Belfast to get £75m state-of-the-art movie lab

The new lab is one of four in the UK, together the labs form the largest virtual production network in Europe

A new £75m movie lab is to be built in Belfast as part of the UK government's plan to grow Northern Ireland's creative industries.

The advanced screen and performance technology research lab will be set up as part of Studio Ulster at Belfast Harbour Studios.

UK government's Creative Industries Sector Vision plan aims to expand the industry by £50bn.

It also expects to support a million more jobs for the industry by 2030.

The movie lab will specialise in real-time content production techniques, utilising computer-generated imagery (CGI), augmented reality and motion capture to create virtual sets and worlds.UKRI

It's one of four new labs across the UK specialising in the future of virtual production.

'Levelling up the film industry'

The labs are part of a programme from the government's UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) department called Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime (CoSTAR).

Together the labs will form the largest virtual production research and development network in Europe.

The confirmed bidders in Belfast were led by a consortium from Ulster University.

Prof Declan Keeney said the development will create technologies previously unattainable in the UK

Prof Declan Keeney, of Ulster University, said the new development is a testament to the investment already under way at Belfast Harbour Studios.

He said: "This is about levelling up the film industries here in Northern Ireland.

"It creates a unique combination of technologies under one roof here at the harbour that allow us to do things that we previously couldn't do on this island but definitely within the UK."

'New projects possible'

One of the spaces is a virtual production LED volume stage, which is the same technology used in Disney's The Mandalorian.

Prof Keeney said the technology allows people to create any environment "anywhere in the universe" whilst staying in Belfast.

"We can now create Morocco in magic hour and we're able to film in that for 12 hours, right here in the harbour.

"You can imagine that makes possible new projects in Northern Ireland that previously were impossible."

The new virtual movie lab will be set up at Belfast Harbour Studios

The UK government said that screen productions in Northern Ireland have directly contributed more than £330m to the local economy since 2018.

The government also said it boosted the tourism industry by attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region.

It is estimated the new lab in Belfast will create a further 500 jobs.

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Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker said the creative industries have contributed over £1bn to the Northern Ireland economy, creating thousands of jobs and "attracting world-renowned companies such as Universal Pictures, Disney and BBC".

"Having previously visited Studio Ulster and witnessed first hand its innovative work, I'm hugely excited at the announcement of this new state-of-the-art lab and the additional opportunities it will open up for Northern Ireland's thriving TV and film industry," he added.

The facility will bring together expertise from BBC Northern Ireland, Belfast Harbour, Northern Ireland Screen and specialist animation studio Humain.

The programme is supported by £75.6m of government funding and £63m of new industry investment.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: "The plans will put Belfast at the forefront of new technology which will underpin the next generation of filming and live events."