Xi'an Superconducting Wire Technologies has announced the opening of Superconducting Technologies Northern Ireland, a new advanced manufacturing facility in Larne creating 41 operational and engineering jobs; the investment is supported by a £287,000 Invest NI grant. It matters because it is XST's first manufacturing operation outside China, meaning Larne becomes the proving ground for whether the group's production processes can be replicated and run consistently outside its home base.

Xi'an Superconducting Wire Technologies (XST) is a subsidiary of Western Superconducting Technologies, a Xi'an-headquartered manufacturer of superconducting materials and magnets used in medical imaging, scientific research, semiconductor production, accelerators and maglev transport.

Superconducting Technologies Northern Ireland (STNI) is XST's new Larne-based operating entity, established at Ballyhampton Road to manufacture high-performance superconducting materials that are processed into superconducting wire, primarily for use in magnetic resonance imaging machines.

The facility will initially create 41 operational and engineering jobs paying average salaries of £36,000, with the company's principals named as Chinese nationals Qiang Guo and Xuekun Lu.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Invest NI worked closely with XST's team to secure the investment, including supporting visits to Northern Ireland to assess potential manufacturing locations before the Larne site was selected.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon, said: "Our borough has a proud manufacturing heritage and a highly skilled workforce, as well as a growing reputation for innovation and advanced manufacturing. The decision to locate this new facility in Larne demonstrates a significant vote of confidence in this area."

Invest NI chief executive Kieran Donoghue said: "The company's decision to manufacture its alloy wires for MRI machines in Larne is a strong vote of confidence in Northern Ireland as a location for international investment and especially advanced manufacturing. Our support is helping the company to create 41 jobs which have the potential to contribute almost £1.5 million annually to the local Mid and East Antrim area."

For the sector, a specialist Chinese materials manufacturer choosing Northern Ireland, rather than a larger European market, for its first overseas production site signals that regional manufacturing hubs can win precision advanced-manufacturing investment when local skills and site support are matched closely enough to a highly specific process.

Source: Belfast News Letter / Irish News / NI Chamber