What is an Enterprise Zone?
An Enterprise Zone is an area which benefits from government incentives such as Enhanced Capital Allowances to encourage business investment. Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) may be available. For further information on Enterprise Zone: Enhanced Capital Allowance is available at www.gov.uk
Where is the Enterprise Zone?
It is located on the Portstewart Road, on land adjacent to Ulster University, Coleraine.
What size is the site?
The size of the site is 40 acres. Phase 1 includes 20 acres which is currently in development. Phase 2 is a further adjacent 20 acre site.
Who are the lead partners in the project?
The lead partners include Causeway Coast and Glens Council (CC&G), Ulster University and the Department for the Economy (DfE). Atlantic Link Campus’s anchor tenant 5NINES, NI’s first carrier neutral data centre will open in January 2018.
When was the project announced?
On the 19th March 2014, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the creation of Northern Ireland’s first Enterprise Zone would be in the Borough of Coleraine linked to a Data Centre investment at or near Project Kelvin.
Why Coleraine / the North Coast?
It is envisaged that the Enterprise Zone status, alongside the existing benefits in the area such as a supply of technical talent from the University, will enable significant economic development in the area and leverage the untapped potential of such close proximity to the Project Kelvin landing station.
What is Project Kelvin?
Project Kelvin – an extensive and terrestrial fibre optic cable system – came on stream in 2010. It was a game-changer, delivering ultra-low latency and the single fastest data transfer route between continental Europe and North America. Project Kevin allows data to cross the atlantic in 0.066 of a second.
It is brought ashore 1km from the Atlantic Link Campus.
This unrivalled communications capability, combined with the exceptional talent flow from Ulster University Coleraine campus, provides an outstanding opportunity for international companies to establish new low cost operation centres to directly service on-line their UK, European, North American and Asian markets.
Ulster University, Coleraine Campus
Home to over 5,000 students per year, Ulster University’s Coleraine campus is internationally recognised for its teaching excellence and pioneering research in a range of areas including science, health, education, media and the humanities.
How convenient is the site to local transport links?
The Enterprise zone is located close to the main ring road surrounding Coleraine.
Coleraine is 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Belfast and 33 miles (53 km) east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections. City of Derry Airport, 25 miles (40 km) to the west, Belfast International Airport (48 miles / 77 km), the main regional airport to the south, and George Best Belfast City Airport (60 miles / 96 km) to the south east are all accessible from Coleraine.