Warwick Business School has launched a new Fintech Innovation Lab following £4.2m of investment. The state-of-the-art new facility will drive cutting-edge research and innovation in the UK’s financial technology and artificial intelligence sectors.

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 Centre 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 a FutureFinance.AI Research Group to look into the emerging proptech market.

The centre has strong links with SuperTech – the West Midlands body looking to bring inward investment to the region. It also works closely with the Bank of England and the two organisations provide a joint course on Global Central Banking and Financial Regulation qualifications.

As part of its commitment to provide high quality, industry-focused education, the centre is also launching a new MSc Fintech qualification, with applications opening from September 2025.

Formally launching the new centre, Saqib Bhatti MP 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.”

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 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.