As special envoys go, Joe Kennedy III has been genuinely special. That’s not just down to his tireless energy, freshness of vision and unstinting dedication to strengthening vital US-NI relations to stimulate trade & investment opportunities. Nor is it simply because of his readiness to lever his profile and office to give voice to Northern Ireland’s world-class strengths, unique market access position and our untapped potential.
Rather, it is his ability to forge connections, and meaningfully engage with the biggest of US corporates and the Northern Ireland SME business community alike, whilst effectively ‘joining the dots’ to bring the two together to positive effect.
Many of Joe’s highest profile moments in Northern Ireland have already been widely documented, including his leadership of a 50-strong senior business delegation from the US to NI in October 2023.
What the headlines perhaps belie, however, is the significance of the profile-raising impact of special envoy Kennedy’s association with key deals and investments, and the behind-the-scenes personal effort that he, his fellow delegates from October 2023 and his wider network have and continue to make in building a pipeline of trade and investment opportunities for the region.
Joe’s association with the Denroy-Boeing deal last October and the major R&D investment by Collins Aerospace in early 2024 spotlighted the region’s excellence in aerospace and its international track record, providing a platform to showcase Northern Ireland’s world-class innovation and advance manufacturing and engineering expertise.
His support for the launch of a new fintech & professional services talent programme at Belfast Met developed by industry leaders like Citi, PwC and Allstate endorsed our strengths in effective industry/academia collaboration and our advanced fintech ecosystem. And by bringing his October 2023 senior US delegation to visit First Derivative in Newry, he showcased fintech talent in the Belfast/Dublin corridor.
Joe’s drive to lever his connections and convening power was at the heart of his support for the establishment of two sectoral advisory panels focussed in priority sectors for Northern Ireland in partnership with NI Connections.
These panels bring together US experts from the VC, corporate and academic communities to share invaluable insights, experience and thought leadership with businesses and stakeholders on a voluntary basis, that would not otherwise be within our reach.
Whilst contributing to the overall strategic direction of the life & health sciences and net zero industries and promoting NI’s capabilities to customers and potential investors in the US market, advisory panel members are actively engaged with businesses right across Northern Ireland and are drawing on their vast networks in the US to support their efforts.
A key focus for both panels is to raise the ambition and confidence of our world-class businesses in biotech, clinical development & trials, precision medicine and net zero technologies, by providing advice on potential commercial opportunities and pathways to attracting investment for growth.
Such opportunities are naturally confidential, but there is a promising pipeline resulting from the work of the panellists. Sonia Kerr from Catagen said ‘The Net Zero Advisory is already adding value for us by providing insights on the US market, making introductions and helping to raise the profile of Northern Ireland’s green economy’.
As well as bringing US expertise to Northern Ireland, delivering countless ‘platform’ pieces highlighting Northern Ireland’s strengths across the US, Joe has also been personally involved in showcasing the world-class capabilities of key sectors to influential audiences in the US.
In February this year, he energetically supported an Invest NI sportstech trade mission to Boston, taking the lead on opening doors to giants of the US sports industry that simply would not have been accessible to our businesses without his intervention.
Gareth Macklin, founder and chief executive at Obbi, said “The Sports Tech Mission with Invest NI was an incredible opportunity for us. Being in Boston allowed us to accelerate our growth, gain invaluable market insights, and connect with some of the biggest names in sports tech, including New Balance, TD Garden, and the Boston Bruins. We are incredibly grateful to Invest NI, Joe Kennedy III, and Warren K. Zola for organising such an impactful mission.”
These insights into the less visible aspects of the special envoy’s work, and their potential long-term impact on our businesses and the Northern Ireland economy, highlight the dedication, commitment, and hands-on approach Joe consistently demonstrated – a privilege for those of us who worked closely with him throughout his tenure.
Moreover, as curators of his legacy, we are responsible for carrying them through to fruition.