Accountancy giant EY is to open a business research innovation technology and engineering (BRiTE) hub in Bristol to help boost the South West’s fast-growing FinTech sector.
The hub, in EY’s Bristol office in The Paragon, aims to ramp up capabilities in financial services design, data analytics and engineering and create practical and tangible solutions to some of the big challenges facing businesses. 
Led by directors Dan Harris, Oana Beattie and Liam Snelling, the hub will also work closely with the University of Bristol and sector group Fintech West to help serve clients locally, across the UK and internationally.
The team behind the hub includes Dan Harris, a UK director in EY’s research and design consultancy EY Seren, EY data and analytics director Oana Beattie and Liam Snelling, a digital engineering and emerging tech director at EY.
Dan joined EY last August from Bristol and London user experience design consultancy cxpartners and has also been UK financial services lead at international IT consultants Accenture and principal director at Fjord.
Oana has worked with some of the biggest financial services brands in the over the past 20 years, driving business value acceleration through data and innovation. With a career spanning 20 years, Liam focuses on cost and carbon-efficient digital transformation.
EY partner and FinTech strategy leader Anita Kimber, pictured, said: “The launch of the BRiTE hub is the latest in a series of investments that EY has made in the FinTech sector in response to growing market demand.
“The hub will bring new, innovative thinking and experience to the region with a focus on user-centred design that helps to tackle real-life business problems.
“We have a strong leadership team in Dan, Oana and Liam, and I look forward to welcoming additional team members over the coming months.”
EY South West and Wales head of financial services Andy Blackmore said Bristol had built a name for itself as the UK’s ‘home of science, media and innovation’, and had a wealth of locally-grown talent and the power to attract new skilled workers to the region.
“This new hub will bring together actuarial and finance SMEs to develop and innovate within financial services data analytics, design and engineering,” he added.
University of Bristol director for innovation and entrepreneurship Tom Ellson said Bristol and the South West was widely recognised for its creative and innovative culture.
“This has led to high-profile international investment in a number of sectors from cybersecurity and technology through to financial services and engineering,” he added. “The BRiTE hub’s arrival in Bristol will form part of a fast-moving ecosystem.”
