A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the beginning of construction on a new £16.5 million research and development facility in County Antrim.

Sensata Technologies is working alongside partner JH Turkington & Sons Ltd to develop the bespoke facility at the Global Point Business Park.

The two-year construction phase will support 150 jobs for suppliers and sub-contractors and has been designed to meet BREEAM sustainability standards to minimise impact on the local area.

Commenting at the launch event hosted by Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, Darren Walker, NI Site Leader at Sensata Technologies, said: "In Northern Ireland, we develop sensors and systems which are fitted in cars and Heavy Goods Vehicles. Our focus is to make vehicles safer and to provide more data to the driver and, in some cases, fleet managers. Due to the nature of this work, and the fact that the automotive industry is moving quickly with new electric models coming increasingly onto the market, we are constantly researching, testing and improving our product lines. We need to build facilities which combine offices for our support staff and effective research and development spaces for our design, testing and process engineering teams.

-- Advertisement --

"As a global company, we are also keen to be close to good transport links. Global Point offers the ideal location to welcome colleagues, customers, suppliers and visitors from around the world."

Established in Northern Ireland for more than 20 years, Sensata Technologies (formerly Schrader Electronics) has adopted a new hybrid working pattern for its employees. Most of its teams work two days from home and three days in the office. The planned Newtownabbey facility will accommodate between 450–500 employees and will complement the company's existing Antrim manufacturing site.

Gary Turkington at JH Turkington & Sons Ltd, added: "We're delighted to have been appointed as partners on this major new development. We have been challenged to create a workspace that will accommodate Sensata Technologies requirements for practical, technical spaces alongside open plan offices and private spaces for meetings."

Construction will begin on site immediately and the first phase is planned to be complete by December 2024.