Northern Ireland’s (NI) fintech community will come together with sector leaders from across the UK in Belfast next week for the first-ever NI Fintech Symposium.
Hosted by Fintech NI, the symposium will celebrate and nurture the country’s growing fintech scene.
Set to take place on Wednesday 23 March in Belfast city centre, the summit will focus on the need for national connectivity as the UK continues to cement its position as a globally recognised fintech hub.
Representatives from other leading UK fintech clusters, including Scotland, the West Midlands, and the North of England, will address delegates at the conference.
The event will also hear from Innovate Finance, the independent industry body for fintech in the UK.
The symposium takes place just one year after the HM Treasury (HMT) backed independent fintech strategic review chaired by Ron Kalifa OBE, which listed NI among the ten leading emerging clusters for fintech in the UK.
Next week’s summit will examine how the sector has progressed within that year.
In tandem with this, the recently published NI fintech sector strategy highlighted how the industry contributes around £392million to the economy, and has the potential to create thousands more jobs and generate over £25million in foreign direct investment in NI over the next three years.
Produced by advisory firm Deloitte and launched in September 2021, the in-depth report found how NI could benefit from the setup of over 20 companies, the creation of thousands of jobs and the establishment of new international partnerships.
The symposium will examine the areas where work is still required within NI’s fintech sector, including connecting SMEs with investors, addressing barriers to skills and talent, and developing new funding networks for young fintechs.
The NI Fintech Symposium 2022 is supported by A&L Goodbody, Invest NI, Deloitte and Fintech Nexus.
Andrew Jenkins, chair of Fintech NI and HMT Fintech Envoy for NI, said: “As the independent voice of fintech in NI, Fintech NI exists to promote the region as a leading global fintech hub.
“We have known for quite some time now that the local sector punches well above its weight, however, significant advancements in the last few years, including the launch of the three-year strategy, have shown we are on the cusp of much more.
“On track to generate thousands more jobs and attract up to £25million in foreign direct investment in the next three years, now is the time to bring together the fintech ecosystem and celebrate its strength and vibrancy with our counterparts across the UK.
“We are thrilled to have the support of A&L Goodbody, Invest NI, Deloitte and Fintech Nexus and look forward to welcoming the wider ecosystem to Belfast next week.”
Chris Jessup, finance partner at A&L Goodbody, added: “The fintech sector is on a hugely promising trajectory and one that’s of significant interest to the wider professional service sector in NI.
“At A&L Goodbody, we advise on UK and EU financial services regulation and have seen a growth in demand here in line with the expansion of the NI fintech ecosystem. We see great potential in this area, which is why we are delighted to be supporting the inaugural NI Fintech Symposium.”
George McKinney, director of technology and services for Invest NI, concludes with: “The strength and potential of the local fintech ecosystem cannot be understated. This is a sector with a unique geographical advantage and a world-class educational system that delivers a structured pipeline of new talent.
“We have leading capabilities in key areas such as banking and capital markets technology, regtech and compliance, data analytics and AI, insurtech, and a supportive and collaborative business community to go alongside it.
“Now is the time to showcase this ecosystem, and we are pleased to be supporting the Fintech NI Association to do so.”
