AI is moving quickly from experimentation into everyday business use, while the cybersecurity landscape is becoming more complex. For business leaders, that raises an increasingly important question: how do they make the most of new technology without creating unnecessary risk around data, systems and operations?
That question will be central to the FutureRange Secure Intelligence Summit, taking place at the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast on 19 November.
The event will bring together business and technology leaders from across Northern Ireland, with speakers from FutureRange, EOS Systems, Microsoft and the wider cybersecurity sector sharing practical perspectives on AI adoption, governance and resilience.
For FutureRange Managing Director Danny McEntee, the priority is helping organisations move beyond treating AI and cybersecurity as separate technology conversations.
As more businesses adopt enterprise AI tools, leaders need to understand whether the right foundations are in place, from data management and access controls to governance, cyber resilience and clear accountability for how those tools are used.
AI offers significant opportunities to improve productivity, automate repetitive processes and help people make better use of business information. But successful adoption requires more than simply giving employees access to new technology.
For leaders planning for 2027, there are some fundamental questions to consider: where can AI create meaningful value, is company data properly protected, are cybersecurity measures keeping pace with change, and do employees have the skills and governance needed to use AI responsibly?
Peter Brown, Director of EOS Systems, sees similar challenges across the Northern Ireland market, where many SMEs are keen to adopt new technology but need practical guidance on doing so without adding unnecessary complexity or disrupting the systems and day-to-day operations on which they depend.
That joined-up approach is becoming increasingly important. Technology now sits at the heart of most organisations, meaning decisions around AI, cybersecurity, data and business continuity are no longer issues for the IT team alone. They are business decisions that can affect growth, competitiveness, customer trust and operational resilience.
The discussion is particularly timely following the recent announcement of £7.5 million in UK Government investment in Queen’s University Belfast’s Centre for Secure Information Technologies Cyber-AI Hub. The funding will support research and development, AI-enabled cybersecurity innovation and greater collaboration between industry, academia and government. Northern Ireland’s wider cybersecurity ecosystem currently employs more than 2,700 people across 140 companies.
For FutureRange and EOS Systems, the aim is to bring that wider conversation back to the practical realities facing businesses, helping organisations identify where AI can add value while ensuring the security, governance and technology foundations are in place to support it.
The FutureRange Secure Intelligence Summit will explore where AI is already delivering practical value, what good governance looks like, how the cyber threat landscape is changing and what business leaders should be preparing for as they plan for 2027.
The message is ultimately a positive one: AI presents a significant opportunity for Northern Ireland businesses, and organisations that put the right foundations in place will be better positioned to embrace that opportunity with confidence.
The FutureRange Secure Intelligence Summit takes place from 9am to 12pm on Thursday, 19 November at the Grand Central Hotel, Belfast. Attendance is free, but registration is required and places are limited. To secure your place, register on Eventbrite here