UK fintech leaders to gather in Belfast for first Northern Ireland Fintech Symposium

Next week, fintech leaders from across the UK will come together in Belfast for the first-ever Northern Ireland Fintech Symposium.

The event will be hosted by FinTech NI, and follows the launch of a three-year strategy plan for fintech in Northern Ireland published in September last year. 

The report revealed that the fintech sector is now worth almost £400m to the economy and has the potential to create thousands more jobs, generating over £25m in Foreign Direct Investment in the next three years.

The summit, on March 23, will focus on “the need for national connectivity as the UK continues to cement its position as a globally recognised fintech hub”.

In addition to Northern Irish representatives, fintech leaders from Scotland, the West Midlands and North England will attend the conference.

Innovate Finance, fintech’s independent industry body, will also speak.

“As the independent voice of FinTech in Northern Ireland, FinTechNI exists to promote the region as a leading global fintech hub,” chair of FinTechNI and HMT Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland Andrew Jenkins said.

“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.”

The summit will examine how the sector has grown since the Kalifa Review of UK FintTech a year ago which put Northern Ireland in the top ten “clusters” of fintech.

“The strength and potential of the local fintech ecosystem cannot be understated,” director of technology and services for Invest NI George McKinney said.

“This is a sector with a unique geographical advantage and world-class educational system that delivers a structured pipeline of new talent.”

The Northern Ireland FinTech Symposium 2022 is supported by A&L Goodbody, Invest Northern Ireland, Deloitte and Fintech Nexus.