry, new partnerships between universities and interest from a US fund in NI health and life sciences businesses.   

As a direct result of seeking out new cross-border relationships, we have already facilitated collaboration between Belfast Harbour, Dublin Port and Cork Ports, agreed joined-up messaging around all-island rail connectivity and earned political buy-in for the promotion of collaboration through all-island innovation clusters.  

Finally, through hyper-local partnerships, we have grown the % of members based outside of Belfast to 48% and identified potentially significant new revenue streams.