A major £12.9 million investment by Cirdan Imaging is set to bolster Northern Ireland's Life and Health Sciences sector, creating 72 new jobs in Lisburn.

The move, announced by the First Minister, deputy First Minister, and Economy Minister, will focus on enhancing the company's innovation, workforce skills, and the efficiency of its laboratory information system (LIS).

The 'Vision-Path' project will see Cirdan update its LIS with new features designed to improve clinical workflows and provide a competitive edge in the global market. Alongside technical upgrades, the company plans to expand its sales and technical onboarding teams while investing heavily in staff training.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill welcomed the development: "72 new jobs, many of them highly specialised, will provide valuable opportunities for people in the local area. This £12.9million investment by Cirdan Imaging is a strong endorsement of our Life & Health Sciences sector and the highly skilled workforce we have here. Just as importantly, this investment will support Cirdan's continued innovation, strengthening patient diagnosis and care across the world. We are determined to back businesses to innovate, scale and create good jobs."

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly added: "This £12.9million investment and creation of 72 new jobs in Lisburn is very positive news. Cirdan's investment demonstrates how innovation and skills development go hand in hand to drive competitiveness. By enhancing its LIS system and expanding into new international markets, the company is building on the expertise we have here in Northern Ireland and reinforcing our reputation as a centre of excellence. This investment reflects the depth of talent we have here and is fantastic for the company." Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald highlighted the strategic importance of the firm, noting: "This investment will help create good jobs and increase innovation in one of my priority sectors. It is a vote of confidence in our talent and R&D capabilities in the north. Cirdan is an exemplar company which demonstrates how investment across R&D and skills can help drive growth. With a focus on AI and photonics, Cirdan has a real opportunity to develop innovative products which will drive competitiveness globally."

Minister Archibald further noted that the region is well-regarded for its medical device and diagnostic advancements, particularly when combined with progress in AI.

Cirdan's LIS is designed to make patient diagnosis for cancer and other diseases faster and more accurate while reducing clinical costs. CEO Hugh Cormican explained the project's necessity: "The global LIS market is highly competitive, creating significant barriers to entry. This project will address this challenge and enable our LIS to become more competitive in additional markets."

He added: "Over 72 jobs will be created over the course of the project. Part of this new employment will be in our sales and technical onboarding team to help us scale globally. We are ambitious and want to grow our sales in existing markets such as the UK and Australia. And with our innovative new features we also want to break into other global markets including North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia."

The new roles, which the company aims to fill by 2028, include AI Engineers, Software Engineers, Clinical Laboratory Analysts, and Project Managers.

Invest NI has offered £1.9 million in support, covering skills development, the R&D project, and 10 management-level roles. Alison Currie, Chief Development Officer at Invest NI, said: "Along with supporting the company's innovation journey we're directly supporting 10 management level roles with an average salary of £70,500. This investment will help Cirdan to scale and reinforce its position as a key player in Northern Ireland's Life Health Sciences sector."

The R&D portion of the support is partly funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).