The Belfast shipyard that built the Titanic has been saved in a £6m deal.
The Harland and Wolff yard in Belfast was threatened with closure after it went into administration in August following the collapse of its Norwegian parent company.
Energy infrastructure project firm InfraStrata announced on Tuesday that it was taking over the business, with all the workers at the plant who did not take voluntary redundancy set to keep their jobs. It is understood that totals 79 staff.
John Wood, CEO of InfraStrata, said: "Harland and Wolff is a landmark asset and its reputation as one of the finest multi-purpose fabrication facilities in Europe is testament to its highly skilled team in Belfast."
Union organisers at the site - where workers staged a nine-week occupation - said they hoped it would now expand following the late rescue package.
Julian Smith, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, also welcomed the deal.
"I am delighted by the news that InfraStrata have purchased the Harland and Wolff shipyard and retained the skills and experience of the existing workforce," he said.
"I firmly believe that the shipyard has a promising future and that InfraStrata's plans present an exciting opportunity for both Belfast and Northern Ireland's manufacturing and energy sectors."
Trade unions Unite and GMB hailed the workforce's role in securing the yard's future
Susan Fitzgerald, regional co-ordinating officer with Unite, said: "From July 29th, when workers were faced with the imminent collapse of the yard, they were determined not only to save their own jobs but to safeguard Northern Ireland's skillbase going forward. Their nine-week occupation will be remembered by future generations of workers as evidence of the power of collective action."
Denise Walker, senior organiser with GMB, added: "While politicians substituted sympathy for action, workers took control of the situation and of their workplace. In so doing they have ensured that Harland and Wolff will not only continue but will be in a position to expand and fulfil its potential as a lynch pin of Northern Ireland's economy".
Harland and Wolff is most famous for the building of the Titanic, which then sank on its maiden voyage in 1912.
Additional reporting by PA Media
