Why Northern Ireland’s Productivity Can Only Rise by Using All 24 Hours — Lessons from the World

Northern Ireland consistently ranks near the bottom of UK productivity tables.
The reasons are familiar: small firms, weak infrastructure, limited capital investment, rural geography, and a historic dependence on public-sector employment.

But the biggest structural constraint is rarely acknowledged:

Northern Ireland still runs a “single-shift economy” — in a world that increasingly runs 24 hours.

Buildings, machinery, tools, workshops, ports, scanners, road crews and industrial units sit idle for 16 hours a day.
Output is capped not because people aren’t working hard, but because the economy is only switched on for a fraction of the day.

To lift productivity, NI must learn from global examples of 24-hour economic utilisation.

1. Northern Ireland uses its productive assets for the shortest time in the developed world

Comparisons:

NI uses LESS than half the available potential economic time.

Productivity cannot grow if 60–70% of equipment time is unused.

2. NI’s fixed costs are too high to justify being idle 16 hours/day

Northern Ireland businesses pay for:

• rent
• rates
• electricity
• machinery
• vehicles
• insurance
• workshop space

…but many operate only one shift.

Meanwhile:

• South Korea spreads these costs across 2–3 shifts**
• Netherlands spreads them across 24/7 logistics windows
• Japan spreads them across flexible day/night labour
• USA spreads them across extended commercial hours

Northern Ireland frequently spreads them only across 8 hours.

That alone suppresses productivity.

3. NI’s labour supply is not too small — it is too narrowly timed

Northern Ireland struggles with:

• part-time parents
• carers
• people with disabilities
• students
• rural workers
• older skilled workers

Many could work evenings or nights, but the economy offers little structured opportunity outside 9–5.

By contrast:

Japan

Runs “moonlight shifts” — evening work with tax incentives.

USA

Mechanical, printing, trucking and logistics roles expected to run late/overnight.

Spain/Portugal

Massive shift flexibility in hospitality, logistics, and public services.

NI locks out these workers simply because businesses close early.

4. NI public services could increase throughput without new buildings

This is key.

Hospitals

Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands run night scanning and extended theatre hours.

NI:

• scans mostly 9–5
• theatres primarily daytime
• waiting lists grow while expensive equipment sleeps

Using scanners 24 hours dramatically increases throughput.

Courts & Planning (Digital)

Estonia, Ireland, Canada run 24-hour digital case workflows.

NI still operates clerical systems largely within fixed hours.

Roadworks

Australia and New Zealand run night-time resurfacing as standard.

NI roadworks often take longer because they’re restricted to daytime.

Night operations = fewer delays + faster completion.

5. NI SMEs could double output through shared 24-hour access to equipment

This is where innovations like 24 Garage matter.

A small 2-post lift might cost £2,000–£3,000.
A full workshop might cost £80k–£120k.

In South Korea or Japan, equipment is shared 24/7 across users or shifts.

In NI, most equipment sits idle.

A shared, round-the-clock access system:

• increases tool utilisation
• increases the output of each mechanic
• lowers costs for small businesses
• supports rural entrepreneurs
• improves economic competitiveness

This model already works worldwide:

• USA “maker spaces” for manufacturing
• Germany’s shared engineering hubs
• Sweden’s 24hr fab labs
• Japan’s multi-shift automotive bays

NI can copy this immediately.

6. Ports, logistics and tourism worldwide rely on extended hours — NI remains limited

Port Comparison

Extending NI’s port, ferry, and logistics operations into the night increases NI’s attractiveness to investors.

Tourism

Cities like Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Prague use extended evening economies to drive visitor spend.

NI closes early, loses revenue, and depresses job creation.

7. A 24-hour economy does NOT mean people work more — it means the economy works more efficiently

This is the misunderstanding that holds NI back.

People do not work longer hours.
Assets work longer hours.

The economy gains:

• higher output
• more flexible jobs
• better use of equipment
• more throughput in health/public services
• lower unit costs
• fewer waiting lists
• better rural access to work

The population gains:

• more flexible work patterns
• greater access to services
• lower prices

8. What NI must do now (practical steps)

1. Incentivise multi-shift operations

Grants or reduced rates for businesses operating >14 hours/day.

2. Create 24-hour industrial hubs

Rentable workspaces, shared machinery, night-access workshops.

3. Extend public-sector utilisation

Scan 24 hours, operate digital services continuously, accelerate roadworks.

4. Support flexible labour

Tax credit or NI contribution reductions for verified evening/night work.

5. Develop NI’s first formal 24-hour economy plan

Model Belfast after:

• Amsterdam’s 24-hour districts
• London’s Night Czar strategy
• Seoul’s 24/7 transport model
• Toronto’s night economy office

6. Promote “shift entrepreneurship”

Mechanics, trades, creators, and SMEs empowered to work when demand exists, not only when buildings are open.

Conclusion: Northern Ireland cannot fix productivity by working harder — only by working smarter across time.

Every country that has lifted productivity in the last 30 years has done it by:

• using its buildings more
• using its equipment more
• using its infrastructure more
• enabling more flexible labour participation
• exploiting night-time capacity

NI will remain below the UK and ROI average unless it transitions from a daytime economy to a round-the-clock economy.

The good news?

NI is small, compact, and agile — the perfect testbed for 24-hour economic reform.