Companies across Northern Ireland have been urged to compete for their share of the multi-billion pound global sustainable industries.

A free conference will be held in Belfast in October to promote renewable energy and environmental technologies, with around 500 companies expected to take part and share ideas.

The Energy and Environment Conference, backed by Invest Northern Ireland, will highlight the major commercial opportunities for local companies to provide a diverse range of products and services to the sustainable and environmental industries, forecast to be worth over $500 billion by 2013.

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Energy Minister Arlene Foster said: "Global demand for renewable energy is growing and the use of low carbon building technologies and environmental processes like water conservation and wastewater treatment is set to increase rapidly.

"Against this background, there are significant opportunities to supply products and services in areas as diverse as mechanical and electrical engineering, composite materials, site investigation, ICT control systems and many more."

The event will feature addresses from international figures in renewables and environmental technologies. Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend focused workshop sessions to discuss specific issues of interest.

(PR/KMcA)