This is a fantastic achievement and one which is making a significant contribution to the government's policy on targeting social need

Dr Sean Farren

"As both Northern Ireland's largest inward investor and private sector employer, Bombardier is playing a highly significant role in the further development of Northern Ireland's knowledge-led economy."

He said Professor Raghunathan's appointment would see Queen's University continue to be at the leading edge of research shaping the next generation of commercial aircraft.

Dr Farren, the Minister for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment, paid tribute to Bombardier Aerospace for securing work which has brought about the recruitment of 1,500 people over the past year.

The factory supplies parts to Boeing

"I am particularly pleased that, as part of its recruitment process, the company has used T&EA's Bridge to Employment programme so effectively," he said.

"Through the programme approximately 400 unemployed people are now employed with Bombardier Aerospace and sharing in the success of the company.

Composites

"This is a fantastic achievement and one which is making a significant contribution to the government's policy on targeting social need," he added.

Another Bombardier composites unit is based in Newtownabbey in County Antrim.

Contracts worth �250m were awarded by Bombardier Aerospace in Northern Ireland to suppliers worldwide during 2000, with �30 million awarded to suppliers from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

A second components factory is based in Newtownabbey

The company has experienced a 25% employment increase and developed a new �21m terminal for Belfast City Airport.

Bombardier is Northern Ireland's largest manufacturing employer, with about 6,000 workers involved in the design and production of aircraft structures and engine covers.

Figures

Meanwhile, there was no change in the level of unemployment in Northern Ireland last month.

The number of people of out of work and claiming benefit now stands at 40,000 or 5.1% of the workforce, according to figures released on Wednesday.

Other figures released by the government show that exports from Northern Ireland companies rose by 14% last year, while in total local companies produced goods worth just over �10bn.

The figures have been welcomed by Sir Reg, but he warned that more than 2,500 redundancies are still in the pipeline.