Belfast has been chosen as the European location for a new innovation lab facility developed by PwC and Google.
Paul Terrington, PwC's regional chairman in Northern Ireland, said the decision to bring the lab to Belfast represented a "huge vote of confidence" in the North.
There are currently just two other PwC and Google innovation labs in the world, one based in New York and the other in Sydney.
Mr Terrington said the Belfast facility will collaborate with companies across the UK and Europe and will employ digital technology to drive innovation.
He said the lab will complement PwC’s technology-enabled operations in Belfast, which employ more than 1,300 people and will be located in the company’s new technology facility at its Waterfront Plaza headquarters in Belfast.
Welcoming the PwC and Google Innovation Lab, Murali Sitaram, Google director of global partner strategy and alliances, said: "We're excited that customers in the UK will be able to benefit from the immersive technology experience at the PwC and Google Innovation Lab in Belfast."
