Building the skills behind Northern Ireland’s AI ambition: Microsoft Dream Space reaches 70,000 students
Northern Ireland has an opportunity to establish itself as an internationally recognised hub for AI innovation. Realising that opportunity will require more than investment in technology. It will depend on a generation of people with the confidence and skills to understand, use and shape AI responsibly.
That work is already under way. Since 2019, more than 70,000 students across Northern Ireland have taken part in Microsoft Dream Space, building practical skills in STEM and AI through free, hands-on learning.
And, as students and teachers across Northern Ireland settle back into the classroom for the new academic year, our dedicated Dream Space hub at W5 LIFE in Belfast is in full swing, helping students to learn about technology, AI, coding, computer science and robotics, and how they can tackle real-world challenges – moving from curiosity about technology to the confidence to question, create and solve problems with it.
As Catherine Doyle, General Manager of Microsoft Ireland, says: “Northern Ireland has a tremendous opportunity to establish itself as a leader in the AI era, but realising that potential starts with investing in the next generation of talent. Reaching more than 70,000 students through Microsoft Dream Space is a significant milestone and reflects the enthusiasm we continue to see from schools, teachers and students right across the region.”
That enthusiasm matters because Northern Ireland’s AI ambition will ultimately be realised by people. As businesses and public services adopt AI to improve productivity, services and innovation, the region will need people who can apply the technology critically, creatively and responsibly. Northern Ireland’s draft AI Strategy sets out an ambition to build an internationally recognised AI innovation hub; Dream Space helps build the foundations by widening the pipeline of young people who can play a part.
Microsoft has committed to giving every young person on the island of Ireland the opportunity to develop digital and AI skills. Dream Space makes emerging technologies practical and accessible, helping students understand how they work, where they can be useful and how they can be applied responsibly to real problems.
The shift is visible in students such as Dominic Egwui from Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, who visited Dream Space at W5 LIFE recently. He said the experience gives students greater freedom to explore technology. “I just think it’s amazing that so many young people are getting into STEM because I think it’s the future of our world,” he said.
“A classroom setting, it limits you, I think, on your creativity and what you can really accomplish. But in a specialised facility, everything blooms.” For a young person, that change in perspective matters: from consuming technology to imagining, questioning and creating with it.
The impact continues after students leave the hub. Teachers receive professional development and resources they can bring back into the classroom, helping STEM and AI learning reach further. Christine Rodgers, a teacher at Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, describes Dream Space as a “fantastic resource” for students and staff. “Since going along to the Dream Space hub in Belfast, our students have grown in confidence, creativity and problem-solving ability,” she says.
The Dream Space Ambassador Programme is how that impact travels from one learner to many. Through demonstrations, workshops and peer-to-peer learning, Ambassadors help classmates and teachers build confidence with technology.
The result is a growing network of young people passing their skills and enthusiasm to others. To date, 1,467 students have become Dream Space Ambassadors and have reached more than 20,000 additional learners across Northern Ireland, extending the value of each Dream Space experience beyond the hub. In fact, applications are now open for the 2026/27 academic year, giving students the opportunity to become STEM and AI champions in their schools and communities.
Microsoft has invested £1 million in Dream Space Northern Ireland since the programme launched in the region in 2019. Last year, it announced a further £3.4 million investment in Dream Space across the island of Ireland to bring AI learning opportunities to more students, teachers and communities. The next measure of progress will not be reach alone, but how many more young people gain the confidence to participate in an AI-enabled economy.
As the new school year begins, the Microsoft Dream Space and W5 LIFE teams are preparing to welcome the next generation of learners and Ambassadors. Each student reached is another young person equipped to engage with AI and another step towards ensuring that Northern Ireland’s AI opportunity is shaped by talent from across the region.
Get involved today
Schools and teachers across Northern Ireland can register for free Dream Space programmes at W5 LIFE in Belfast. Applications are also open for students to become STEM and AI champions through the Microsoft Dream Space Ambassador Programme.
Learn more and register for upcoming programmes at Dreamspace.ie.