#FifeTech Launch Tech4Good to support Fife’s Communities

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Innovating for a Better Scotland 

Tech4Good will be launching on 30 September via a webinar to share plans to bring the success of Nationwide’s ‘Open Banking for Good’ (OB4G) challenge to Scotland. The aim is to seek out our most pioneering entrepreneurs, start-ups and industry-leaders to harness their tech skills and create solutions to make a positive difference in the lives of Fife’s citizens.

Fife Council’s Head of Communities & Neighbourhoods, Paul Vaughan, is taking part in a webinar on September 30 as part of the launch of 'Tech4Good' to support local communities.

Tech4Good has evolved from a collaboration of representatives from Nationwide’s Open Banking for Good challenge team, Strathclyde University, the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol, Fife Council and the Global Open Finance Centre of Excellence (GOFCoE) at the University of Edinburgh.

The first project aims to help the financially squeezed by offering appropriate and accessible digital, data-enabled products, services and policies that help those in financial hardship to get through the month without seeking unregulated and unaffordable finance. Even before the pandemic, 25m people in the UK (or around half the adult population) were financially squeezed or financially struggling. Covid-19 is very likely to worsen the financial condition of many of these people.

The online consortium developed over the summer explored how the principles of Nationwide’s OB4G could be applied to the current situation and adapted to benefit Scotland.

#FifeTech Virtual Launch Event 10.30 am-12 noon on Wednesday 30 September 2020. Agenda:

  • Introductions and Welcome: Devraj Basu, Senior Lecturer, Accounting and Finance, Strathclyde University
  • Grounded Innovation: Phil Gosset, Head of Innovation, Nationwide Building Society
  • Post Covid financial stress: Sharon Collard, Professor of Personal Finance and Research Director, University of Bristol
  • Impact on Communities across Fife:  Paul Vaughan, Head of Communities & Neighbourhoods, Fife Council and Niall Alexander, Associate, Carnegie Trust
  • Interim Findings - Devraj Basu
  • Q+A - Call for Interest and broader Collaboration.

The consortium would build broader community engagement with #FifeTech, as initial phase plans are shared on 30 September.

Register your attendance: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fifetech-for-good-call-for-collaboration-tickets-119607879387

Paul Vaughan, Head of Communities & Neighbourhoods, Fife Council, said: “During these times a lot of people are finding coping with the additional financial strains arising from the pandemic especially difficult. That is especially true in some parts of Fife.  This is a hugely timely initiative to make use of all that technology can provide and help our local organisations deal more effectively with the real hardships that people are now suffering from.  We are looking forward to working with Strathclyde University and the #FifeTech consortium to repeat the successful Nationwide Open Banking for Good programme in Scotland.”

Matt Kennedy, Leader of the #FifeTech consortium and Dev & QA Manager at Ingenico, said: “I have observed Nationwide’s Open Banking for Good Challenge and its successful outcomes driven by supporting early-stage FinTech businesses and engaging them directly with charitable partners. Technology has the potential to make real differences to people’s lives and the potential of creating #FifeTech with a grounded innovation approach, offers Scottish businesses and innovators here the opportunity to harness tech for social good.”