Queen’s University Belfast is home to the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT). Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Innovate UK, CSIT combines research excellence with translation and innovation driven by collaboration with industry, academia and the public sector.

The CSIT commercial and engineering team has delivered more than 100 rapid response projects with a range of SMEs and startup businesses, and collaborates with partners including BAE Systems, Cisco, Citi, IBM, Intel and Rolls Royce. CSIT’s role in the ecosystem has helped to create approximately 2,750 jobs in the sector with the ambition to grow this to 5,000 as well as attracting 100 high tech FDI and start-up companies.

In 2023, it was announced a new cyber-AI hub would be built at CSIT, joint funded through £11m from the UK government, £3.3m from EPSRC and £4.6m from project partners. The hub hosts a consortium of eight R&D intensive cyber security businesses investing in AI-based security technologies that will drive growth in their companies and benefit the NI economy.