Publication

Productivity in the ICT sector in Northern Ireland: A Pilot Study

Published: 14 July 2020

The Department for the Economy (DfE) commissioned Queen’s Management School (QMS) to undertake a pilot research project to measure productivity levels in the Northern Ireland Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The aim of the project was to assess the viability of utilising micro-business data to measure and track productivity in priority sectors. As a priority sector for the Department for the Economy, this pilot study seeks to use the Northern Ireland Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) to investigate productivity in the ICT sector, analysing levels by type and size of firm. The aim is to delve beneath the aggregate level to understand the distribution of productivity across the sector and identify whether productivity levels are correlated with other business activities. The research will help to provide a deeper understanding of productivity drivers in this specific sector and identify areas for potential intervention.