Abstract
Lack of collaboration between industry and educational institutions in FinTech results in a mismatch between what is taught by HEIs and VET providers and the skills needed in a rapidly changing market that demands specialisation in emerging digital professions. These barriers to the flow of knowledge limit co-creation in FinTech, stifling innovation and undermining the untapped potential of students and academics to generate ideas, commercialise research results and develop new solutions. FinTech also holds untapped potential in digitising finance to move to a climate-neutral and socially resilient society, in line with the European vision. Based on analysing the skill mismatches in FinTech and existing educational offers, LIFT-OFF will establish a FinTech LaunchPad (FTL) framework, which will be a collection of methodologies, tools, training materials, activities and approaches that will empower HEIs and VET providers with the ability to leverage the expertise of FinTech experts/businesses to create new educational pathways for students and support new innovations. LIFT-OFF will develop the FTL Hub—a platform connecting universities and academics with FinTech companies with the goal of mobilising industry actors as educational agents in mutually beneficial collaborations. Through the FTL Hub and framework, LIFT-OFF will create numerous educational opportunities including 2 summer schools engaging over 40 students with FinTech experts; hands-on learning opportunities in the form of 50 FinTech internships; and a new HE course promoting entrepreneurial mindsets and integrating case studies from FinTech competitors focusing on solutions with social and environmental benefit. LIFT-OFF aims to reach 2,500 SMEs and 1,000 academics and engage 150 active users on the FTL Hub. Our consortium represents all European regions and includes a FinTech cluster of over 600 SMEs that will enable the roll out of LIFT-OFF outputs and ensure the long-term sustainability of the FTL Hub.
Role UT
The University of Twente is a partner in the project. The team from UT includes the following individuals:
