The Fintech Corridor (TFC) today announced a corporate partnership with Dublin City University (DCU). The partnership will further advance fintech education and innovation across the island of Ireland by deepening collaboration between DCU and Ireland’s thriving fintech industry.
The partnership with DCU builds on TFC’s work in advancing cross-border collaboration in fintech education across the island of Ireland, following a recent agreement with Ulster University. The cooperation aims to further develop the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor as the gateway to EU and UK fintech, by opening opportunities to DCU students and graduates in workforce training, education, bespoke programmes, and internship opportunities with industry leaders. TFC’s network of fintech industry members will also receive access to talented DCU students and graduates, as well as access to research and innovation collaboration, particularly through the Irish Institute of Digital Business and its financial innovation research cluster, finLAB. DCU will launch, in association with IFS Skillnet and with an endorsement from TFC, a Graduate Certificate in Financial Intelligence and Technology (FIT) in September 2022, enabling industry participants to acquire the necessary skills for a career in the rapidly growing Irish fintech sector.
Commenting on the launch, Alan McEneaney, Vice Chair at The Fintech Corridor, said, “The corporate partnership between TFC and Dublin City University is another major step forward in our goal of advancing fintech education and innovation across Ireland. This partnership will further drive the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor as the gateway to EU and UK fintech, by creating significant opportunities in fintech training, education and research and innovation collaboration.”
TFC is supported by InterTradeIreland, a leading organization dedicated to helping small businesses in Ireland and Northern Ireland explore cross-border markets, and develop new products, processes and services. As part of this partnership, DCU joins four other universities across the island of Ireland and over 70 members of The Fintech Corridor, in forming The Fintech Academy (TFA). In a first-of-its-kind development on the island of Ireland, the establishment of The Fintech Academy aims to shape fintech learning in conjunction with industry leaders, with a vision to build the academy across the island whilst continuing to connect the EU and UK fintech ecosystems. The Fintech Academy creates an ecosystem for fintech skills, a talent pool from universities and an industry pool for placements, internships and apprenticeships, showcasing the benefit of an all-island approach to academia and industry apprenticeships.
Professor Mark Cummins, Professor of Finance at the DCU Business School and Director of the Irish Institute of Digital Business, commented, “We are delighted to formalise our working relationship with The Fintech Corridor that has flourished over the last number of years, and we look forward to continued engagement in the design of innovative educational offerings that will serve the fintech industry along the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor, and more widely across the island of Ireland. We see huge research potential in collaborating closely with TFC members to push the boundaries of knowledge in the exciting, dynamic area of financial technology.”
