Belfast is the capital city of northern ireland and is quickly becoming a hotspot for entrepreneurs and startups in the tech industry the city has a rich history of entrepreneurship particularly in the shipbuilding industry more recently the city has seen a boom in tech startups due to its low cost of living and a growing talent pool of skilled workers belfasts geography is also a contributing factor to its startup scene located on the northeastern coast of ireland the city serves as a gateway to europe and the united states this has led to an influx of foreign investment and multinational companies setting up operations in belfast several companies founded in belfast have gone on to become global successes including cybersecurity firm titan ic and healthcare technology company axial3d the city is also home to notable headquarters such as kainos and danske bank belfast has a rich history particularly in relation to the troubles a period of sectarian conflict between the 1960s and 1990s this has contributed to a sense of resilience and determination among the citys residents making it a hub for innovation and creativity the city is home to two prominent universities queens university belfast and ulster university which have played a significant role in the development of belfasts tech ecosystem these institutions have provided a steady stream of talent research and development and funding opportunities for startups in terms of economic indicators belfast has a minimum wage of 950 per hour and an unemployment rate of 44 the wage will rise to 1042 from 1 april 2023 an increase of 92 pence or 97 per cent belfasts startup scene is thriving due to a combination of factors such as its location low cost of living skilled talent pool and a supportive ecosystem of universities accelerators and investors the citys history of resilience and innovation has also played a significant role in the development of its entrepreneurial community
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