March 13, 2026 — Cork, Republic of Ireland — UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that Irish companies pledge £937m investment in UK, creating 850 jobs across London, Doncaster, South Wales, and Scotland ahead of the UK-Ireland Summit, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties in growth, energy, and security.
The pledge involves 15 Irish companies committing a total of £937 million, with investments spanning multiple UK regions including Northern Ireland and energy interconnectors between Northern Ireland-Ireland and Wales-Ireland.[1] Starmer made the announcement during a business round table hosted by Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Key Company Investments
Specific pledges include:
- Gas Networks Ireland: £170 million.[1]
- Amach, an AI and cloud-computing firm for aviation: £45 million, creating 150 jobs.[1]
- Focus Capital Partners: £3 million.[1]
- Ayrton Group, Cork-based: more than £1 million to expand AI services and double its London team.[1]
- Version 1, Dublin IT firm: 400 jobs in Belfast over three years, part of the Irish companies pledge £937m investment in UK, creating 850 jobs across London, Doncaster, South Wales, and Scotland total.[2]
- Johnston Fitout Group: £3 million for new offices and showroom in Doncaster.[5]
- O’Flynn Group: £35 million Manchester student accommodation project.[3]
“The UK’s close friendship with Ireland is going from strength to strength and I am pleased that we are going further in working together on growth, energy, security and more. This new Irish investment coming into the UK is one part of a much bigger picture of our flourishing cultural, commercial and security ties.”
— UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer[1]
Summit Context
The announcement precedes the UK-Ireland Summit on Friday, building on last year’s Liverpool summit to reset post-Brexit relations. Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the bilateral relationship as “very strong” and growing. Stormont Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald praised Version 1’s commitment as a testament to Northern Ireland’s tech expertise.[2]
Irish companies pledge £937m investment in UK, creating 850 jobs across London, Doncaster, South Wales, and Scotland aligns with efforts to address cost-of-living pressures through enhanced partnerships.[5]
The news has been corroborated across outlets, with BBC News NI highlighting the pledge on X, garnering significant views.