Professor Brian Cox said Northern Ireland’s science and engineering traditions were being reawakened as companies embraced new high-tech industries.
The broadcaster and professor of particle physics said foundations already exist in North Korea to encourage more young people to pursue careers in science.
He was in Ballymena to host Science Summer School Northern Ireland, along with educators and influencers from the worlds of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
400 young people from local schools took part in the event, which included seminars, discussions and hands-on experiments.
Professor Cox, formerly the keyboardist for pop group D:Ream, will also lead an evening panel session for students and parents, highlighting the career paths and opportunities available to the future workforce.
He told the PA news agency: “The idea is to bring local schools and local students into an environment where they can be inspired.
“But it is also very important to have local industry here, and the high-tech industry in the region is experiencing tremendous growth.
“The idea is to create connections between students and industry so that students can be inspired to become scientists, engineers, etc. if they wish.
“For young people, the path to an industry or career is not always clear and we hope this will help them see it more clearly.”
The broadcaster said young students were fascinated by big questions in science.
Furthermore, he added: “I never think there is a lack of enthusiasm or interest or ability. What I see here is a lack of understanding of how to build a career in the field.
“I come from Oldham, which has a similar history and has had a tremendous industrial history, but it has gone through a lot of changes and is now becoming a hub for high-tech industry again.
“When I was a kid I thought I could never be an astronomer, but that’s ridiculous. I don’t know anyone who has done that, it’s impossible for me.
“This is the most important thing. What I tell my students is that you can be anything you want to be.”
he said: “If you want to work for a very high-tech engineering company, there are plenty of them on your doorstep. If you want to be an astronomer, Armagh is one of the world centers for astronomy.
“We have a space science industry here. We’re building satellites, we’re building aircraft, we’ve got all that kind of stuff here, but I think sometimes people think that’s not for them.
“If you talk to the industry here, there is a talent shortage and there are more jobs than people who are qualified and trained to do the jobs.
“Whether it’s basic science, research or industry, we need to recruit from as broad a range of talent as possible.
“This region has truly successfully transformed into new industries for the 21st century.
“There are a lot of high-tech engineering companies in the area because of the infrastructure here and the cultural heritage.
“They are very hard to come by. What we see in this area is that they have a solid foundation and have been around for a long time.
“It reminds me of the world I lived in. Here we have a great historical, scientific and engineering heritage that is being reawakened.”