Northern Ireland stands at a pivotal moment in its economic development. A new report, Harnessing AI to Boost Northern Ireland’s Productivity, authored by Queen’s Business School academics on behalf of the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum, makes an urgent case for a dedicated AI strategy to address persistent underperformance. For associations and institutes across the island of Ireland, the report carries a caution and a compelling invitation to lead.

The report argues that AI presents Northern Ireland with its most consequential productivity opportunity since the ICT revolution of the 1990s, a transformation the region largely missed. Three findings define the opportunity for professional bodies: structural workforce exposure, the primacy of lifelong learning, and the case for coordinated institutional leadership.

Northern Ireland’s productivity sits 11% below the UK average, while the Republic of Ireland runs approximately 8% above it. The Queen’s report attributes this partly to greater reliance on low-paid occupations and low-productivity sectors, the areas most exposed to AI-driven displacement. As Professor John Turner observed, Northern Ireland cannot afford to miss the productivity gains the AI revolution is ushering in, as it missed those of the 1990s ICT transformation.

The recommended response centres on a smart second-mover strategy: rather than competing at the frontier of AI development, Northern Ireland should focus on creating conditions for economy-wide adoption. Central to this is an AI skills strategy built on lifelong learning and digital capability. For associations and institutes, this is not a government task to observe but a professional development mandate they are structurally positioned to fulfil.

Co-author Dr David Jordan was direct: better productivity will not come from adopting AI in isolation. Investment in complementary assets, particularly management practices, is essential. Northern Ireland already has 198 firms creating AI solutions employing 1,340 specialists, but scaling broader impact requires the sector knowledge, credentialling infrastructure, and peer learning networks that professional bodies provide and that government alone cannot replicate.

Three priorities stand out for association leaders. First, embed AI literacy into CPD programmes aligned with the lifelong learning agenda the report identifies as central. Second, develop sector-specific guidance on AI adoption and management improvement, translating research into practical tools members can act on. Third, engage formally with the proposed Productivity and Growth Board, positioning professional bodies as partners in designing the national AI skills framework.

The Queen’s University report is a call to action that associations and institutes across the island are well placed to answer. The productivity gap between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and between both and the wider UK, will not close through technology investment alone. Professional bodies that invest in people, standards, and shared capability now will strengthen their membership offer and help shape the AI-ready economy the island needs.

(The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of BusinessRiver.)