Lorita Cornish 
On 23 September, I attended the EPSRC Quantum Mission 1 workshop in Birmingham, which brought together quantum computing specialists, AI and high-performance computing (HPC) experts, researchers, and end users around a deceptively simple question: how do we make quantum computing genuinely useful? The workshop was organised ahead of a new funding opportunity and structured around … Read more
Connecting the pieces of the sustainability challenge Sustainability is becoming increasingly difficult to separate from everyday business, investment and technology decisions. AI can help organisations analyse complex problems and develop new solutions, but its growth also increases demand for energy, water and digital infrastructure. Climate and nature-related disruption can begin in one location and travel … Read more
How can lenders help more people access fair and affordable credit? How can financial data be used to support better decisions rather than simply produce faster rejections? And how can saving through payroll help households build greater financial resilience? These questions were at the centre of the UKFin+ Sandpit, held at the University of Birmingham … Read more
Following the success of the UKFinnovator in Birmingham earlier this year, the UKFin+ Network brought its flagship student innovation competition to Imperial College London, welcoming 77 students from 17 universities across the UK for an intensive weekend of collaboration, creativity and real-world problem solving. Students applied from 20 different universities, demonstrating the growing national interest … Read more
Reflections from two days at the Banking Transformation Summit, London Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Banking Transformation Summit in London. It was two intensive days of panel sessions, frank conversations, and genuinely thought-provoking debate about where financial services is heading. As Impact and Engagement Manager for the UKFin+ Network, I went … Read more
Walking into the EDI Hub Annual Conference in Leeds on 24th March, representing UKFin+ Network, I felt that familiar mix of curiosity and anticipation. EDI events often bring together passionate people, but this one felt different before it even began. The room was alive with colour, energy, and openness, reflecting exactly what the day was … Read more
At the FINTRAIL conference, one of the topics that caught my extra attention was focused on trade sanctions and how dramatically the landscape has changed in recent years. The panel discussion made clear that while trade sanctions themselves are not new, the scale, speed and complexity of enforcement and evasion have shifted significantly since 2022. … Read more
I have written previously about social engineering in financial crime, identity scams and the rise of deepfakes. Those threats are serious, technically fascinating and strategically important. But at the recent FinTrail Conference FFECON26, listening to cybercrime investigator Paul Raffile speak about financial sextortion was different. This is a topic I had not covered before. And … Read more
Last weekend, the UKFin+ Network delivered its first UKFinnovator at the University of Birmingham. More than 300 students applied, and 130 were selected from across the UK, some travelling significant distances to take part. They worked in multidisciplinary teams on live challenges set by companies. Instead of hypothetical case studies, students worked on genuine business … Read more
With so much uncertainty defining today’s world, Innovate UK’s “Glimpse of the Future” event offered a rare space to step back and think beyond the immediate challenges. This event brought together leaders, innovators and curious minds to explore how emerging technologies might shape the next two decades. Rather than telling us what the future will … Read more
Reflecting on an inspiring day in Bristol, 27 November Last week, I joined financial services leaders, innovators, academics, and partners in Bristol for the Future Finance Finale: Innovation in Action & What’s Next. It was a half-day celebration of what the programme has achieved and a bold look at where innovation adoption in financial services … Read more
Celebrating Progress, Partnerships and the Future of FinTech Collaboration National Museum Cardiff – 24 November 2025 On Monday, we brought the UKFin+ Network together at the beautiful National Museum of Wales in Cardiff for our Annual Research Showcase. It was a day of insight, reflection, and collaboration, surrounded by an extraordinary cohort of academics and … Read more
Earlier this week, I attended Wales Tech Week and participated in three insightful sessions that explored generative AI in finance, digital currencies, and the future of the insurance industry. It’s remarkable to see how Wales is rapidly transforming the financial services sector, and how uniquely positioned it is to lead this next chapter. It continues … Read more
Beyond Passwords – Why Identity Must Evolve to Keep Up With the World Another notable moment at the FTT Fintech Festival 2025 was a session examining what it truly takes to move beyond passwords. It was a lively, honest, and sometimes slightly alarming discussion about the future of authentication, identity signals, biometrics, and security in … Read more
The Chargeback Trap: How Fraudsters Win and Businesses Lose One of the sessions at the FTT Fintech Festival 2025 that left a lasting impression on me was the discussion on chargebacks. The scale of the issue now is enormous, and it’s something I’ve personally lived through. During my time when I was running a retail … Read more
Another brilliant session at the FTT Fintech Festival 2025 focused on a topic that affects almost everything in financial services: digital identity and interoperability. Digital identity used to be a niche or technical topic, now it’s becoming the backbone of onboarding, payments, travel, supply chains, fraud prevention, and even how citizens interact with the state. … Read more
UKFin+ Workshop | 14 October 2025 The UKFin+ Collaborative Workshop on RegTech and Resilience brought together over 40 academics, regulators, and industry professionals to explore how technology and research can play a vital role in addressing the most pressing challenges in financial services. This workshop is built directly on the UKFin+ Spotlight on RegTech, Resilience, … Read more
Article 1 – Social Engineering: The Oldest Trick, Supercharged by New Technology Earlier this week, I was part of FTT Fintech Festival 2025, on behalf of UKFin+ and I left with pages of notes, a head full of questions, and a renewed appreciation of just how complex and fast-moving our sector really is. There was … Read more
Last week, we hosted a Wicked Lunch as part of our Spotlight on RegTech, Resilience and Compliance series. Building on the insights from our Glasgow roundtable, the session brought together voices from industry and academia to explore some of the toughest challenges facing financial services today. Hosted by UKFin+ Director William Knottenbelt Our panellists: Iago … Read more
The FinTech West Conference in Bristol brought together innovators, regulators, investors, and entrepreneurs to explore how financial technology continues to evolve across the UK’s regions. Throughout the day, the themes of trust, data, and responsible innovation resonated strongly, reflecting both the opportunities and challenges shaping the next chapter of fintech. The event opened with an … Read more
The FinTech North Summit in York brought together innovators, investors, regulators, and academics from across the UK to explore how financial technology continues to evolve and redefine the future of finance. Throughout the day, discussions moved seamlessly between topics of innovation, investment, and inclusion, showing how the northern fintech community continues to strengthen its position … Read more