UKFin+ Hosts Second Funding Workshop in Northern Ireland, a Top 10 FinTech Hub
The second event of the UKFin+ funding workshop series was hosted at the historic Ulster Reform Club in the heart of Belfast Town Centre. Attendees were welcomed into the Club’s Old Billiard Room, ready to discuss wicked problems in financial services.
The event commenced with an overview of the UKFin+ network. Speakers were PI Aad Van Moorsel, Project Manager Sheena Robinson, and a director of UKFin+, Professor Maggie Chen. This provided attendees with valuable insights into the aims and objectives of UKFin+ and how the funding will be distributed.
This session was co-hosted by Professor Daniel Broby, Chair of Financial Technology at Ulster University, one of the largest universities in Northern Ireland. Professor Daniel Broby is an internationally recognised expert in financial services, capital markets and digital technologies.
After the UKFin+ Project overview, Professor Daniel Broby also provided the group with an informative overview of FinTech in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has become a hub for FinTech in recent years, leading to its recognition as one of the top 10 FinTech hubs and a rapidly growing tech city in the UK[1]. Close connections between industry and academia strengthens this region as a FinTech hub[2]. Building strong connections with universities and financial services in Northern Ireland aligns with UKFin+’s aims of fostering collaborations amongst FinTech hubs across the UK.
Following this talk, Professor Maggie Chen led a workshop on ‘Futures Thinking’. Attendees were required to pick their top two FinTech topic areas of interest to form the basis of roundtable discussions, with the most popular being ‘Cyber Security’ and ‘Trust’. Breaking up into these two groups allowed attendees to network with those who were interested in similar research areas, whilst exploring the challenges impacting financial services. The activity was designed to prompt attendees to focus on how the past, present, and future impact wicked problems in financial services.
These workshops give attendees the opportunity to learn more about our project and are a valuable opportunity to interact with the team and make new connections. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming workshops by keeping an eye on our social media channels and website. We look forward to welcoming you at our future events!
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[1] Kalifa Review of UK Fintech – Executive Summary (publishing.service.gov.uk)
[2] Northern Ireland: A global FinTech hub | Ulster University