Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Comprising of 75 hectares or 185 acres of prime waterfront land, this project is one of Northern Ireland’s most important regeneration projects.
In just over a decade, Titanic Quarter has gone from master plan to reality.
Located in the heart of Belfast city, Titanic Quarter is one of Europe’s largest urban waterfront regeneration projects, consisting of 185 acres of brownfield site, including the re-use or redevelopment of existing buildings. It includes a mix of residential, commercial, leisure, educational buildings, and visitor attractions. 20,000 people live, work, visit and stay daily at Titanic Quarter and the thriving destination contributes over £757 million GVA per annum.
Location:
Titanic Quarter, Belfast
Investment type:
Capital investment - real estate
Sector:
(Greener buildings, Real estate, Mixed use, Residential, Offices, Retail, leisure & creative)
Project promoter:
Titanic Quarter Limited
Scale:
Potential development phases over the next 12 years, totalling £1.4 billion.
Planning status:
Outline planning obtained
Time to Final Investment Decision (FID):
0-6 months
Sector and market opportunity
Over the next decade, the Titanic Quarter site should benefit from Belfast Region City Deal initiatives with £1 billion of co-investment. Public sector investments help further de-risk this opportunity and provide stimulus for occupier demand. Initiatives that could replace EU funding could also benefit the site due to its proximity to Belfast Port.
A Planning Development Framework has been approved for the regeneration of Titanic Quarter which provides multiple investment opportunities.
Location
Northern Ireland is uniquely positioned in that it has retained tariff-free access to both the UK and EU. Northern Ireland is also the only United Kingdom land border with the rest of the European Union.
Titanic Quarter enjoys an established vibrant location that overlooks the River Lagan, next to Belfast’s commercial core.
Connectivity
Belfast enjoys excellent road, rail and air infrastructure connectivity right across the British Isles. It’s only a 1-hour flight from London and Dublin is only 1 hour 45 minutes’ drive away. Both the M1 and M2 motorways are only a couple of minutes away, too. Titanic Quarter is serviced by the Glider (Belfast Rapid Transit System) and City Metro bus services. Titanic Rail Hub is an 8-minute walk and Dublin is 2 hours by train from Lanyon Place.
Belfast has the highest availability of superfast broadband in the UK and the fastest direct broadband link from Europe to North America.
Local talent and skills
About 61% of all jobs in Northern Ireland are in Belfast. The country has a young population, with 53% of the population aged under 40.
There are 2 world-leading universities in Belfast. Over 73% of their research is deemed world-leading or internationally excellent. Belfast also has 2 hospitals, each with considerable research and development opportunities.
Already, over 70% of companies choose to reinvest in Northern Ireland and it is already home to more than 1,100 international investors, including Allstate, Citi, Seagate, Spirit Aerosystems and FinTrU.
These statistics demonstrate an attractive business environment which should provide demand for various sectors as well as a vibrant labour talent pool.
Region Spotlight
Northern Ireland
It is an integral, uniquely positioned part of the UK and is the ideal location to grow your company. Its combination of a business-friendly environment, highly skilled workforce, quality skills pipeline, excellent infrastructure, and unique market access offer a compelling proposition for your business. Over 1,300 international companies across a range of sectors are based in Northern Ireland (NISRA, 2023). The region has a long-standing history of international trade performance, hosts globally recognised universities and offers investors unfettered access to both the UK and European Union markets.
Research and expertise
Titanic Quarter is an established, already successful example of regeneration within Northern Ireland.
It’s the home of a variety of key organisations such as Catalyst, Belfast Metropolitan College, Titanic Hotel, Titanic Belfast, Amazon and Citi.
Further details
Northern Ireland holds the top position as an international investment location for US cyber security firms and is known for its business-friendly attitude.
It’s also the world’s top region for financial services technology.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) highlights
The project promoter, Titanic Quarter Limited, has sustainability at the heart of its culture.
Examples include:
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Maritime Mile: a waterfront experience that connects key attractions at Titanic Quarter through high-quality public realm
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Olympic House: the recently completed office building has a BREEAM excellent rating and ‘A’ rating EPC
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Citi’s Gateway Office: awarded a Gold LEED certification for its advanced design features
Promoters and partnerships
Titanic Quarter Limited is a privately owned company.
The emerging developments such as The Loft Lines, the Hamilton Dock Hotel and the ReefLive Aquarium provide further context for future development schemes.
Local and national government support
The opportunity has close alignment with local government policies such as Programme for Government, The Belfast Agenda and the Belfast Region City Deal.
Post-Brexit Northern Ireland is the only land border with the rest of the EU.
