Senior managers from 13 Northern Ireland companies will undertake a trade mission to Singapore and Malaysia early next month to explore trade, technology transfer and joint venture opportunities with local companies.

The delegation, which is broadly representative of Northern Ireland's diversified industrial base, includes companies ranging from engineering to software and telecommunications.

Several companies will visit CommunicAsia, the region's biggest technology exhibition, while others will travel to Kuala Lumpur for a series of meetings with local entrepreneurs.