Bristol’s position as a centre for financial technology (fintech) and cyber security expertise was highlighted today when Economic Secretary to the Treasury Harriett Baldwin visited the city to meet some of its key players.
Bristol is playing a major role in ensuring the UK retains its position as a world leader in these key sectors. 
Britain’s fintech industry supports more than 61,000 jobs and generates billions of pounds of revenue for the UK economy.
The visit of Harriett Baldwin, pictured, came as part of UK FinTech Week, which aims to celebrate the UK’s status as a leading global fintech hub and to spark discussion around what can be done to further support this industry.
She took part in a round table event at the city’s Engine Shed innovation hub, before visiting the University of Bristol to meet its new Vice Chancellor Professor Hugh Brady.
She also met leading academics to discuss their research in the areas of computer science, finance and maths, before talking to students who hope to start their own technology companies.
One of the fintech businesses involved in the debate at Engine Shed was Momentum Financial Technology, which was founded out of the acquisition of Bristol-based Blue Speck Financial by insurance giant MMI Holdings.
The company behind Moneyhub – an award-winning financial dashboard product – and YourWealth.co.uk, a personal financial information website – operates a 120-person fintech lab in Bristol. Other participants in the round table event included Fundsurfer, Brightpearl, Triodos Bank and Bristol is Open.
The visit highlights the strength of Bristol & Bath’s fintech and cyber security capabilities, as well as its significance as a fast-growing, world-class cluster of wider technology related businesses. It came not long after the recent Tech National 2016 report named the Bristol and Bath region as home to the most productive digital tech cluster in the UK.
Invest Bristol & Bath head of inward investment, Matthew Cross, said: “Harriett Baldwin’s visit to Bristol today illustrated the Government’s continued recognition of the strength of Bristol & Bath’s digital technology cluster and its role as a major contributor to the UK economy.
“The fintech industry is turning the banking and financial services sector on its head and there are huge opportunities for our region to capitalise on this as new ways of sharing data, accessing investment markets, and providing wider banking and financial services are explored.
“In Bristol & Bath, we have an excellent skills base in this sector, thanks to a number of factors including the quality of life on offer here, the strength of the local universities and the reputation of our thriving digital tech cluster. This is allowing our fintech companies to compete on a global stage and play a leading role in the promotion of the UK’s strength in these industries globally.”
