How Welsh Universities Are Fuelling the FinTech Revolution
22 April, 2021
Students By Numbers
With over 22,000 students engaged in FinTech relevant studies at universities across Wales (mathematical sciences, computer sciences, business and administration), the opportunities for Welsh FinTech to work closely with these institutions is better than ever.
Collaborations between academic institutions and the FinTech community have tangible benefits for both parties; from recruitment to research, the close alignment between the welsh industry and academia can offer considerable advantages.
Recruiting the Best International Talent
The high standard of Universities and diverse course options availability has attracted students from around the world to study and stay in Wales and pursue careers after graduation. This academic strength of the region, coupled with a welcoming community and beautiful environment, has made Wales a magnet for top international talent.
Three Universities leading the way on cutting edge modules are Cardiff, Swansea, & Newport, which are consistently producing graduates with the dynamic skillsets required to thrive in FinTech across the country. This ever-widening pool of skilled graduates has enabled Welsh FinTech to recruit and assemble lean teams of specialists faster and more efficiently than ever before.
Cardiff-based comparison giant, Confused.com, which has long-standing partnerships with universities across Wales, sees these collaborations as a significant factor in their ability to compete successfully, as Confused.com’s CEO Louise O’Shea explains.
“The standard of international talent graduating from University courses in Wales is excellent, and by being able to work so closely with the universities and being able to speak with students before they finish their courses and plug them directly into our graduate programmes when they’re ready, has meant we can leverage that access in recruiting more effectively than our competitors.”
This ability for businesses to work closely with universities by offers of placements and career paths before graduation relieves the pressure on students who can then focus on their studies safe in the knowledge that a role in an industry-leading FinTech awaits.
Working Together on Cutting Edge Research
The close relationship between Welsh FinTech and Universities has also enabled businesses to collaborate with the finest minds in AI, Business, and mathematics to take on the challenges of big data, automation, and blockchain, which all have the potential to shape the financial industry for years to come.
Carmarthen based FinTech Ship Shape’s recent work with Swansea University is an example of the power that combining both in-house, and academic expertise, can have in sparking innovation, as Ship Shape CEO Daniel Sawko explains.
“Our company has been guided by the expertise of Swansea University Professor Xianghua Xie, whose knowledge of AI and Machine Learning combined with our in-house expertise has helped to take the platform’s capabilities from a concept to reality.”
“We were lucky enough to collaborate more closely with Professor Xie on an Innovate UK Sustainable Innovation Grant project that finished in January.
We had the privilege of presenting the excellent results of that project to Sustainable Innovation Fund Programme Manager Jessica Cook and Impact Manager Sarah Wellard.
Working with Swansea University and other Welsh Universities such as UWTSD and Cardiff has helped us to super-charge the development of IP that investors value.”
What’s Next?
Whether working with universities to map the future of FinTech or recruiting the finest graduate talent through programmes and placements, the importance of the ever closer bonds between FinTech and universities in Wales cannot be understated as the two continue to explore the benefits of their partnership in fresh and exciting ways.
For more information on how Welsh FinTech is making the most of its academic links, visit www.fintechwales.org.