The finance and economics programme was founded in 2016. Initially the programme played a key role in fostering economic data science research, an emerging discipline at the intersection of economics and machine learning. Over the last five years the programme has grown exponentially and is today a nationally and internationally recognised research and innovation hub with the vision to enable a more resilient, secure, inclusive and productive economy through digital innovation.
Our work includes developing models to better understand economic networks through transaction data and economic nowcasting, developing privacy-enhancing technologies to improve data flow across government departments and working with regulators, and building monitoring systems for detecting market collusion and systemic risks.
Innovation through collaboration
The programme seeks to foster innovation and leverage our expertise through strategic, boundary-breaking collaborations with industry, academia, third sector and beyond.
We have a proven ability to set up and lead impactful national and international partnerships and collaborations, which range from project partnerships to multi-year, multi-party strategic partnership programmes. Key examples include our partnerships with HSBC, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Accenture and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
We believe that by bringing industry and academia together we can combine our unique skill sets to tackle the challenges towards a more inclusive and productive digital economy.
Programme challenges
The finance and economics programme has three main research challenges.
1. AI and data science for socio-economic systems
Improved resilience and economic security through:
- Real-time monitoring of the economy and financial systems.
- Improved decision making via actionable intelligence for policymakers and industry e.g., supply-chains, urban planning, sustainability.
- Methodological frameworks for digital twinning socio-economic systems.
2. Safe and trusted AI systems for business and industry
Improved productivity, and more inclusive, fair and robust services through:
- Know-how to close the principle-practice gap and to tackle trade-offs across all RAI pillars.
- AI adoption and innovation that maintains public trust and meets regulatory expectations.
3. Decentralisation and democratisation of technology
Increased inclusion, efficiency, resilience, and security through:
- Digitalisation (e.g., digital identity) that removes friction and increases security.
- New, fairer, and more transparent economic models that remove unnecessary intermediaries.
- Decentralised (financial) regulation model involving digitally implemented regulations and secure reporting standards.
Latest news
AI in the financial sector
With Dr Adrian Weller (Programme Director and Turing Fellow) and Kate Platonova (Group Chief Data Analytics Officer at HSBC), Ed Chalstrey discusses how AI is being used in financial services and what data is useful in banking today.
Listen to the podcast here, or subscribe via Spotify, ApplePodcasts, Stitcher, Podbay, Podbean, iHeartRadio or Listen Notes.
Organisers
Cat Morton
Senior Programme Manager, Finance and Economics
Tony Zemaitis
Programme Manager, Finance and Economics
Angelika Kerlin
Programme Manager, Finance and Economics
Priscila Lopez-Beltran
Research Project Manager, Finance and Economics Programme
Joseph Golbourn
Project Administrator, Finance and Economics ProgrammeCollaborators
Contact info
You can get in touch by email at [email protected].
