Industry Minister Chris McDonald toured several manufacturing firms in Northern Ireland this week, including Harland & Wolff, Boeing, Airbus, and Artemis. His department said the visit celebrated hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and set out how the UK government would back businesses in the region.

During the tour, the minister visited sites in Belfast and other locations to see ongoing work and discuss future plans with company leaders.

Separately, the Irish government announced a €377 million investment in 12 new cross-border projects. The funding is part of Dublin’s Shared Island initiative, targeting cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, education and health.

The Republic of Ireland has also established a €14 million scheme to support all-island and cross-border media projects.

Ulster Unionist Party MLA Diana Armstrong criticised the media fund. She said the initiative sets a dangerous precedent and functions as an all-Ireland marketing machine with a clear political agenda.