Creative company creates 40 jobs

Dublin-based JAM Media has been producing special effects for more than 10 years and is behind CBBC show Roy, about an animated boy living with his real family.

In May this year it will branch out to an office in Sandy Row in the south of the city, which will initially employ 25 people but that is expected to increase to 40 members of staff in the next couple of years.

CEO John Rice said they were attracted to Belfast because of the talent and support from universities in the area.

"There's just so many great artists here. That, coupled with support from NI Screen, from Invest NI, the broadband bandwidth that you have, are a number of reasons," he explained.

"They will be on Roy first of all. They will take the animation and the live action - it's a hybrid show - and they will put it together so that Roy will believably exist in his environment."

It is the latest endorsement of Northern Ireland's growing success as a hub for creative media and

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster welcomed the announcement.

"There's a growing recognition that we have the talent, that we have the skills," she said.

"Also there's a buzz about Belfast at present, especially with everything that's going on around our new Titanic studios, with HBO completing their third series here and all of the other events that are happening as well.

"There's a real buzz about the creative media set in NI and I think people are looking in and saying let's explore it and see where the opportunities are."

The jobs created will include high quality senior animators, graduate programmers, and management positions, as well as administrative staff.

The investment will deliver over £1.4million in salaries into the local economy each year.