Fashion pureplay Asos plans to open a tech hub in Northern Ireland to support further growth.

Asos will invest £14m in the Belfast hub, where 184 new jobs will be created over three years.

The roles will be at various levels and include a range of job functions such as engineering and data science, forming part of Asos’ programme to enable continued growth.

Asos chief executive Nick Beighton said: “As a rapidly growing business at the forefront of online retailing, we’re continually investing in our technology capabilities.

“Our new hub will provide us with cutting-edge tech expertise to support future growth. Belfast has a wealth of tech talent and we’re excited to be establishing a permanent base in such a vibrant city.”

Northern Ireland economy minister Gordon Lyons said: “Today’s announcement by Asos is a clear vote of confidence for Northern Ireland and our strong appeal as an investment location.

“Its new Belfast tech hub and the creation of jobs represents a major investment in Northern Ireland. In return, our talent base will provide it with the high-quality engineering resources it needs to deliver its international growth plans. Once in place, the new jobs will contribute almost £6.5m in additional annual salaries.”

Local body Invest Northern Ireland said it is providing about £1.2m of support towards the new software engineering roles.

The Department for the Economy is funding pre-employment Assured Skills Academy training worth around £1m over three years.

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