Warwick Business School unveils Fintech Innovation Lab with £4.2m funding

Warwick Business School has established a new Fintech Innovation Lab, bolstered by £4.2 million in funding, aimed at advancing research and innovation within the UK’s financial technology and artificial intelligence sectors. The newly launched facility is designed as a premier global fintech hub, accessible to academics, students, and businesses, featuring state-of-the-art resources including high-specification computers, digital screens, VR headsets, voice-to-text AI software, and strategic AI tools.

The lab was initiated with a generous £3 million donation from Clive Gillmore, a WBS alumnus and the founder and Group CEO of Mondrian Investment Partners. It has also received a £1.25 million anonymous donation to establish a FutureFinance.AI Research Group, which will explore the burgeoning proptech market.

The centre maintains robust connections with SuperTech, the West Midlands organisation focused on attracting inward investment to the region, and collaborates closely with the Bank of England. Together, they offer a joint course on Global Central Banking and Financial Regulation qualifications.

In line with its commitment to providing industry-relevant education, the centre will launch a new MSc Fintech programme, with applications starting from September 2025.

During the formal launch of the centre, Saqib Bhatti MP commented, “The UK’s booming fintech industry is playing a crucial role in driving economic growth and job creation. This new facility will help equip, train and empower the next generation to take the industry forward and ensure the UK remains a fintech leader on the world stage.”

Ram Gopal, Director of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, stated, “This new facility will drive collaboration between the worlds of academia and business, enabling the rapid development of new technologies and training. Fintech has the power to turbocharge the economy, and we aim to play a key role in enabling the West Midlands and the UK to become a science and technology superpower. Our research impacts the world as it is both relevant and practical for business and management.

“The UK Government’s Research Excellence Framework rated 93 per cent of Warwick Business School’s research ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ and the School’s research environment was ranked fourth in the UK for business and management. The Fintech Innovation Lab will help to build on the School’s excellent research environment and with the business school and the University of Warwick generating more than £1.15 billion for the local economy, cement the School’s importance in the West Midlands.”

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