Seven new roles will be created as part of Efectis’ investment, which is locating at Ulster University’s Fire Safety Engineering Research and Technology Centre in Jordanstown.

Welcoming the investment, Invest Northern Ireland’s Eastern Regional Manager, Susan O’Kane, said:“We are delighted to secure this investment for Northern Ireland which will generate specialist employment opportunities for graduate and experienced fire engineers.

“Fire in buildings and infrastructure is a crucial, complex issue and one that attracts close regulatory scrutiny. There are growing market opportunities in this area and as the only provider of fire testing services to the construction sector in Ireland, Efectis is now strategically positioned to benefit.

“The new jobs, to be recruited by 2020, include laboratory technicians, operators, as well as administrator and leadership positions and will generate more than £200,000 annually in additional salaries to the local economy.”

Daniel Joyeux, Efectis’ President, said:“We wanted to build on our growing network of fire testing and research laboratories in Europe and the Middle East. Establishing a dedicated fire testing centre in Northern Ireland at Ulster University’s FireSERT facility was the ideal location for us.

“Over the next three years, we plan to recruit experienced engineers who will be responsible for carrying out the UKAS accredited fire tests to British and European standards. Our Northern Ireland testing centre is part of our strategy to establish a strong relationship with academic organisations. We are delighted to be working with Invest NI and Ulster University in this endeavour.”

UKAS accredited, Efectis UK/Ireland Limited is a joint venture between Innovation Ulster Limited and the Efectis Group, a French-owned leading international fire testing and engineering company with 16 offices and laboratories across Europe.