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The disruptions caused by the beginning of work on the wastewater system beneath Foyle Street will cause some delays in our city, but annoyance should be tempered by the knowledge that this is important infrastructure for the regeneration of our city.

In modernising the Victorian infrastructure beneath our city streets, we are literally laying some the foundations for the regeneration of Derry City. This is short-term pain for long-term gain.

We at Derry Chamber welcome any infrastructural work that will facilitate Derry City and the North West region’s capacity for growth.

The growth of our region is vital, and we will continue to work in this regard through our extensive engagement with Derry City and Strabane Council, the Executive, and other stakeholders such as Invest NI.

Greg McCann, President of Derry's Chamber of Commerce

Historically, a situation existed where this engagement tended to be a one-way street, but Derry and the North West are now firmly on the agenda, as our regular engagement with Minister for the Economy Conor Murphy – to whom we wish a speedy recovery – and bodies such as Invest NI shows.

Chamber has recently finalised its North West Economic Vision, within which we call for a rolling stimulus package and strategic focus from NI Executive and UK Government to capitalise on the North West's potential.

We have identified three major cluster areas of economic investment, each of which could transform the region’s economic outputs: an enhanced investment zone for Derry; a regulatory supercluster; and the Derry and Strabane Region City Deal.

An economic investment zone located around Foyle Port, with proximity to rail services and City of Derry Airport, could expand upon the Port’s significant presence within advanced manufacturing and green economies by using the North Wests natural resources, such as wind energy and tidal power, extending into a possible hydrogen hub. The cross-border potential for this, with the Port’s proximity to Donegal, is significant.

Hubert O’Donoghue from AIB Merchant Services, Economy Minister Conor Murphy, Derry Chamber Chief Executive Anna Doherty, North West Regional College Chief Executive Leo Murphy, Derry Chamber President Greg McCann at the chamber lunch in March

Donegal County Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Atlantic Technological University, and Catalyst are leading a project to deliver the world’s first multi-sector regulatory supercluster to the North West.

This will bring together industry, academic, and public bodies to capitalise upon the region’s unique cross-border location and drive world class research and innovation across sectors, regulators, and borders, with a focus on ESG and AI.

The City Deal is the most advanced of these three initiatives, with the £300 million package set to deliver transformation on a scale our region has long needed.

The type of development planned for Derry’s in the near-to-medium term, from the regeneration of the Riverfront to the extension of Ulster University’s Magee campus, cannot be achieved without infrastructural enablers such as the works being carried out on Foyle Street.

The work has begun, more is needed and the Executive’s focus on the North West needs tangible initiatives such as an investment zone for Derry. It is incumbent on all parties to ensure that our region reaches its true potential.

Greg McCann is president of Derry’s Chamber of Commerce

Derry: The foundations of the new North West are currently being laid