ADS Northern Ireland (NI) represents the Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space industries in the region. ADS NI has been growing rapidly and has over 100 Member companies contributing over £1.9bn per year to the NI economy. The goal is to grow and ensure the continued success of vital industries in Northern Ireland.
ADS works closely with InvestNI, driving the sector strategy Northern Ireland Partnering for Growth and has six working groups focusing on Sales, Skills, R&D, Supply Chain, Defence & Security and the Space sectors. ADS provides many services to help Member companies, including market awareness, events, missions, trade shows and business development support.
ADS Northern Ireland facts & figures 2024
From technology and exports to apprenticeships and investment, ADS sectors are vital to Northern Ireland’s growth. The 2024 report highlights that aerospace, defence, security and space sector turnover reached £2.2bn last year. View our full Northern Ireland Facts & figures 2024.
Northern Ireland – engineering powerhouse
Northern Ireland is home to a powerhouse of advanced engineering companies, a leader in quality and performance and a trusted supply chain.
ADS-NI-Supply-Chain-Powerhouse-Oct-2023
Video case studies
Learn more about Northern Ireland’s SC21 Gold award companies:
The team
Joseph Reffitt – Director, ADS Northern Ireland
Joseph manages the ADS Northern Ireland Office to serve the interests of members in the region. Joining ADS in February 2026, Joseph brings a wealth of expertise to guide the trade association in championing ADS Northern Ireland industries.
Kevin Brien – Business Development Manager, ADS Northern Ireland
Kevin joined ADS in December 2025, after 8 years with KX, working in aerospace, defence, security and space. He is working as part of a national business development team to support ADS Northern Ireland members.
Lisa Losty – Membership and Events Coordinator, ADS Northern Ireland
Lisa joined ADS in March 2020 as ADS NI Administrator. Lisa supports both Joseph and Kevin in their roles while leading on ADS Northern Ireland’s event programme.
Council members
- Angoka
- ASM Chartered Accountants
- Causeway Aero Group Ltd
- Collins Aerospace
- Datum Design
- Denroy Plastics Ltd
- Kx Systems
- Magellan Aerospace (UK) Limited
- Morson Projects Limited
- Moyola Precision Engineering
- Queen’s University Belfast
- RLC Engineering Group
- Spirit AeroSystems Ltd
- Survitec Group Ltd
- Thales UK
- The Nacelle Group
- Thompson Aero Seating Limited
- Ulster University