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
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
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
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
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
Professor Aad van Moorsel, the Director and Principal Investigator of UKFin+, attended the EPSRC Regional Showcase event held at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on Monday, 6th November. Aad delivered a presentation on the UKFin+ network titled “UKFin+ Funding Research Collaborations for Wicked Problems in Financial Services.” During the presentation, attendees gained valuable … Read more
UKFin+ Directors Maggie Chen and Karen Elliott and UKFin+ Project Manager Sheena Robertson visited the Center for Research toward Advancing Financial Technologies (CRAFT) for their Fall 2023 CRAFT Industry Advisory Board Meeting 2nd and 3rd November 2023 at the Bank of America, New York. The meeting was a tremendous success, delivering inspirational key notes on ESG and decentralized … Read more
by Gabriela Filipkowska, Beining Han and Fan Wu – PhD students in Financial Mathematics at Cardiff University, Dr Ning Wang Mathematical Institute University of Oxford and, Dr Jia Shao an Assistant Professor at the School of Mathematics of the University of Birmingham. On September 5th, 2023, our team, visited Harrogate for the Royal Statistical Society … Read more
Professor Karen Elliot, one of the Co-Is for UKFin+ attended the launch of the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) on the 27th of February. “CFIT was set up following the Kalifa Review of Fintech (2021) to position the United Kingdom as a global leader in financial innovation. CFIT’s purpose is to unblock barriers … Read more