NatWest Group

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The Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations (ECFI) collaborates with NatWest Group to co‑develop research and innovation that benefits customers, policymakers and the wider financial sector. Our work spans data‑driven research, challenge‑led innovation and talent development, delivered in partnership with colleagues across the University of Edinburgh.

A flagship element of this relationship is the Centre for Purpose‑Driven Innovation in Banking, co‑directed by Professor Michael Rovatsos (School of Informatics) and Professor Gbenga Ibikunle (ECFI). ECFI provides delivery support across projects and programmes, helping connect academic expertise to real‑world banking challenges.

Centre for Purpose‑Driven Innovation in Banking

The NatWest Group and the University of Edinburgh announced a new partnership to launch the new innovation centre on 7 June 2023.

Research outputs

Biodiversity and Credit Risk Impact

Developed in partnership with the NatWest Group, this project, led by Professor Theodor Cojoianu, aims to explore how nature and biodiversity risks and impacts could be analysed and integrated in their investment decision making processes.

Research Project

Exploring Children’s Digital Money Futures

Developed in partnership with the NatWest Group, this project, led by Dr Cara Wilson and Dr Chris Elsden, aims to explore how financial attitudes are established and shaped at a young age from the perspective of children and will help inform the development of NatWest groups’ youth proposition.