Andrew Jenkins, Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland
Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland, Andrew Jenkins has reinforced the attractive proposition which Northern Ireland is to overseas investors.
Envoy Jenkins took part in a webinar which was hosted by Invest NI aimed at Australian and New Zealand tech companies which are seeking to expand to the UK and European markets. Other panellists included Peter Hendrikssen, Regional Trade & Investment Director, Invest NI; Roger Gregg, Founder, The Lightyear Corporation; and Ravi Rughani, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Anson McCade Recruiting.
This session explored the different components of Northern Ireland’s unique fintech eco-system, and the incentives available for Australian and New Zealand technology companies seeking to expand here.
With Northern Ireland recently named the world’s number one destination for fintech development investment projects, Belfast named the top city in Europe for new FDI software development projects, and in the top 10 European Tech Cities for the Future, there is significant potential to harness this growing reputation which can drive economic recovery locally.
Fintech is one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK economy, encompassing innovation in financial services including digital banking, payment technologies and asset management. 40,000 people are employed in this sector across Northern Ireland.
Speaking following this event, Andrew Jenkins, Fintech Envoy for Northern Ireland said:
“I want to thank Peter and the Invest NI Team in Sydney for inviting me to be part of this important panel. In fintech, we have a sector in Northern Ireland to be really proud of and one which holds even greater potential. This webinar was a great opportunity to talk about the opportunities which exist locally to potential investors in Australia and New Zealand, as well as hearing about what’s important to them.”
“There are many factors which contribute to Northern Ireland’s attractiveness, not least a broad and diverse ecosystem, as well as the combination of world-class talent, strong infrastructure, cost-effectiveness, and a supportive business environment. By harnessing these strengths and continuing to invest for the future, we have a really strong value proposition.”
“With the end of the Brexit transition period fast approaching, it is crucial that we do everything to reduce regulatory barriers and support international expansion in a post-Brexit world. Now more than ever, I want to help Northern Ireland fintech companies and clusters reach their full potential and I am keen to develop these overseas links even further.”