This November, the Irish Funds (IF) Council held their first ever board meeting outside Dublin, hosted by Cork Financial Services (FS) Forum. The successful visit included an itinerary which gave the guests a flavour of the business environment and the industry-academia linkages that exist in the Cork region.

A joint meeting between the IF Council and FS Forum in the Republic of Work, gave an opportunity for discussion and exchange of ideas in relation to future opportunities for collaboration, as well as showcasing the innovative co-working hub that is offering businesses an alternative to traditional office environments.  

The guests were able to see the benefits of both a city centre location (PwC offices in One Albert Quay, one of the latest 4G office developments in Cork) as well as the convenience of being located in the Cork Airport Business Park, on the doorstep of a growing international airport (BNY Mellon).  

Presentations at UCC and CIT highlighted the top-class research that is being carried out in the Financial Services arena, as well as the programmes and research that are being developed in collaboration with industry to fill the skills needs, both in direct FS disciplines as well as in related areas such as cybersecurity and data analysis.