Ulster Business editor John Mulgrew takes a look at a year ahead for Northern Ireland business – putting 2020 in the rearview mirror. He speaks to Margaret Canning, business editor of the Belfast Telegraph, and Ann McGregor, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry about an air of positivity, what happens when support ends in the spring, a different work/life balance, concerns over youth unemployment, focusing on retraining and reskilling, whether we’ll get that crucial Brexit deal over the line and looking back on the most challenging year in modern times.

In just 12 months, Bazaarvoice has increased its Belfast workforce by 50%, acquired a company, and continued to hire talented people throughout the crisis while growing its roots here deeper each day. John Mulgrew speaks to site Seamus Cushley about hiring almost 40 people during Covid-19, changing consumer demands caused by the pandemic and seeking out staff that haven’t come through the traditional channels.

Have restrictions and locking down retail and hospitality been blunt instruments? According to Tina McKenzie, FSB NI policy chairperson, they have been, and should be “the last thing we do”. She speaks to John Mulgrew about needing a long-term plan, getting off to a bad start and not operating on an all-island basis. She also says there is a lack of understanding of how many people on the poverty line live day-to-day. Tina also doesn’t think the current restrictions on non-essential retail and hospitality will be extended further into the end of December.

Former chairman, Seamus Keating, is the man tasked with leading Newry headquartered but global giant First Derivatives – a firm which employs more than 2,400 people across the globe. It works across a range of areas, particularly around finance, but also reaches out to everything from Formula One and Nasa. The last few months has seen FD a change in demands for its software – with areas such as capital markets seeing a surge in business in the first half of the year. Seamus says the passing of its founder Brian Conlon was a huge loss for his family and the many friends within the business, right across the globe. But he says the strength of the company has been, and remains, the team effort which carries through to the success of First Derivatives.

The last few days and weeks has seen Northern Ireland business butt heads with Government in regards to the restrictions in place – a balance between what’s best for the economy, while reducing the number of Covid-19 cases.

Ray Hutchinson, managing director of Gilbert Ash – one of the largest construction firms here – speaks to John Mulgrew about why he believes we must keep our economy open, returning to pre-Covid work levels but a potential lag on the way, 'the novelty wearing off' home-working and working remotely, and starting back building hotels and other schemes.

Jayne Brady started a newly-created top role as digital innovation commissioner with Belfast City Council, just as the pandemic gripped us. And the role of technology, IT and other digital sectors has never been more important for the future jobs market in Northern Ireland and beyond. Jayne tells John Mulgrew about hugely ambitious targets to create 46,000 new jobs for Belfast, many of those in tech, by 2035, including retraining young people and those who have been in established careers which have been hit hard by Covid-19.

John Mulgrew chats to Fergal McFerran of Stonewall about the barriers which still remain in Northern Ireland, along with the unique challenges many LGBT people are facing around the Covid-19 crisis. Fergal says around 20-25% of people here still conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity, for fear of receiving a negative response, or in some cases, feel doing such would have an impact on their future career progression.

Jackie Henry, senior partner of Deloitte in Northern Ireland, tells John Mulgrew its plans for a huge 17-storey office are still going ahead. And aside from working with both private and public sector clients since lockdown, she's been on the ground donning a hi-vis vest and assisting in setting up Covid-19 test and trace facilities. But she also says there must be “very significant financial support” for those companies most affected by the ongoing restrictions, including retail and hospitality.

Kainos has not only been working with the NHS around its digital services on Covid, but it’s continuing to hire around 150 staff here, while working entirely remotely over the last seven months. Brendan Mooney, chief executive, speaks to John Mulgrew about the next step, why a new head office is no longer an ‘immediate concern’ and paying furlough payments back to the Government.

The UK Government's controversial Internal Market Bill has just been passed by the House of Commons. But what impact could it have on the Northern Ireland protocol and EU relations in the last throes amid the final days of negotiations? Dr Stephen Farry, Alliance MP for North Down, speaks to John Mulgrew about getting a 'superficial' deal on Brexit and how coronavirus has only weakened the case for leaving the EU when a joined up approach has never been more important.