Dr Xiaojun Luo, Professor Ismail Adelopo and Dr Yanhui Zhu have won a £12,000 award to run a Fintech & Blockchain Hackathon event, with the collaboration with Superteam UK.
FinTech & Blockchain Talent Accelerator is a hands-on programme led by UWE Bristol with Superteam UK. It brings students and the public together with founders and industry mentors to learn fast, build boldly, and explore Fintech and blockchain career pathways.
Through a three-day event, participants will join an accessible Friday workshop that demystifies fintech and blockchain, what they are, why they matter, and how they can solve everyday problems. Then, in a 24-hour hackathon, four to six member teams tackle live challenge briefs from industry practitioners, turning ideas into working prototypes with mentor support throughout. On Sunday, teams will showcase their prototypes and obtain feed-forwarding feedback from the academic-industry panel. Participants will also have access to prizes, internship and placement opportunities to advance their projects.
The project is designed to lower barriers to entry and open up new pathways into the UK’s financial services sector for a diversity of students and the general public. Every participant can gain practical skills and new connections, while employers meet motivated talents and fresh ideas. Highlights and prototypes will be shared through a short video and online gallery so other organisations and stakeholders can learn from and build on the results.