ANNOUNCEMENT: Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD was at Fexco Headquarters in Killorglin to launch FINTECHNEXT. From left: Dr Ciar‡n Seoighe (Deputy Director General, Science Foundation Ireland), Denis McCarthy (CEO Fexco) and Professor John O'Halloran (Deputy President UCC). Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan

Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD was in Killorglin on Friday last to launch FINTECHNEXT – a new €3 million research project which will run for four years from 2019 to 2022.

The project is a financial technology (fintech) research collaboration between technology company Fexco, University College Cork (UCC) and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI).

The €3 million investment in the project will be provided by Science Foundation Ireland and Fexco in equal parts, with critical knowledge and expertise provided by researchers at the Cork University Business School (CUBS) within UCC.

The collaboration will see a team of 12 newly appointed researchers led by UCC, partner with Fexco in the delivery of applied and funded research dedicated to disrupting three key fintech verticals; Treasury and FX, Digital Taxation, and Corporate Asset Administration.

The research team will be co-located between Fexco Headquarters, where the company already employs over 1,000 of its global 2,300 strong workforce, and UCC. This collaboration, led by Professor Philip O’Reilly of CUBS, aims to stimulate the joint development of innovative solutions that will put Ireland on the world map as a fintech innovation hub. In July 2018, Fexco announced plans to recruit 175 additional high-skill staff to expand its research, development and information technology capabilities.

“Investment in research is key to developing and delivering the next generation of products, services and innovations that will disrupt the fintech sector, an industry that has been critical to the continued growth and development of the south west of Ireland and of Fexco,” Denis McCarthy, CEO Fexco, said.

“Fexco will enjoy a dual benefit from this project, the first is the opportunity to be at the forefront of identifying new trends and technologies that could create new markets for our business and the second in welcoming a team of world-renowned research experts to the organisation. Fexco’s staff, including myself, stand to learn a huge amount from them, and I want to wish all of the partners in FINTECHNEXT every success.”