News

Partnership looks to keep CUs at the forefront of fintech

July 15, 2016

Co-op Financial Services and Filene Research Institute have partnered to create a new Filene Center of Excellence — the Center for Emerging Technology — to provide fintech-related research and education to credit unions.

The center will formally launch later this year and will produce three major research studies and host one colloquium per year for four years, the companies said in a press release.

Planned areas of research include blockchain and bitcoin, the user experience and the future of personal financial management.

Co-op is the lead sponsor of the initiative, which will be led by a tenured academic from a leading educational institution.

“The Research Fellow, from a brand-name university, will bring exceptional knowledge on technology advances and trends, and will relay the advanced research in a highly accessible way for credit unions,” said Sarah Canepa Bang, executive vice president of industry relations for Co-op. “Filene has identified a key need within our movement — to better understand and act upon emerging technology — and we are delighted to be the lead sponsor of this Center of Excellence.”