Investing in tomorrow: (l-r) Moris Strub, Course Director for the MSc Fintech, Ram Gopal, Director of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, and Saqib Bhatti, Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, opening the Fintech Innovation Lab by cutting the blue ribbon

Investing in tomorrow: (l-r) Moris Strub, Course Director for the MSc Fintech, Ram Gopal, Director of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, and Saqib Bhatti, Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, opening the Fintech Innovation Lab

Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Saqib Bhatti has launched Warwick Business School’s new Fintech Innovation Lab.

The state-of-the-art new facility will drive cutting-edge research and innovation in the UK’s financial technology and artificial intelligence sectors and is part of the School’s Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology. 

Designed to serve as a global hub of fintech excellence, the lab is open to visiting academics, students and businesses and is fully equipped with high-specification computers, digital screens, VR headsets, voice-to-text AI software and strategic AI tools.

The Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology was established with a £3 million donation from Clive Gillmore, an alum of WBS and founder and Group CEO of Mondrian Investment Partners. It also recently received a £1.25 million anonymous donation to establish the FutureFinance.AI Research Group to look into the emerging proptech market.

The Gillmore Centre is looking to use the new lab as a hub for the growing fintech sector in the West Midlands and has established strong links with SuperTech – the body looking to bring £1.5 billion of inward investment to the region.

The AIs have it: Shadow Secretary Saqib Bhatti tries out a VR headset at the Fintech Innovation Lab launch

As part of its commitment to provide high quality, industry-focused education, the Gillmore Centre is also launching a new MSc Financial Technology qualification, with applications now open for the first cohort in September 2025.

Mr Bhatti, Conservative MP for Meriden and Solihull East, said: “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.”

The Gillmore Centre produces world-class research on all areas of fintech, including the recent establishment of an open source Crypto Dashboard that tracks and analyses the price of more than 37,000 cryptocurrencies, comparing them to other indices like gold and the S&P 500.

And its academics work with business and policymakers on researching the rapidly evolving technologies involved in fintech, such as the Gillmore Centre's work with the Bank of England and the UK Government’s Treasury on developing a digital pound. 

Ram Gopal, Director of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology, said: “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, management and policymakers.

“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 School and the University of Warwick already generating more than £1.15 billion for the local economy, cement the School’s importance in the West Midlands.”

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